diff --git a/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js b/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
index fedfe7dd5..72f459db0 100644
--- a/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
@@ -2,6 +2,44 @@
 
 module( "datepicker: options" );
 
+test( "appendTo", function() {
+	expect( 6 );
+	var container,
+		detached = $( "<div>" ),
+		input = $( "#datepicker" );
+
+	input.datepicker();
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, document.body, "defaults to body" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+
+	input.datepicker({ appendTo: "#qunit-fixture" });
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, $( "#qunit-fixture" )[ 0 ], "child of specified element" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+
+	input.datepicker({ appendTo: "#does-not-exist" });
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, document.body, "set to body if element does not exist" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+
+	input.datepicker()
+		.datepicker( "option", "appendTo", "#qunit-fixture" );
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, $( "#qunit-fixture" )[ 0 ], "modified after init" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+
+	input.datepicker({ appendTo: detached });
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, detached[ 0 ], "detached jQuery object" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+
+	input.datepicker({ appendTo: detached[ 0 ] });
+	container = input.datepicker( "widget" ).parent()[ 0 ];
+	equal( container, detached[ 0 ], "detached DOM element" );
+	input.datepicker( "destroy" );
+});
+
 test( "dateFormat", function() {
 	expect( 0 );
 });
diff --git a/ui/datepicker.js b/ui/datepicker.js
index 55b6c0f74..28fd9191a 100644
--- a/ui/datepicker.js
+++ b/ui/datepicker.js
@@ -618,6 +618,13 @@ $.widget( "ui.datepicker", {
 	},
 	widget: function() {
 		return this.picker;
+	},
+	_setOption: function( key, value ) {
+		this._super( key, value );
+
+		if ( key === "appendTo" ) {
+			this.picker.appendTo( this._appendTo() );
+		}
 	}
 });