diff --git a/src/manipulation.js b/src/manipulation.js
index 67c6c06f0..f87e3ca94 100644
--- a/src/manipulation.js
+++ b/src/manipulation.js
@@ -148,7 +148,10 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 			});
 		}
 
-		return this.pushStack( jQuery.merge( jQuery.clean( arguments ), this ), "before", this.selector );
+		if ( arguments.length ) {
+			var set = jQuery.clean( arguments );
+			return this.pushStack( jQuery.merge( set, this ), "before", this.selector );
+		}
 	},
 
 	after: function() {
@@ -158,7 +161,10 @@ jQuery.fn.extend({
 			});
 		}
 
-		return this.pushStack( jQuery.merge( this.toArray(), jQuery.clean( arguments ) ), "after", this.selector );
+		if ( arguments.length ) {
+			var set = jQuery.clean( arguments );
+			return this.pushStack( jQuery.merge( this, set ), "after", this.selector );
+		}
 	},
 
 	// keepData is for internal use only--do not document
@@ -715,7 +721,6 @@ jQuery.extend({
 
 		// Fix #11356: Clear elements from safeFragment
 		if ( div ) {
-			div.innerHTML = "";
 			safe.removeChild( div );
 			elem = div = safe = null;
 		}
diff --git a/test/unit/manipulation.js b/test/unit/manipulation.js
index 15a95864d..d63b3ff86 100644
--- a/test/unit/manipulation.js
+++ b/test/unit/manipulation.js
@@ -909,13 +909,12 @@ test("before(Function)", function() {
 	testBefore(manipulationFunctionReturningObj);
 });
 
-test("before and after w/ empty object (#10812, #12120)", function() {
-	expect(3);
+test("before and after w/ empty object (#10812)", function() {
+	expect(2);
 
-	var res = jQuery("#notInTheDocument").before("<span>(</span>").after("<span>)</span>");
-	equal( res.length, 2, "added two elements to the empty object" );
-	equal( res.text(), "()", "correctly appended text" );
-	equal( res.end().text(), "(", "stacked the previous value" );
+	var res = jQuery( "#notInTheDocument" ).before( "(" ).after( ")" );
+	equal( res.length, 2, "didn't choke on empty object" );
+	equal( res.wrapAll("<div/>").parent().text(), "()", "correctly appended text" );
 });
 
 test("before and after on disconnected node (#10517)", function() {