diff --git a/cell.js b/cell.js
index 9fbbc07f..968b607e 100644
--- a/cell.js
+++ b/cell.js
@@ -391,7 +391,10 @@
               } else if (key === 'style' && typeof val === 'object') {
                 Phenotype.get(key).set.call($node, val);
               } else if (typeof val === 'number' || typeof val === 'string' || typeof val === 'boolean') {
-                $node.setAttribute(key, val);
+            	// AnyWhichWay 2017-12-16
+              	// the getAttribute avoids issues where other libaries may have redefined setAttribute or made attributes actual object properties
+              	// these can cause recursion stack overflows if not trapped beforehand to ensure the value if not the same
+              	  $node.getAttribute(key)==val || $node.setAttribute(key, val); 
               } else if (typeof val === 'function') {
                 Phenotype.get(key).set.call($node, val);
               }