diff --git a/src/data.js b/src/data.js
index 24011c6b7..15faa6fdc 100644
--- a/src/data.js
+++ b/src/data.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jQuery.extend({
 			return;
 		}
 
-		var thisCache, ret,
+		var privateCache, thisCache, ret,
 			internalKey = jQuery.expando,
 			getByName = typeof name === "string",
 
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ jQuery.extend({
 
 			// Only defining an ID for JS objects if its cache already exists allows
 			// the code to shortcut on the same path as a DOM node with no cache
-			id = isNode ? elem[ jQuery.expando ] : elem[ jQuery.expando ] && jQuery.expando;
+			id = isNode ? elem[ jQuery.expando ] : elem[ jQuery.expando ] && jQuery.expando,
+			isEvents = name === "events";
 
 		// Avoid doing any more work than we need to when trying to get data on an
 		// object that has no data at all
-		if ( (!id || !cache[id] || (!pvt && !cache[id].data)) && getByName && data === undefined ) {
+		if ( (!id || !cache[id] || (!isEvents && !pvt && !cache[id].data)) && getByName && data === undefined ) {
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ jQuery.extend({
 		if ( !cache[ id ] ) {
 			cache[ id ] = {};
 
-			// Avoids exposing jQuery metadata on plain JS objects when the object 
+			// Avoids exposing jQuery metadata on plain JS objects when the object
 			// is serialized using JSON.stringify
 			if ( !isNode ) {
 				cache[ id ].toJSON = jQuery.noop;
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ jQuery.extend({
 			}
 		}
 
-		thisCache = cache[ id ];
+		privateCache = thisCache = cache[ id ];
 
 		// jQuery data() is stored in a separate object inside the object's internal data
 		// cache in order to avoid key collisions between internal data and user-defined
@@ -103,8 +104,8 @@ jQuery.extend({
 
 		// Users should not attempt to inspect the internal events object using jQuery.data,
 		// it is undocumented and subject to change. But does anyone listen? No.
-		if ( name === "events" && !thisCache[name] ) {
-			return thisCache[ internalKey ] && thisCache[ internalKey ].events;
+		if ( isEvents && !thisCache[ name ] ) {
+			return privateCache.events;
 		}
 
 		// Check for both converted-to-camel and non-converted data property names