diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/domdoc.c b/dlls/msxml3/domdoc.c
index f999e12aa26..f3bd371a6f8 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/domdoc.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/domdoc.c
@@ -1038,28 +1038,17 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI domdoc_createElement(
     BSTR tagname,
     IXMLDOMElement** element )
 {
-    xmlNodePtr xmlnode;
     domdoc *This = impl_from_IXMLDOMDocument2( iface );
-    xmlChar *xml_name;
-    IUnknown *elem_unk;
-    HRESULT hr;
+    VARIANT type;
 
-    TRACE("%p->(%s,%p)\n", iface, debugstr_w(tagname), element);
+    TRACE("(%p)->(%s,%p)\n", This, debugstr_w(tagname), element);
 
-    if (!element) return E_INVALIDARG;
+    if (!element || !tagname) return E_INVALIDARG;
 
-    xml_name = xmlChar_from_wchar(tagname);
-    xmlnode = xmlNewDocNode(get_doc(This), NULL, xml_name, NULL);
-    xmldoc_add_orphan(xmlnode->doc, xmlnode);
+    V_VT(&type) = VT_I1;
+    V_I1(&type) = NODE_ELEMENT;
 
-    TRACE("created xmlptr %p\n", xmlnode);
-    elem_unk = create_element(xmlnode);
-    heap_free(xml_name);
-
-    hr = IUnknown_QueryInterface(elem_unk, &IID_IXMLDOMElement, (void **)element);
-    IUnknown_Release(elem_unk);
-    TRACE("returning %p\n", *element);
-    return hr;
+    return IXMLDOMDocument_createNode(iface, type, tagname, NULL, (IXMLDOMNode**)element);
 }
 
 
@@ -1347,6 +1336,9 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI domdoc_createNode(
 
     TRACE("node_type %d\n", node_type);
 
+    if ((!name || SysStringLen(name) == 0) && (node_type == NODE_ELEMENT))
+        return E_FAIL;
+
     xml_name = xmlChar_from_wchar(name);
 
     switch(node_type)
diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h b/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
index e46642d84b6..dd7b2af1587 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/msxml_private.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- *    MSXML Class Factory
+ *    Common definitions
  *
  * Copyright 2005 Mike McCormack
  *
diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c b/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
index 869e261d7eb..11115b6a438 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
@@ -1695,6 +1695,21 @@ static void test_create(void)
     ok( r == E_INVALIDARG, "returns %08x\n", r );
     ok( node == (void*)0x1, "expected same ptr, got %p\n", node);
 
+    V_VT(&var) = VT_I1;
+    V_I1(&var) = NODE_ELEMENT;
+    str = SysAllocString( szlc );
+    node = (IXMLDOMNode*)0x1;
+    r = IXMLDOMDocument_createNode( doc, var, NULL, NULL, &node );
+    ok( r == E_FAIL, "returns %08x\n", r );
+    ok( node == (void*)0x1, "expected same ptr, got %p\n", node);
+
+    V_VT(&var) = VT_I1;
+    V_I1(&var) = NODE_ELEMENT;
+    node = (IXMLDOMNode*)0x1;
+    r = IXMLDOMDocument_createNode( doc, var, _bstr_(""), NULL, &node );
+    ok( r == E_FAIL, "returns %08x\n", r );
+    ok( node == (void*)0x1, "expected same ptr, got %p\n", node);
+
     V_VT(&var) = VT_I1;
     V_I1(&var) = NODE_ELEMENT;
     str = SysAllocString( szlc );
@@ -2885,7 +2900,15 @@ static void test_xmlTypes(void)
         IXMLDOMImplementation_Release(pIXMLDOMImplementation);
     }
 
+    pRoot = (IXMLDOMElement*)0x1;
+    hr = IXMLDOMDocument_createElement(doc, NULL, &pRoot);
+    ok(hr == E_INVALIDARG, "ret %08x\n", hr );
+    ok(pRoot == (void*)0x1, "Expect same ptr, got %p\n", pRoot);
 
+    pRoot = (IXMLDOMElement*)0x1;
+    hr = IXMLDOMDocument_createElement(doc, _bstr_(""), &pRoot);
+    ok(hr == E_FAIL, "ret %08x\n", hr );
+    ok(pRoot == (void*)0x1, "Expect same ptr, got %p\n", pRoot);
 
     hr = IXMLDOMDocument_createElement(doc, _bstr_("Testing"), &pRoot);
     ok(hr == S_OK, "ret %08x\n", hr );
@@ -3146,7 +3169,7 @@ static void test_xmlTypes(void)
 
             /* Element */
             str = SysAllocString(szElement);
-            hr = IXMLDOMDocument_createElement(doc, szElement, &pElement);
+            hr = IXMLDOMDocument_createElement(doc, str, &pElement);
             SysFreeString(str);
             ok(hr == S_OK, "ret %08x\n", hr );
             if(hr == S_OK)