diff --git a/tests/unit/widget/core.js b/tests/unit/widget/core.js
index e36459f7226..1054bf09228 100644
--- a/tests/unit/widget/core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/widget/core.js
@@ -92,6 +92,18 @@ QUnit.test( "element normalization", function( assert ) {
 	$.ui.testWidget();
 } );
 
+QUnit.test( "contextless construction", function( assert ) {
+	assert.expect( 1 );
+	var testWidget,
+		elem = $( "<div>" );
+
+	$.widget( "ui.testWidget", {} );
+	testWidget = $.ui.testWidget;
+
+	testWidget( {}, elem );
+	assert.ok( true, "No crash" );
+} );
+
 QUnit.test( "custom selector expression", function( assert ) {
 	assert.expect( 1 );
 	var elem = $( "<div>" ).appendTo( "#qunit-fixture" );
diff --git a/ui/widget.js b/ui/widget.js
index 3b149f11ada..04daaa88309 100644
--- a/ui/widget.js
+++ b/ui/widget.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ $.widget = function( name, base, prototype ) {
 	constructor = $[ namespace ][ name ] = function( options, element ) {
 
 		// Allow instantiation without "new" keyword
-		if ( !this._createWidget ) {
+		if ( !this || !this._createWidget ) {
 			return new constructor( options, element );
 		}