diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 1ec8de057..1e4f92490 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -352,11 +352,9 @@ jQuery.fn = jQuery.prototype = {
 			else
 				selector = jQuery.multiFilter( selector, this );
 
+		var isArrayLike = selector.length && selector[selector.length - 1] !== undefined && !selector.nodeType;
 		return this.filter(function() {
-			// check to see if the selector is array-like otherwise assume it is just a DOM element
-			return ( selector.length && selector[selector.length - 1] !== undefined )
-				? jQuery.inArray( this, selector ) < 0
-				: this != selector;
+			return isArrayLike ? jQuery.inArray( this, selector ) < 0 : this != selector;
 		});
 	},
 
diff --git a/test/unit/core.js b/test/unit/core.js
index 170be21c3..6b2c3fe33 100644
--- a/test/unit/core.js
+++ b/test/unit/core.js
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ test("not()", function() {
 	isSet( $("#form option").not("option.emptyopt:contains('Nothing'),[selected],[value='1']").get(), q("option1c", "option1d", "option2c", "option3d" ), "not('complex selector')");
 	
 	var selects = $("#form select");
-	isSet( selects.not( selects[1] ), ["select1", "select3"], "filter out DOM element");
+	isSet( selects.not( selects[1] ), q("select1", "select3"), "filter out DOM element");
 });
 
 test("andSelf()", function() {