diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 2688a4698..592c9a033 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -819,6 +819,14 @@ jQuery.extend({
 		if ( typeof context.createElement === "undefined" )
 			context = context.ownerDocument || context[0] && context[0].ownerDocument || document;
 
+		// If a single string is passed in and it's a single tag
+		// just do a createElement and skip the rest
+		if ( !fragment && elems.length === 1 && typeof elems[0] === "string" ) {
+			var match = /^<(\w+)\/?>$/.exec(elems[0]);
+			if ( match )
+				return [ context.createElement( match[1] ) ];
+		}
+
 		var ret = [], scripts = [], div = context.createElement("div");
 
 		jQuery.each(elems, function(i, elem){
@@ -915,12 +923,6 @@ jQuery.extend({
 
 		});
 
-		// Clean up
-		// Safari 3.1 throws an exception when a colgroup is created
-		try {
-			div.innerHTML = "";
-		} catch(e){}
-		
 		if ( fragment ) {
 			for ( var i = 0; ret[i]; i++ ) {
 				var node = ret[i];
diff --git a/test/unit/core.js b/test/unit/core.js
index 9a1cecbe4..451bd71c7 100644
--- a/test/unit/core.js
+++ b/test/unit/core.js
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ test("isFunction", function() {
 var foo = false;
 
 test("jQuery('html')", function() {
-	expect(6);
+	expect(8);
 
 	reset();
 	foo = false;
@@ -267,7 +267,9 @@ test("jQuery('html')", function() {
 	reset();
 	ok( jQuery("<link rel='stylesheet'/>")[0], "Creating a link" );
 
-	reset();
+	ok( !jQuery("<script/>")[0].parentNode, "Create a script" );
+
+	ok( jQuery("<input/>").attr("type", "hidden"), "Create an input and set the type." );
 
 	var j = jQuery("<span>hi</span> there <!-- mon ami -->");
 	ok( j.length >= 2, "Check node,textnode,comment creation (some browsers delete comments)" );