diff --git a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import unittest
 
 import xml.dom.minidom
 
-from xml.dom.minidom import parse, Node, Document, parseString
+from xml.dom.minidom import parse, Node, Document, Element, parseString
 from xml.dom.minidom import getDOMImplementation
 
 
@@ -1521,6 +1521,13 @@ class MinidomTest(unittest.TestCase):
         num_children_after = len(doc.childNodes)
         self.assertTrue(num_children_after == num_children_before - 1)
 
+    def testElementSetAttribute(self):
+        # Some third-party libraries create elements directly.
+        e = Element("span")
+        e.setAttribute("class", "version")
+        self.assertEqual(e.getAttribute("class"), "version")
+
+
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(MinidomTest)
 
diff --git a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
--- a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
+++ b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
@@ -685,6 +685,7 @@ class Element(Node):
         self.namespaceURI = namespaceURI
         self.childNodes = NodeList()
         self.nextSibling = self.previousSibling = None
+        self.ownerDocument = None
 
         # Attribute dictionaries are lazily created
         # attributes are double-indexed: