diff --git a/xarray/core/parallel.py b/xarray/core/parallel.py
index a718ef5e911..71ccd1c12df 100644
--- a/xarray/core/parallel.py
+++ b/xarray/core/parallel.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def infer_template(
             "Please supply the 'template' kwarg to map_blocks."
         ) from e
 
-    if not isinstance(template, Dataset | DataArray):
+    if not isinstance(template, (Dataset, DataArray)):
         raise TypeError(
             "Function must return an xarray DataArray or Dataset. Instead it returned "
             f"{type(template)}"
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def _wrapper(
         result = func(*converted_args, **kwargs)
 
         merged_coordinates = merge(
-            [arg.coords for arg in args if isinstance(arg, Dataset | DataArray)],
+            [arg.coords for arg in args if isinstance(arg, (Dataset, DataArray))],
             join="exact",
             compat="override",
         ).coords
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_dask.py b/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
index 2d103994410..f6c2ec43b67 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
@@ -1211,6 +1211,17 @@ def really_bad_func(darray):
         xr.map_blocks(bad_func, map_da, kwargs=dict(a=map_da.chunk()))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("obj", [make_da(), make_ds()])
+def test_map_blocks_accepts_da_ds_template(obj):
+    def identity(x):
+        return x
+
+    with raise_if_dask_computes():
+        result = xr.map_blocks(identity, obj, template=obj)
+
+    assert_identical(result, obj)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("obj", [make_da(), make_ds()])
 def test_map_blocks(obj):
     def func(obj):