diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 14c5c6d..2e2d17a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Ensure HTMLElement exists before creating Element.extend.  [Tobie Langel]
+
 * Add Number.prototype.round/ceil/floor/abs as an aliases to the respective methods in Math. Refactor to seperate number extensions from base.js.  [Thomas Fuchs]
 
 * Make Element#absolutize and Element#relativize properly use Element#getStyle.  Closes #8580.  [Christophe Porteneuve]
diff --git a/src/dom.js b/src/dom.js
index 296b515..23fe5b1 100644
--- a/src/dom.js
+++ b/src/dom.js
@@ -914,6 +914,13 @@ Element.Methods.ByTag = {};
 
 Object.extend(Element, Element.Methods);
 
+if (!Prototype.BrowserFeatures.ElementExtensions && 
+    document.createElement('div').__proto__) {
+  window.HTMLElement = {};
+  window.HTMLElement.prototype = document.createElement('div').__proto__;
+  Prototype.BrowserFeatures.ElementExtensions = true;
+}
+
 Element.extend = (function() {
   if (Prototype.BrowserFeatures.SpecificElementExtensions)
     return Prototype.K;
@@ -953,13 +960,6 @@ Element.extend = (function() {
   return extend;
 })();
 
-if (!Prototype.BrowserFeatures.ElementExtensions && 
-    document.createElement('div').__proto__) {
-  window.HTMLElement = {};
-  window.HTMLElement.prototype = document.createElement('div').__proto__;
-  Prototype.BrowserFeatures.ElementExtensions = true;
-}
-
 Element.hasAttribute = function(element, attribute) {
   if (element.hasAttribute) return element.hasAttribute(attribute);
   return Element.Methods.Simulated.hasAttribute(element, attribute);