diff --git a/demos/spinner/time.html b/demos/spinner/time.html
index 7fc1e26ce..175407f4a 100644
--- a/demos/spinner/time.html
+++ b/demos/spinner/time.html
@@ -24,13 +24,17 @@
 
 		_parse: function( value ) {
 			if ( typeof value === "string" ) {
+				// already a timestamp
+				if ( Number( value ) == value ) {
+					return Number( value );
+				}
 				return +Globalize.parseDate( value );
 			}
 			return value;
 		},
 
-		_format: function() {
-			return Globalize.format( new Date(this.options.value), "t" );
+		_format: function( value ) {
+			return Globalize.format( new Date(value), "t" );
 		}
 	});
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_core.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_core.js
index 1c2b7ae17..57b6b3320 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_core.js
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ module( "spinner: core" );
 
 test( "keydown UP on input, increases value not greater than max", function() {
 	expect( 5 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 70 ).spinner({
 		max: 100,
-		value: 70,
 		step: 10
 	});
 
@@ -24,9 +23,8 @@ test( "keydown UP on input, increases value not greater than max", function() {
 
 test( "keydown DOWN on input, decreases value not less than min", function() {
 	expect( 5 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 50 ).spinner({
 		min: 20,
-		value: 50,
 		step: 10
 	});
 
@@ -44,9 +42,8 @@ test( "keydown DOWN on input, decreases value not less than min", function() {
 
 test( "keydown PAGE_UP on input, increases value not greater than max", function() {
 	expect( 5 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 70 ).spinner({
 		max: 100,
-		value: 70,
 		page: 10
 	});
 
@@ -64,9 +61,8 @@ test( "keydown PAGE_UP on input, increases value not greater than max", function
 
 test( "keydown PAGE_DOWN on input, decreases value not less than min", function() {
 	expect( 5 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 50 ).spinner({
 		min: 20,
-		value: 50,
 		page: 10
 	});
 
@@ -84,9 +80,8 @@ test( "keydown PAGE_DOWN on input, decreases value not less than min", function(
 
 test( "mouse click on up button, increases value not greater than max", function() {
 	expect( 3 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-			max: 20,
-			value: 18
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 18 ).spinner({
+			max: 20
 		}),
 		button = element.spinner( "widget" ).find( ".ui-spinner-up" );
 
@@ -100,9 +95,8 @@ test( "mouse click on up button, increases value not greater than max", function
 
 test( "mouse click on up button, increases value not greater than max", function() {
 	expect( 3 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-		min: 0,
-		value: 2
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 2 ).spinner({
+		min: 0
 	}),
 	button = element.spinner( "widget" ).find( ".ui-spinner-down" );
 	
@@ -137,10 +131,9 @@ test( "mousewheel on input", function() {
 });
 
 test( "reading HTML5 attributes", function() {
-	expect( 8 );
+	expect( 6 );
 	var markup = "<input type='number' min='-100' max='100' value='5' step='2'>",
 		element = $( markup ).spinner();
-	equal( element.spinner( "option", "value" ), 5, "value from markup" );	
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "min" ), -100, "min from markup" );
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "max" ), 100, "max from markup" );
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "step" ), 2, "step from markup" );
@@ -148,10 +141,8 @@ test( "reading HTML5 attributes", function() {
 	element = $( markup ).spinner({
 		min: -200,
 		max: 200,
-		value: 20,
 		step: 5
 	});
-	equal( element.spinner( "option", "value" ), 20, "value from options" );
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "min" ), -200, "min from options" );
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "max" ), 200, "max from options" );
 	equal( element.spinner( "option", "step" ), 5, "stop from options" );
@@ -159,7 +150,7 @@ test( "reading HTML5 attributes", function() {
 
 test( "ARIA attributes", function() {
 	expect( 7 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ min: -5, max: 5, value: 2 });
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 2 ).spinner({ min: -5, max: 5 });
 
 	equal( element.attr( "role" ), "spinbutton", "role" );
 	equal( element.attr( "aria-valuemin" ), -5, "aria-valuemin" );
@@ -185,17 +176,22 @@ test( "focus text field when pressing button", function() {
 	ok( element[ 0 ] === document.activeElement, "focused after" );
 });
 
