diff -r 76445d7e613f Lib/test/test_minidom.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py	Sun May 20 15:37:33 2012 +0100
+++ b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py	Sun May 20 12:17:34 2012 -0700
@@ -1521,6 +1521,19 @@
         num_children_after = len(doc.childNodes)
         self.assertTrue(num_children_after == num_children_before - 1)
 
+    def testCloneOrphanElement(self):
+        node_name  = 'foo'
+        element = xml.dom.minidom.Element(node_name)
+        clone = element.cloneNode(False)
+        self.assertEquals(clone.nodeName, node_name)
+        self.assertIsNone(clone.ownerDocument)
+
+    def testImportingOrphanElementInDocument(self):
+        node_name  = 'foo'
+        element = xml.dom.minidom.Element(node_name)
+        document = xml.dom.minidom.Document()
+        document.importNode(element, False)
+
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(MinidomTest)
 
diff -r 76445d7e613f Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
--- a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py	Sun May 20 15:37:33 2012 +0100
+++ b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py	Sun May 20 12:17:34 2012 -0700
@@ -200,7 +200,8 @@
         self.childNodes[:] = L
 
     def cloneNode(self, deep):
-        return _clone_node(self, deep, self.ownerDocument or self)
+        return _clone_node(self, deep, self.documentOwner or Document())
+
 
     def isSupported(self, feature, version):
         return self.ownerDocument.implementation.hasFeature(feature, version)
@@ -661,8 +662,8 @@
 _no_type = TypeInfo(None, None)
 
 class Element(Node):
-    __slots__=('ownerDocument', 'parentNode', 'tagName', 'nodeName', 'prefix',
-               'namespaceURI', '_localName', 'childNodes', '_attrs', '_attrsNS',
+    __slots__=('parentNode', 'tagName', 'nodeName', 'prefix', 'namespaceURI',
+               '_localName', 'childNodes', '_attrs', '_attrsNS',
                'nextSibling', 'previousSibling')
     nodeType = Node.ELEMENT_NODE
     nodeValue = None
@@ -1861,7 +1862,7 @@
     Clone a node and give it the new owner document.
     Called by Node.cloneNode and Document.importNode
     """
-    if node.ownerDocument.isSameNode(newOwnerDocument):
+    if node.ownerDocument and node.ownerDocument.isSameNode(newOwnerDocument):
         operation = xml.dom.UserDataHandler.NODE_CLONED
     else:
         operation = xml.dom.UserDataHandler.NODE_IMPORTED
diff -r 76445d7e613f Misc/ACKS
--- a/Misc/ACKS	Sun May 20 15:37:33 2012 +0100
+++ b/Misc/ACKS	Sun May 20 12:17:34 2012 -0700
@@ -1143,6 +1143,7 @@
 Bernard Yue
 Moshe Zadka
 Milan Zamazal
+Alexandre Zani
 Artur Zaprzala
 Mike Zarnstorff
 Siebren van der Zee