diff --git a/packages/spark/patch.js b/packages/spark/patch.js
index ab0a156ca5..3319567a58 100644
--- a/packages/spark/patch.js
+++ b/packages/spark/patch.js
@@ -361,15 +361,25 @@ Spark._Patcher._copyAttributes = function(tgt, src) {
     tgt.style.cssText = '';
 
   var isRadio = false;
+  var finalChecked = null;
   if (tgt.nodeName === "INPUT") {
     // Record for later whether this is a radio button.
     isRadio = (tgt.type === 'radio');
-    // Clearing the attributes of a checkbox won't necessarily
-    // uncheck it, eg in FF12, so we uncheck explicitly
-    // (if necessary; we don't want to generate spurious
-    // propertychange events in old IE).
-    if (tgt.checked === true && src.checked === false) {
-      tgt.checked = false;
+
+    // Figure out whether this should be checked or not. If the re-rendering
+    // changed its idea of checkedness, go with that; otherwsie go with whatever
+    // the control's current setting is.
+    if (isRadio || tgt.type === 'checkbox') {
+      var tgtOriginalChecked = !!tgt._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked &&
+            tgt._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked[0];
+      var srcOriginalChecked = !!src._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked &&
+            src._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked[0];
+      if (tgtOriginalChecked === srcOriginalChecked) {
+        finalChecked = !!tgt.checked;
+      } else {
+        finalChecked = !!srcOriginalChecked;
+        tgt._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked = [finalChecked];
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -446,9 +456,6 @@ Spark._Patcher._copyAttributes = function(tgt, src) {
     if (srcExpando)
       src._sparkOriginalRenderedValue = srcExpando;
 
-    if (typeof tgt.checked !== "undefined" && src.checked)
-      tgt.checked = src.checked;
-
     if (src.name)
       tgt.name = src.name;
 
@@ -463,8 +470,7 @@ Spark._Patcher._copyAttributes = function(tgt, src) {
         if (name === "type") {
         // can't change type of INPUT in IE; don't support it
         } else if (name === "checked") {
-          tgt.checked = tgt.defaultChecked = (value && value !== "false");
-          tgt.setAttribute("checked", "checked");
+          // handled specially below
         } else if (name === "style") {
           tgt.style.cssText = src.style.cssText;
         } else if (name === "class") {
@@ -544,4 +550,19 @@ Spark._Patcher._copyAttributes = function(tgt, src) {
     // around we'll be comparing to this rendered value instead of the old one.
     tgt._sparkOriginalRenderedValue = [srcOriginalRenderedValue];
   }
+
+  // Deal with checkboxes and radios.
+  if (finalChecked !== null) {
+    // Don't do a no-op write to 'checked', since in some browsers that triggers
+    // events.
+    if (tgt.checked !== finalChecked)
+      tgt.checked = finalChecked;
+
+    // Set various other fields related to checkedness.
+    tgt.defaultChecked = finalChecked;
+    if (finalChecked)
+      tgt.setAttribute("checked", "checked");
+    else
+      tgt.removeAttribute("checked");
+  }
 };
diff --git a/packages/spark/patch_tests.js b/packages/spark/patch_tests.js
index 890c34e808..50975bd4f7 100644
--- a/packages/spark/patch_tests.js
+++ b/packages/spark/patch_tests.js
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - patch - copyAttributes", function(test) {
         var nodeHtml = buf.join('');
         var frag = DomUtils.htmlToFragment(nodeHtml);
         var n = frag.firstChild;
+        n._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked = [n.checked];
         if (! node) {
           node = n;
         } else {
diff --git a/packages/spark/spark.js b/packages/spark/spark.js
index ad7025c6ac..4fda7c1252 100644
--- a/packages/spark/spark.js
+++ b/packages/spark/spark.js
@@ -311,9 +311,15 @@ _.extend(Spark._Renderer.prototype, {
     // We save it in a one-element array expando. We use the array because IE8
     // gets confused by expando properties with scalar values and exposes them
     // as HTML attributes.
+    //
+    // We also save the values of CHECKED for radio and checkboxes.
     _.each(DomUtils.findAll(ret, '[value], textarea, select'), function (node) {
       node._sparkOriginalRenderedValue = [DomUtils.getElementValue(node)];
     });
+    _.each(DomUtils.findAll(ret, 'input[type=checkbox], input[type=radio]'),
+           function (node) {
+      node._sparkOriginalRenderedChecked = [node.checked];
+    });
 
     return ret;
   }
diff --git a/packages/spark/spark_tests.js b/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
index 060051efdc..160adfa14d 100644
--- a/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
+++ b/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
@@ -2712,6 +2712,74 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - controls - radio", function(test) {
   div.kill();
 });
 
+Tinytest.add("spark - controls - checkbox", function(test) {
+  var labels = ["Foo", "Bar", "Baz"];
+  var Rs = {};
+  _.each(labels, function (label) {
+    Rs[label] = ReactiveVar(false);
+  });
+  var changeBuf = [];
+  var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
+    var buf = [];
+    _.each(labels, function (label) {
+      var checked = Rs[label].get() ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
+      buf.push('<input type="checkbox" name="checky" '+
+               'value="'+label+'" '+checked+'/>');
+    });
+    return buf.join('');
+  }));
+
+  Meteor.flush();
+
+  // get the three boxes; they should be considered 'labeled' by the patcher and
+  // not change identities!
+  var boxes = nodesToArray(div.node().getElementsByTagName("INPUT"));
+
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, false, false]);
+
+  // Re-render with first one checked.
+  Rs.Foo.set(true);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [true, false, false]);
+
+  // Re-render with first one unchecked again.
+  Rs.Foo.set(false);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, false, false]);
+
+  // User clicks the second one.
+  clickElement(boxes[1]);
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, true, false]);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, true, false]);
+
+  // Re-render with third one checked. Second one should stay checked because
+  // it's a user update!
+  Rs.Baz.set(true);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, true, true]);
+
+  // User turns second and third off.
+  clickElement(boxes[1]);
+  clickElement(boxes[2]);
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, false, false]);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, false, false]);
+
+  // Re-render with first one checked. Third should stay off because it's a user
+  // update!
+  Rs.Foo.set(true);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [true, false, false]);
+
+  // Re-render with first one unchecked. Third should still stay off.
+  Rs.Foo.set(false);
+  Meteor.flush();
+  test.equal(_.pluck(boxes, 'checked'), [false, false, false]);
+
+  div.kill();
+});
+
 _.each(['textarea', 'text', 'password', 'submit', 'button',
         'reset', 'select', 'hidden'], function (type) {
   Tinytest.add("spark - controls - " + type, function(test) {