+test( "don't clear invalid value on blur", function() {
+	expect( 1 );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner();
+	element.focus().val( "a" ).blur();
+	equal( element.val(), "a" );
+});
+
 test( "precision", function() {
 	expect( 2 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-		value: .05,
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( .05 ).spinner({
 		step: .0001
 	});
 	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
 	equal( element.val(), "0.0501", "precision from step" );
 
-	element.spinner( "option", {
-		value: 1.05,
+	element.val( 1.05 ).spinner( "option", {
 		step: 1
 	});
 	element.spinner( "stepDown" );
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
index 18949ff90..f155a658e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ commonWidgetTests( "spinner", {
 		numberFormat: null,
 		page: 10,
 		step: 1,
-		value: 0,
 
 		// callbacks
 		change: null,
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_events.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_events.js
index e9f5da1ce..e43ba3365 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_events.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_events.js
@@ -129,24 +129,28 @@ test( "change", function() {
 		});
 	}
 
+	element.focus();
 	shouldChange( false, "key UP, before blur" );
 	spinner_simulateKeyDownUp( element, $.ui.keyCode.UP );
 	shouldChange( true, "blur after key UP" );
 	element.blur();
 
+	element.focus();
 	shouldChange( false, "key DOWN, before blur" );
 	spinner_simulateKeyDownUp( element, $.ui.keyCode.DOWN );
 	shouldChange( true, "blur after key DOWN" );
 	element.blur();
 
+	element.focus();
 	shouldChange( false, "key PAGE_UP, before blur" );
 	spinner_simulateKeyDownUp( element, $.ui.keyCode.PAGE_UP );
 	shouldChange( true, "blur after key PAGE_UP" );
 	element.blur();
 
+	element.focus();
 	shouldChange( false, "key PAGE_DOWN, before blur" );
 	spinner_simulateKeyDownUp( element, $.ui.keyCode.PAGE_DOWN );
-	shouldChange( true, "key PAGE_DOWN" );
+	shouldChange( true, "blur after key PAGE_DOWN" );
 	element.blur();
 
 	shouldChange( false, "many keys, before blur" );
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_methods.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_methods.js
index 29494f9cc..fbfcf1bb3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_methods.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_methods.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ test( "destroy", function() {
 
 test( "disable", function() {
 	expect( 14 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ value: 2 }),
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 2 ).spinner(),
 		wrapper = $( "#spin" ).spinner( "widget" );
 
 	ok( !wrapper.hasClass( "ui-spinner-disabled" ), "before: wrapper does not have ui-spinner-disabled class" );
@@ -71,9 +71,8 @@ test( "enable", function() {
 
 test( "pageDown", function() {
 	expect( 4 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( -12 ).spinner({
 		page: 20,
-		value: -12,
 		min: -100
 	});
 
@@ -92,9 +91,8 @@ test( "pageDown", function() {
 
 test( "pageUp", function() {
 	expect( 4 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 12 ).spinner({
 		page: 20,
-		value: 12,
 		max: 100
 	});
 
@@ -113,9 +111,8 @@ test( "pageUp", function() {
 
 test( "stepDown", function() {
 	expect( 4 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({
 		step: 2,
-		value: 0,
 		min: -15
 	});
 
@@ -134,9 +131,8 @@ test( "stepDown", function() {
 
 test( "stepUp", function() {
 	expect( 4 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({
 		step: 2,
-		value: 0,
 		max: 15
 	});
 
