diff --git a/sphinx/domains/python.py b/sphinx/domains/python.py
index dbbc20956..91e975a96 100644
--- a/sphinx/domains/python.py
+++ b/sphinx/domains/python.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ if False:
     from sphinx.application import Sphinx  # NOQA
     from sphinx.builders import Builder  # NOQA
     from sphinx.environment import BuildEnvironment  # NOQA
-    from sphinx.util.typing import unicode  # NOQA
+    from sphinx.util.typing import TextlikeNode, unicode  # NOQA
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class PyXrefMixin:
                   rolename,                  # type: unicode
                   domain,                    # type: unicode
                   target,                    # type: unicode
-                  innernode=nodes.emphasis,  # type: Type[nodes.TextElement]
+                  innernode=nodes.emphasis,  # type: Type[TextlikeNode]
                   contnode=None,             # type: nodes.Node
                   env=None,                  # type: BuildEnvironment
                   ):
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class PyXrefMixin:
                    rolename,                  # type: unicode
                    domain,                    # type: unicode
                    target,                    # type: unicode
-                   innernode=nodes.emphasis,  # type: Type[nodes.TextElement]
+                   innernode=nodes.emphasis,  # type: Type[TextlikeNode]
                    contnode=None,             # type: nodes.Node
                    env=None,                  # type: BuildEnvironment
                    ):
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ class PyXrefMixin:
 class PyField(PyXrefMixin, Field):
     def make_xref(self, rolename, domain, target,
                   innernode=nodes.emphasis, contnode=None, env=None):
-        # type: (unicode, unicode, unicode, Type[nodes.TextElement], nodes.Node, BuildEnvironment) ->  nodes.Node  # NOQA
+        # type: (unicode, unicode, unicode, Type[TextlikeNode], nodes.Node, BuildEnvironment) ->  nodes.Node  # NOQA
         if rolename == 'class' and target == 'None':
             # None is not a type, so use obj role instead.
             rolename = 'obj'
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class PyGroupedField(PyXrefMixin, GroupedField):
 class PyTypedField(PyXrefMixin, TypedField):
     def make_xref(self, rolename, domain, target,
                   innernode=nodes.emphasis, contnode=None, env=None):
-        # type: (unicode, unicode, unicode, Type[nodes.TextElement], nodes.Node, BuildEnvironment) ->  nodes.Node  # NOQA
+        # type: (unicode, unicode, unicode, Type[TextlikeNode], nodes.Node, BuildEnvironment) ->  nodes.Node  # NOQA
         if rolename == 'class' and target == 'None':
             # None is not a type, so use obj role instead.
             rolename = 'obj'
diff --git a/sphinx/util/docfields.py b/sphinx/util/docfields.py
index 22080f95b..71126dded 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/docfields.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/docfields.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ if False:
     from typing import Any, Dict, Tuple, Type  # NOQA
     from sphinx.domains import Domain  # NOQA
     from sphinx.environment import BuildEnvironment  # NOQA
-    from sphinx.util.typing import unicode  # NOQA
+    from sphinx.util.typing import TextlikeNode, unicode  # NOQA
 
 
 def _is_single_paragraph(node):
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class Field:
                   rolename,       # type: unicode
                   domain,         # type: unicode
                   target,         # type: unicode
-                  innernode=addnodes.literal_emphasis,  # type: Type[nodes.TextElement]
+                  innernode=addnodes.literal_emphasis,  # type: Type[TextlikeNode]
                   contnode=None,  # type: nodes.Node
                   env=None,       # type: BuildEnvironment
                   ):
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class Field:
                    rolename,       # type: unicode
                    domain,         # type: unicode
                    target,         # type: unicode
-                   innernode=addnodes.literal_emphasis,  # type: Type[nodes.TextElement]
+                   innernode=addnodes.literal_emphasis,  # type: Type[TextlikeNode]
                    contnode=None,  # type: nodes.Node
                    env=None,       # type: BuildEnvironment
                    ):
diff --git a/sphinx/util/typing.py b/sphinx/util/typing.py
index 973d8b85f..72ef77742 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/typing.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/typing.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     :license: BSD, see LICENSE for details.
 """
 
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Tuple
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Tuple, Union
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils.parsers.rst.states import Inliner
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ else:
 # An entry of Directive.option_spec
 DirectiveOption = Callable[[str], Any]
 
+# Text like nodes which are initialized with text and rawsource
+TextlikeNode = Union[nodes.Text, nodes.TextElement]
+
 # common role functions
 RoleFunction = Callable[[text_type, text_type, text_type, int, Inliner, Dict, List[text_type]],
                         Tuple[List[nodes.Node], List[nodes.system_message]]]