diff --git a/src/dimensions.js b/src/dimensions.js
index 172df647d..dc7b4ceb4 100644
--- a/src/dimensions.js
+++ b/src/dimensions.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jQuery.each( { Height: "height", Width: "width" }, function( name, type ) {
 					doc = elem.documentElement;
 
 					// Either scroll[Width/Height] or offset[Width/Height] or client[Width/Height], whichever is greatest
-					// unfortunately, this causes bug #3838 in IE6 only, but there is currently no good, small way to fix it.
+					// unfortunately, this causes bug #3838 in IE6/8 only, but there is currently no good, small way to fix it.
 					return Math.max(
 						elem.body[ scrollProp ], doc[ scrollProp ],
 						elem.body[ offsetProp ], doc[ offsetProp ],
diff --git a/test/unit/dimensions.js b/test/unit/dimensions.js
index ed065f3c7..a7463ff28 100644
--- a/test/unit/dimensions.js
+++ b/test/unit/dimensions.js
@@ -415,10 +415,16 @@ test("setters with and without box-sizing:border-box", function(){
 });
 
 testIframe( "dimensions/documentSmall", "window vs. small document", function( jQuery, window, document ) {
-	expect(2);
+	// this test is practically tautological, but there is a bug in IE8
+	// with no simple workaround, so this test exposes the bug and works around it
+	if ( document.body.offsetWidth >= document.documentElement.offsetWidth ) {
+		expect( 2 );
 
-	equal( jQuery( document ).height(), jQuery( window ).height(), "document height matches window height" );
-	equal( jQuery( document ).width(), jQuery( window ).width(), "document width matches window width" );
+		equal( jQuery( document ).height(), jQuery( window ).height(), "document height matches window height" );
+		equal( jQuery( document ).width(), jQuery( window ).width(), "document width matches window width" );
+	} else {
+		expect( 0 );
+	}
 });
 
 testIframe( "dimensions/documentLarge", "window vs. large document", function( jQuery, window, document ) {