diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 0ebc61df..39aa65be 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -1042,7 +1042,8 @@ jQuery.extend({
 				if ( name == "type" && jQuery.nodeName( elem, "input" ) && elem.parentNode )
 					throw "type property can't be changed";
 
-				elem.setAttribute( name, value );
+				// convert the value to a string (all browsers do this but IE) see #1070
+				elem.setAttribute( name, "" + value );
 			}
 
 			if ( jQuery.browser.msie && /href|src/.test( name ) && !jQuery.isXMLDoc( elem ) ) 
diff --git a/test/unit/core.js b/test/unit/core.js
index e71de2db..f77d1f89 100644
--- a/test/unit/core.js
+++ b/test/unit/core.js
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ test("attr(Hash)", function() {
 });
 
 test("attr(String, Object)", function() {
-	expect(13);
+	expect(16);
 	var div = $("div");
 	div.attr("foo", "bar");
 	var pass = true;
@@ -302,6 +302,14 @@ test("attr(String, Object)", function() {
 	$("#name").attr('maxLength', '10');
 	ok( document.getElementById('name').maxLength == '10', 'Set maxlength attribute' );
 
+	// for #1070
+	$("#name").attr('someAttr', '0');
+	equals( $("#name").attr('someAttr'), '0', 'Set attribute to a string of "0"' );
+	$("#name").attr('someAttr', 0);
+	equals( $("#name").attr('someAttr'), 0, 'Set attribute to the number 0' );
+	$("#name").attr('someAttr', 1);
+	equals( $("#name").attr('someAttr'), 1, 'Set attribute to the number 1' );
+
 	reset();
 
 	var type = $("#check2").attr('type');