diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/htmlattr.c b/dlls/mshtml/htmlattr.c
index 885b2aa7f62..97a4ce2695e 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/htmlattr.c
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/htmlattr.c
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ static ULONG WINAPI HTMLDOMAttribute_Release(IHTMLDOMAttribute *iface)
     if(!ref) {
         assert(!This->elem);
         release_dispex(&This->dispex);
+        VariantClear(&This->value);
         heap_free(This->name);
         heap_free(This);
     }
@@ -150,10 +151,8 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI HTMLDOMAttribute_put_nodeValue(IHTMLDOMAttribute *iface, V
 
     TRACE("(%p)->(%s)\n", This, debugstr_variant(&v));
 
-    if(!This->elem) {
-        FIXME("NULL This->elem\n");
-        return E_UNEXPECTED;
-    }
+    if(!This->elem)
+        return VariantCopy(&This->value, &v);
 
     memset(&ei, 0, sizeof(ei));
 
@@ -167,10 +166,8 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI HTMLDOMAttribute_get_nodeValue(IHTMLDOMAttribute *iface, V
 
     TRACE("(%p)->(%p)\n", This, p);
 
-    if(!This->elem) {
-        FIXME("NULL This->elem\n");
-        return E_UNEXPECTED;
-    }
+    if(!This->elem)
+        return VariantCopy(p, &This->value);
 
     return get_elem_attr_value_by_dispid(This->elem, This->dispid, 0, p);
 }
diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/mshtml_private.h b/dlls/mshtml/mshtml_private.h
index f4e6668389c..36c95cecb91 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/mshtml_private.h
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/mshtml_private.h
@@ -943,7 +943,9 @@ typedef struct {
 
     LONG ref;
 
+    /* name and value are valid only for detached attributes (when elem == NULL). */
     WCHAR *name;
+    VARIANT value;
 
     HTMLElement *elem;
     DISPID dispid;
diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/tests/dom.c b/dlls/mshtml/tests/dom.c
index 11e9d279bc1..15a30276224 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/tests/dom.c
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/tests/dom.c
@@ -4790,6 +4790,7 @@ static void _get_attr_node_value(unsigned line, IHTMLDOMAttribute *attr, VARIANT
 {
     HRESULT hres;
 
+    V_VT(v) = VT_EMPTY;
     hres = IHTMLDOMAttribute_get_nodeValue(attr, v);
     ok_(__FILE__,line) (hres == S_OK, "get_nodeValue failed: %08x\n", hres);
     ok_(__FILE__,line) (V_VT(v) == vt, "vt=%d, expected %d\n", V_VT(v), vt);
@@ -8914,6 +8915,8 @@ static void test_create_elems(IHTMLDocument2 *doc)
         ok(hres == S_OK, "createAttribute dailed: %08x\n", hres);
         SysFreeString(str);
         if(SUCCEEDED(hres)) {
+            VARIANT v;
+
             test_disp((IUnknown*)attr, &DIID_DispHTMLDOMAttribute, "[object]");
             test_ifaces((IUnknown*)attr, attr_iids);
             test_no_iface((IUnknown*)attr, &IID_IHTMLDOMNode);
@@ -8921,6 +8924,19 @@ static void test_create_elems(IHTMLDocument2 *doc)
             test_attr_node_name(attr, "Test");
             test_attr_expando(attr, VARIANT_FALSE);
 
+            get_attr_node_value(attr, &v, VT_EMPTY);
+
+            V_VT(&v) = VT_I4;
+            V_I4(&v) = 1;
+            put_attr_node_value(attr, v);
+
+            get_attr_node_value(attr, &v, VT_I4);
+            ok(V_I4(&v) == 1, "nodeValue = %d\n", V_I4(&v));
+
+            V_VT(&v) = VT_EMPTY;
+            put_attr_node_value(attr, v);
+            get_attr_node_value(attr, &v, VT_EMPTY);
+
             IHTMLDOMAttribute_Release(attr);
         }