diff --git a/src/dom/dom.js b/src/dom/dom.js
index 6ab0241..7f0c054 100644
--- a/src/dom/dom.js
+++ b/src/dom/dom.js
@@ -1190,11 +1190,13 @@ Element.Methods = {
   **/
   cumulativeOffset: function(element) {
     var valueT = 0, valueL = 0;
-    do {
-      valueT += element.offsetTop  || 0;
-      valueL += element.offsetLeft || 0;
-      element = element.offsetParent;
-    } while (element);
+    if (element.parentNode) {
+      do {
+        valueT += element.offsetTop  || 0;
+        valueL += element.offsetLeft || 0;
+        element = element.offsetParent;
+      } while (element);
+    }
     return Element._returnOffset(valueL, valueT);
   },
 
@@ -1558,8 +1560,7 @@ else if (Prototype.Browser.IE) {
     function(proceed, element) {
       element = $(element);
       // IE throws an error if element is not in document
-      try { element.offsetParent }
-      catch(e) { return $(document.body) }
+      if (!element.parentNode) return $(document.body);
       var position = element.getStyle('position');
       if (position !== 'static') return proceed(element);
       element.setStyle({ position: 'relative' });
@@ -1573,8 +1574,7 @@ else if (Prototype.Browser.IE) {
     Element.Methods[method] = Element.Methods[method].wrap(
       function(proceed, element) {
         element = $(element);
-        try { element.offsetParent }
-        catch(e) { return Element._returnOffset(0,0) }
+        if (!element.parentNode) return Element._returnOffset(0, 0);
         var position = element.getStyle('position');
         if (position !== 'static') return proceed(element);
         // Trigger hasLayout on the offset parent so that IE6 reports
@@ -1590,14 +1590,6 @@ else if (Prototype.Browser.IE) {
     );
   });
 
-  Element.Methods.cumulativeOffset = Element.Methods.cumulativeOffset.wrap(
-    function(proceed, element) {
-      try { element.offsetParent }
-      catch(e) { return Element._returnOffset(0,0) }
-      return proceed(element);
-    }
-  );
-
   Element.Methods.getStyle = function(element, style) {
     element = $(element);
     style = (style == 'float' || style == 'cssFloat') ? 'styleFloat' : style.camelize();
diff --git a/test/unit/dom_test.js b/test/unit/dom_test.js
index 3299584..deb2026 100644
--- a/test/unit/dom_test.js
+++ b/test/unit/dom_test.js
@@ -1322,6 +1322,10 @@ new Test.Unit.Runner({
     this.assertEnumEqual([0,0], offset);
     this.assertIdentical(0, offset.top);
     this.assertIdentical(0, offset.left);
+    
+    var innerEl = new Element('div'), outerEl = new Element('div');
+    outerEl.appendChild(innerEl);
+    this.assertEnumEqual([0,0], innerEl.cumulativeOffset());
   },
   
   testViewportOffset: function() {