@@ -155,7 +151,7 @@ test( "stepUp", function() {
 
 test( "value", function() {
 	expect( 2 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ value: 0 });
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner();
 
 	element.spinner( "value", 10 );
 	equals( element.val(), 10, "change value via value method" );
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
index 30155e755..647455fe5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
@@ -3,30 +3,27 @@
 module( "spinner: options" );
 
 test( "numberFormat, number", function() {
-	expect( 1 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-		value: "1",
-		numberFormat: "n"
-	});
-	equal( element.val(), "1.00", "n" );
+	expect( 2 );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({ numberFormat: "n" });
+	equal( element.val(), "0.00", "formatted on init" );
+	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
+	equal( element.val(), "1.00", "formatted after step" );
 });
 
 test( "numberFormat, number, simple", function() {
-	expect( 1 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-		value: "1",
-		numberFormat: "n0"
-	});
-	equal( element.val(), "1", "n0" );
+	expect( 2 );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({ numberFormat: "n0" });
+	equal( element.val(), "0", "formatted on init" );
+	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
+	equal( element.val(), "1", "formatted after step" );
 });
 
 test( "numberFormat, currency", function() {
-	expect( 1 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({
-		value: "1",
-		numberFormat: "C"
-	});
-	equal( element.val(), "$1.00", "C" );
+	expect( 2 );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({ numberFormat: "C" });
+	equal( element.val(), "$0.00", "formatted on init" );
+	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
+	equal( element.val(), "$1.00", "formatted after step" );
 });
 
 /* TODO figure out how to test this properly
@@ -69,32 +66,31 @@ test("incremental - true (default)", function() {
 
 test( "max", function() {
 	expect( 3 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ max: 100, value: 1000 });
-	equals( element.val(), 100, "max constrained if value option is greater" );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 1000 ).spinner({ max: 100 });
+	equals( element.val(), 1000, "value not constrained on init" );
 
 	element.spinner( "value", 1000 );
 	equals( element.val(), 100, "max constrained if value method is greater" );
 
 	element.val( 1000 ).blur();
-	equals( element.val(), 100, "max constrained if manual entry" );
+	equals( element.val(), 1000, "max not constrained if manual entry" );
 });
 
 test( "min", function() {
 	expect( 3 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ min: -100, value: -1000 });
-	equals( element.val(), -100, "min constrained if value option is greater" );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( -1000 ).spinner({ min: -100 });
+	equals( element.val(), -1000, "value not constrained on init" );
 
 	element.spinner( "value", -1000 );
 	equals( element.val(), -100, "min constrained if value method is greater" );
 
 	element.val( -1000 ).blur();
-	equals( element.val(), -100, "min constrained if manual entry" );
+	equals( element.val(), -1000, "min not constrained if manual entry" );
 });
 
 test( "step, 2", function() {
-	expect( 4 );
-	var element = $( "#spin" ).spinner({ step: 2 });
-	equals( element.val(), "0", "value initialized to 0" );
+	expect( 3 );
+	var element = $( "#spin" ).val( 0 ).spinner({ step: 2 });
 
 	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
 	equals( element.val(), "2", "stepUp" );
@@ -107,16 +103,13 @@ test( "step, 2", function() {
 });
 
 test( "step, 0.7", function() {
-	expect( 2 );
-	var element = $("#spin").spinner({
+	expect( 1 );
+	var element = $("#spin").val( 0 ).spinner({
 		step: 0.7
 	});
-	equals( element.val(), "0", "value initialized to 0" );
 
 	element.spinner( "stepUp" );
 	equals( element.val(), "0.7", "stepUp" );
 });
 
-// TODO: test value
-
 })( jQuery );
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js b/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
index ffcead73d..a5c25cd34 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@
 
 function modifier( fn ) {
 	return function() {
-		var previous = this.options.value;
+		var previous = this.element.val();
 		fn.apply( this, arguments );
 		this._refresh();
-		if ( previous !== this.options.value ) {
+		if ( previous !== this.element.val() ) {
 			this._trigger( "change" );
 		}
 	};
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 		numberFormat: null,
 		page: 10,
 		step: 1,
-		value: 0,
 
 		change: null,
 		spin: null,
@@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 	},
 
 	_create: function() {
-		this._value( this.options.value );
+		this._value( this.element.val(), true );
 		this._draw();
 		this._bind( this._events );
 		this._refresh();
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 		var options = {},
 			element = this.element;
 
