diff --git a/packages/test-helpers/canonicalize_html.js b/packages/test-helpers/canonicalize_html.js
index 12021cd804..f4869b7487 100644
--- a/packages/test-helpers/canonicalize_html.js
+++ b/packages/test-helpers/canonicalize_html.js
@@ -39,8 +39,12 @@ canonicalizeHtml = function(html) {
       if (! attrList[i])
         continue;
       var a = attrList[i].split('=');
-        if (a.length < 2)
-          a.push(a[0]); // things like checked=checked, in theory
+
+      // In IE8, attributes whose value is "" appear
+      // without the '=' sign altogether.
+      if (a.length < 2)
+        a.push("");
+
       var key = a[0];
       // Drop another expando property used by Sizzle.
       if (key === 'sizset')
diff --git a/packages/ui/render_tests.js b/packages/ui/render_tests.js
index 4c6abb156f..4142cd55a3 100644
--- a/packages/ui/render_tests.js
+++ b/packages/ui/render_tests.js
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ Tinytest.add("ui - render - basic", function (test) {
       '<br a="">',
       'HTML.BR({a: [[""]]})');
 
-    run(BR({
-      x: function () { return function () { return []; }; },
-      a: function () { return function () { return ''; }; }}),
-        '<br a="">',
-        '<br a="">');
+  run(BR({
+    x: function () { return function () { return []; }; },
+    a: function () { return function () { return ''; }; }}),
+      '<br a="">',
+      '<br a="">');
 });
 
 // test that we correctly update the 'value' property on input fields