diff --git a/src/jqLite.js b/src/jqLite.js
index 6b954005ffb3..af488abbe220 100644
--- a/src/jqLite.js
+++ b/src/jqLite.js
@@ -253,13 +253,7 @@ forEach({
   },
 
   attr: function(element, name, value){
-    if (name === 'class') {
-      if(isDefined(value)) {
-        element.className = value;
-      } else {
-        return element.className;
-      }
-    } else if (SPECIAL_ATTR[name]) {
+    if (SPECIAL_ATTR[name]) {
       if (isDefined(value)) {
         element[name] = !!value;
       } else {
diff --git a/test/directivesSpec.js b/test/directivesSpec.js
index 2979cf752773..6dbbfe9d7c51 100644
--- a/test/directivesSpec.js
+++ b/test/directivesSpec.js
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ describe("directive", function() {
       scope.$digest();
       scope.dynCls = 'foo';
       scope.$digest();
-      expect(element.attr('class')).toBe('ui-panel ui-selected ng-directive foo');
+      expect(element[0].className).toBe('ui-panel ui-selected ng-directive foo');
     });
 
 
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ describe("directive", function() {
       var scope = compile('<div class="panel bar" ng:class="dynCls"></div>');
       scope.dynCls = 'panel';
       scope.$digest();
-      expect(element.attr('class')).toBe('panel bar ng-directive');
+      expect(element[0].className).toBe('panel bar ng-directive');
     });
 
 
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ describe("directive", function() {
       scope.$digest();
       scope.dynCls = 'window';
       scope.$digest();
-      expect(element.attr('class')).toBe('bar ng-directive window');
+      expect(element[0].className).toBe('bar ng-directive window');
     });
 
 
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ describe("directive", function() {
       element.addClass('foo');
       scope.dynCls = '';
       scope.$digest();
-      expect(element.attr('class')).toBe('ng-directive');
+      expect(element[0].className).toBe('ng-directive');
     });
 
 
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ describe("directive", function() {
       var scope = compile('<div ng:class="dynCls"></div>');
       scope.dynCls = [undefined, null];
       scope.$digest();
-      expect(element.attr('class')).toBe('ng-directive');
+      expect(element[0].className).toBe('ng-directive');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/test/jqLiteSpec.js b/test/jqLiteSpec.js
index aac5aeb5ced0..ed929cb7616a 100644
--- a/test/jqLiteSpec.js
+++ b/test/jqLiteSpec.js
@@ -168,15 +168,6 @@ describe('jqLite', function(){
       var elm = jqLite('<div class="any">a</div>');
       expect(elm.attr('non-existing')).toBeUndefined();
     });
-
-    it('should special-case "class" attribute', function() {
-      // stupid IE9 returns null for element.getAttribute('class') when element has ng:class attr
-      var elm = jqLite('<div class=" any " ng:class="dynCls">a</div>');
-      expect(elm.attr('class')).toBe(' any ');
-
-      elm.attr('class', 'foo  bar');
-      expect(elm.attr('class')).toBe('foo  bar');
-    });
   });