diff --git a/src/event.js b/src/event.js
index ede6d4c2d6..ecfe630016 100644
--- a/src/event.js
+++ b/src/event.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ var rnamespaces = /\.(.*)$/,
 		var quick = rquickIs.exec( selector );
 		if ( quick ) {
 			//   0  1    2   3      4         5          6
-			// [ _, tag, id, class, attrName, attrValue, pseudo(:empty :first-child :last-child) ]
+			// [ _, tag, id, class, attrName, attrValue, :(empty first-child last-child) ]
 			quick[1] = ( quick[1] || "" ).toLowerCase();
 			quick[3] = quick[3] && new RegExp( "\\b" + quick[3] + "\\b" );
 			quick[6] = quickPseudoMap[ quick[6] ];
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ var rnamespaces = /\.(.*)$/,
 			(!m[4] || elem.getAttribute( m[4] ) == m[5]) &&
 			(!m[6] || !elem[ m[6] ])
 		);
+	},
+	useNativeMethod = function( event ) {
+		// IE throws error on focus/blur of a hidden element (#1486)
+		if ( !event.isDefaultPrevented() && this[ event.type ] && event.target && event.target.offsetWidth !== 0 ) {
+			this[ event.type ]();
+			return false;
+		}
 	};
-	
-function useNativeMethod( event ) {
-	if ( !event.isDefaultPrevented() && this[ event.type ] ) {
-		this[ event.type ]();
-		return false;
-	}
-}
 
 /*
  * A number of helper functions used for managing events.
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ jQuery.event = {
 	remove: function( elem, types, handler, selector ) {
 
 		var elemData = jQuery.hasData( elem ) && jQuery._data( elem ),
-			t, tns, type, namespaces, 
+			t, tns, type, namespaces, origCount,
 			j, events, special, handle, eventType, handleObj;
 				
 		if ( !elemData || !(events = elemData.events) ) {
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ jQuery.event = {
 			special = jQuery.event.special[ type ] || {};
 			type = (selector? special.delegateType : special.bindType ) || type;
 			eventType = events[ type ] || [];
+			origCount = eventType.length;
 			namespaces =  namespaces? new RegExp("(^|\\.)" + namespaces.split(".").sort().join("\\.(?:.*\\.)?") + "(\\.|$)") : null;
 
 			// Only need to loop for special events or selective removal
@@ -228,8 +229,9 @@ jQuery.event = {
 				eventType.length = 0;
 			}
 
-			// remove generic event handler if no more handlers exist
-			if ( eventType.length === 0 ) {
+			// Remove generic event handler if we removed something and no more handlers exist
+			// (avoids potential for endless recursion during removal of special event handlers)
+			if ( eventType.length === 0 && origCount !== eventType.length ) {
 				if ( !special.teardown || special.teardown.call( elem, namespaces ) === false ) {
 					jQuery.removeEvent( elem, type, elemData.handle );
 				}
diff --git a/test/unit/event.js b/test/unit/event.js
index 9e49a1e13f..5bc20801ac 100644
--- a/test/unit/event.js
+++ b/test/unit/event.js
@@ -2311,7 +2311,16 @@ test(".on and .off", function() {
 
 test("delegated events quickIs", function() {
 	expect(23);
-	var markup = jQuery( '<div#quickis><p class="D">dead<b devo="cool">beat</b>club</p><quote id="famous">worked<em>or</em>borked?<em></em></quote></div>' ),
+	var markup = jQuery( 
+			'<div>'+
+				'<p class="D">'+
+					'dead<b devo="cool">beat</b>club'+
+				'</p>'+
+				'<q id="famous">'+
+					'worked<em>or</em>borked?<em></em>'+
+				'</q>'+
+			'</div>'
+		),
 		str,
 		check = function(el, expect){ 
 			str = "";
@@ -2326,7 +2335,7 @@ test("delegated events quickIs", function() {
 
 	// tag#id.class[name=value]
 	markup
-		.appendTo( "body " )
+		.appendTo( "body" )
 		.on( "blink", "em", func )
 		.on( "blink", ".D", func )
 		.on( "blink", ".d", func )
@@ -2342,7 +2351,7 @@ test("delegated events quickIs", function() {
 	check( "[devo='']", "" );
 	check( "p", "p|.D p|:first-child" );
 	check( "b", "b|[devo=cool] p|.D p|:first-child" );
-	check( "em", "em|em quote|#famous em|em em|em:empty em|em:last-child quote|#famous" );
+	check( "em", "em|em q|#famous em|em em|em:empty em|em:last-child q|#famous" );
 	
 	markup.find( "b" ).attr( "devo", "NO" );
 	check( "b", "b|[devo='NO'] p|.D p|:first-child" );