diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner.html b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner.html
index 954e82ea5c..a9902a2510 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner.html
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner.html
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 <div id="qunit-fixture">
 	<input id="spin">
+	<input id="spin2" value="2">
 </div>
 
 </body>
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
index a85891970a..aa88fd649e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_defaults.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ var spinner_defaults = {
 	numberformat: "n",
 	page: 5,
 	step: null,
-	value: 0
+	value: null
 };
 
 commonWidgetTests('spinner', { defaults: spinner_defaults });
diff --git a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
index 4e280ef6aa..48fea3203e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/spinner/spinner_options.js
@@ -157,15 +157,30 @@ test("step", function() {
 
 });
 
-test("value", function() {
-	expect(2);
-	
-	el = $('#spin').spinner({ value: 100 });
-	
+test("value, default, specified in markup", function() {
+	var el = $('#spin2').spinner();
+	equals(el.val(), 2, "starting value");
+});
+
+test("value, default, nothing specified", function() {
+	var el = $('#spin').spinner();
+	equals(el.val(), 0, "starting value");
+});
+
+test("value, override", function() {
+	var el = $('#spin').spinner({ value: 100 });
 	equals(el.val(), 100, "starting value");
-	
+});
+
+test("value, override markup", function() {
+	var el = $('#spin2').spinner({ value: 100 });
+	equals(el.val(), 100, "starting value");
+});
+
+test("value, override later", function() {
+	var el = $('#spin').spinner();
+	equals(el.val(), 0, "starting value");
 	el.spinner('option', 'value', 1000);
-	
 	equals(el.val(), 1000, "value option changed and set as current value");
 });
 
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js b/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
index a9238a738b..70dd7adac8 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.spinner.js
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ $.widget('ui.spinner', {
 		numberformat: "n",
 		page: 5,
 		step: null,
-		value: 0
+		value: null
 	},
 	
 	_create: function() {		
-		this.value(this.element.val() || this.options.value);
+		this.value(this.options.value !== null ? this.options.value : this.element.val());
 		this._draw();
 		this._mousewheel();
 		this._aria();