diff --git a/packages/metal-dom/src/domNamed.js b/packages/metal-dom/src/domNamed.js
index 77a77052..6bb6030b 100644
--- a/packages/metal-dom/src/domNamed.js
+++ b/packages/metal-dom/src/domNamed.js
@@ -216,7 +216,12 @@ export function buildFragment(htmlString) {
  * @return {boolean}
  */
 export function contains(element1, element2) {
-	return element1.contains(element2);
+	if (isDocument(element1)) {
+		// document.contains is not defined on IE9, so call it on documentElement instead.
+		return element1.documentElement.contains(element2);
+	} else {
+		return element1.contains(element2);
+	}
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/metal-dom/src/events.js b/packages/metal-dom/src/events.js
index 3afdb142..63756e32 100644
--- a/packages/metal-dom/src/events.js
+++ b/packages/metal-dom/src/events.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import {isServerSide} from 'metal';
-import {registerCustomEvent} from './dom';
+import {registerCustomEvent, contains} from './dom';
 import features from './features';
 
 /**
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ function registerEvents() {
 				// eslint-disable-next-line
 				if (
 					!related ||
-					(related !== target && !target.contains(related))
+					(related !== target && !contains(target, related))
 				) {
 					event.customType = eventName;
 					return callback(event);
diff --git a/packages/metal-dom/test/dom.js b/packages/metal-dom/test/dom.js
index fdd8122b..525d1cbc 100644
--- a/packages/metal-dom/test/dom.js
+++ b/packages/metal-dom/test/dom.js
@@ -175,13 +175,13 @@ describe('dom', function() {
 			dom.append(element1, element2);
 			dom.enterDocument(element3);
 
-			assert.ok(dom.contains(element1, element2));
-			assert.ok(dom.contains(document, element3));
+			assert.isTrue(dom.contains(element1, element2));
+			assert.isTrue(dom.contains(document, element3));
 
-			assert.ok(!dom.contains(element1, element3));
-			assert.ok(!dom.contains(element2, element1));
-			assert.ok(!dom.contains(document, element1));
-			assert.ok(!dom.contains(document, element2));
+			assert.isFalse(dom.contains(element1, element3));
+			assert.isFalse(dom.contains(element2, element1));
+			assert.isFalse(dom.contains(document, element1));
+			assert.isFalse(dom.contains(document, element2));
 		});
 	});