diff --git a/mithril.js b/mithril.js
index 29f541a1..dd75adb6 100644
--- a/mithril.js
+++ b/mithril.js
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ var m = (function app(window, undefined) {
 				
 				if (cached.children && !cached.children.nodes) cached.children.nodes = [];
 				//edge case: setting value on <select> doesn't work before children exist, so set it again after children have been created
-				if (data.tag === "select" && data.attrs.value) setAttributes(node, data.tag, {value: data.attrs.value}, {}, namespace);
+				if (data.tag === "select" && "value" in data.attrs) setAttributes(node, data.tag, {value: data.attrs.value}, {}, namespace);
 				parentElement.insertBefore(node, parentElement.childNodes[index] || null)
 			}
 			else {