diff --git a/packages/spacebars-tests/template_tests.js b/packages/spacebars-tests/template_tests.js
index b0782a697e..88a10f0dca 100644
--- a/packages/spacebars-tests/template_tests.js
+++ b/packages/spacebars-tests/template_tests.js
@@ -1344,22 +1344,15 @@ _.each(['textarea', 'text', 'password', 'submit', 'button',
     test.equal(DomUtils.getElementValue(input), "This is a fridge");
 
     if (canFocus) {
-      // ...unless focused
+      // ...if focused, it still updates but focus isn't lost.
       focusElement(input);
+      DomUtils.setElementValue(input, "something else");
       R.set({x:"frog"});
 
       Deps.flush();
-      test.equal(DomUtils.getElementValue(input), "This is a fridge");
-
-      // blurring and re-setting works
-      blurElement(input);
-      Deps.flush();
-      test.equal(DomUtils.getElementValue(input), "This is a fridge");
+      test.equal(DomUtils.getElementValue(input), "This is a frog");
+      test.equal(document.activeElement, input);
     }
-    R.set({x:"new frog"});
-    Deps.flush();
-
-    test.equal(DomUtils.getElementValue(input), "This is a new frog");
 
     // Setting a value (similar to user typing) should prevent value from being
     // reverted if the div is re-rendered but the rendered value (ie, R) does
diff --git a/packages/ui/attrs.js b/packages/ui/attrs.js
index c87392b2b2..a9427c8654 100644
--- a/packages/ui/attrs.js
+++ b/packages/ui/attrs.js
@@ -98,46 +98,19 @@ var SVGClassHandler = BaseClassHandler.extend({
 
 var BooleanHandler = AttributeHandler.extend({
   update: function (element, oldValue, value) {
-    var focused = this.focused(element);
-
-    if (!focused) {
-      var name = this.name;
-      if (value == null) {
-        if (oldValue != null)
-          element[name] = false;
-      } else {
-        element[name] = true;
-      }
-    }
-  },
-  // is the element part of a control which is focused?
-  focused: function (element) {
-    if (element.tagName === 'INPUT') {
-      return element === document.activeElement;
-
-    } else if (element.tagName === 'OPTION') {
-      // find the containing SELECT element, on which focus
-      // is actually set
-      var selectEl = element;
-      while (selectEl && selectEl.tagName !== 'SELECT')
-        selectEl = selectEl.parentNode;
-
-      if (selectEl)
-        return selectEl === document.activeElement;
-      else
-        return false;
+    var name = this.name;
+    if (value == null) {
+      if (oldValue != null)
+        element[name] = false;
     } else {
-      throw new Error("Expected INPUT or OPTION element");
+      element[name] = true;
     }
   }
 });
 
 var ValueHandler = AttributeHandler.extend({
   update: function (element, oldValue, value) {
-    var focused = (element === document.activeElement);
-
-    if (!focused)
-      element.value = value;
+    element.value = value;
   }
 });