-		$.each( [ "min", "max", "step", "value" ], function( i, option ) {
+		$.each( [ "min", "max", "step" ], function( i, option ) {
 			var value = element.attr( option );
 			if ( value !== undefined && value.length ) {
 				options[ option ] = value;
@@ -76,15 +75,8 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 			this.previous = this.element.val();
 		},
 		blur: function( event ) {
-			// don't clear invalid values on blur
-			var value = this.element.val();
-			this._value( value );
-			if ( this.element.val() === "" ) {
-				this.element.val( value );
-			}
+			this._refresh();
 			this.uiSpinner.removeClass( "ui-state-active" );
-			// TODO: what should trigger change?
-			// element.val() or options.value?
 			if ( this.previous !== this.element.val() ) {
 				this._trigger( "change", event );
 			}
@@ -178,8 +170,6 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 		case keyCode.PAGE_DOWN:
 			this._repeat( null, -options.page, event );
 			return true;
-		case keyCode.ENTER:
-			this._value( this.element.val() );
 		}
 
 		return false;
@@ -228,11 +218,11 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 			this.counter = 1;
 		}
 
-		var newVal = this.value() + step * this._increment( this.counter ),
+		var value = this.value(),
+			newVal = value + step * this._increment( this.counter ),
 			// fix precision from bad JS floating point math
-			precision = Math.max( this._precision( this.value() ),
+			precision = Math.max( this._precision( value ),
 				this._precision( this.options.step ) );
-
 		// clamp the new value
 		newVal = this._trimValue( newVal.toFixed( precision ) );
 
@@ -281,10 +271,6 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 	},
 
 	_setOption: function( key, value ) {
-		if ( key === "value" ) {
-			return this._value( value );
-		}
-
 		this._super( "_setOption", key, value );
 
 		if ( key === "disabled" ) {
@@ -300,9 +286,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 
 	_setOptions: modifier(function( options ) {
 		this._super( "_setOptions", options );
-
-		// handle any options that might cause value to change, e.g., min
-		this._value( this._trimValue( this.options.value ) );
+		this._value( this.element.val() );
 	}),
 
 	_parse: function( val ) {
@@ -312,24 +296,37 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 		return isNaN( val ) ? null : val;
 	},
 
-	_format: function() {
-		var num = this.options.value;
-		return window.Globalize && this.options.numberFormat ? Globalize.format( num, this.options.numberFormat ) : num;
+	_format: function( value ) {
+		if ( value === "" ) {
+			return "";
+		}
+		return window.Globalize && this.options.numberFormat ?
+			Globalize.format( value, this.options.numberFormat ) :
+			value;
 	},
 
 	_refresh: function() {
-		this.element
-			.val( this._format() )
-			.attr({
-				"aria-valuemin": this.options.min,
-				"aria-valuemax": this.options.max,
-				"aria-valuenow": this.options.value
-			});
+		this.element.attr({
+			"aria-valuemin": this.options.min,
+			"aria-valuemax": this.options.max,
+			// TODO: what should we do with values that can't be parsed?
+			"aria-valuenow": this._parse( this.element.val() )
+		});
 	},
 
 	// update the value without triggering change
-	_value: function( value ) {
-		this.options.value = this._trimValue( this._parse(value) );
+	_value: function( value, ignoreRange ) {
+		var parsed;
+		if ( value !== "" ) {
+			parsed = this._parse( value );
+			if ( parsed !== null ) {
+				if ( !ignoreRange ) {
+					parsed = this._trimValue( parsed );
+				}
+				value = this._format( parsed );
+			}
+		}
+		this.element.val( value );
 		this._refresh();
 	},
 
@@ -370,9 +367,9 @@ $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 
 	value: function( newVal ) {
 		if ( !arguments.length ) {
-			return this.options.value;
+			return this._parse( this.element.val() );
 		}
-		this.option( "value", newVal );
+		modifier( this._value ).call( this, newVal );
 	},
 
 	widget: function() {