diff --git a/ui/safe-offset.js b/ui/safe-offset.js
index e69de29bb2d..06368b040ca 100644
--- a/ui/safe-offset.js
+++ b/ui/safe-offset.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+( function( factory ) {
+	if ( typeof define === "function" && define.amd ) {
+
+		// AMD. Register as an anonymous module.
+		define( [ "jquery", "./version" ], factory );
+	} else {
+
+		// Browser globals
+		factory( jQuery );
+	}
+} ( function( $ ) {
+return $.ui.__safeOffset__ = function( element ) {
+
+	// Simulate a jQuery short-circuiting when there are no client rects reported
+	// which usually means a disconnected node. This check in jQuery is meant just
+	// for IE but UI depends on it.
+	if ( arguments.length < 2 && !element[ 0 ].getClientRects().length ) {
+		return { top: 0, left: 0 };
+	}
+
+	var args = Array.prototype.slice.call( arguments, 1 );
+	return element.offset.apply( element, args );
+};
+
+} ) );
diff --git a/ui/widgets/draggable.js b/ui/widgets/draggable.js
index 5f41d24081a..90baa81d9b1 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/draggable.js
+++ b/ui/widgets/draggable.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 			"../plugin",
 			"../safe-active-element",
 			"../safe-blur",
+			"../safe-offset",
 			"../scroll-parent",
 			"../version",
 			"../widget"
@@ -431,7 +432,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.draggable", $.ui.mouse, {
 	_getParentOffset: function() {
 
 		//Get the offsetParent and cache its position
-		var po = this.offsetParent.offset(),
+		var po = $.ui.__safeOffset__( this.offsetParent ),
 			document = this.document[ 0 ];
 
 		// This is a special case where we need to modify a offset calculated on start, since the
diff --git a/ui/widgets/droppable.js b/ui/widgets/droppable.js
index f98ff2714e7..9e2998cb9c7 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/droppable.js
+++ b/ui/widgets/droppable.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 			"jquery",
 			"./draggable",
 			"./mouse",
+			"../safe-offset",
 			"../version",
 			"../widget"
 		], factory );
@@ -341,7 +342,7 @@ $.ui.ddmanager = {
 				m[ i ]._activate.call( m[ i ], event );
 			}
 
-			m[ i ].offset = m[ i ].element.offset();
+			m[ i ].offset = $.ui.__safeOffset__( m[ i ].element );
 			m[ i ].proportions( {
 				width: m[ i ].element[ 0 ].offsetWidth,
 				height: m[ i ].element[ 0 ].offsetHeight
diff --git a/ui/widgets/selectable.js b/ui/widgets/selectable.js
index ed980cc493e..df040619367 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/selectable.js
+++ b/ui/widgets/selectable.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 		define( [
 			"jquery",
 			"./mouse",
+			"../safe-offset",
 			"../version",
 			"../widget"
 		], factory );
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.selectable", $.ui.mouse, {
 
 		// Cache selectee children based on filter
 		this.refresh = function() {
-			that.elementPos = $( that.element[ 0 ] ).offset();
+			that.elementPos = $.ui.__safeOffset__( $( that.element[ 0 ] ) );
 			that.selectees = $( that.options.filter, that.element[ 0 ] );
 			that._addClass( that.selectees, "ui-selectee" );
 			that.selectees.each( function() {
diff --git a/ui/widgets/sortable.js b/ui/widgets/sortable.js
index b7daf00bfa0..d5976aa21d9 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/sortable.js
+++ b/ui/widgets/sortable.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 			"./mouse",
 			"../data",
 			"../ie",
+			"../safe-offset",
 			"../scroll-parent",
 			"../version",
 			"../widget"
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.sortable", $.ui.mouse, {
 		this.refresh();
 
 		//Let's determine the parent's offset
-		this.offset = this.element.offset();
+		this.offset = $.ui.__safeOffset__( this.element );
 
 		//Initialize mouse events for interaction
 		this._mouseInit();
@@ -870,7 +871,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.sortable", $.ui.mouse, {
 				item.height = t.outerHeight();
 			}
 
-			p = t.offset();
+			p = $.ui.__safeOffset__( t );
 			item.left = p.left;
 			item.top = p.top;
 		}
@@ -893,7 +894,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.sortable", $.ui.mouse, {
 			this.options.custom.refreshContainers.call( this );
 		} else {
 			for ( i = this.containers.length - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) {
-				p = this.containers[ i ].element.offset();
+				p = $.ui.__safeOffset__( this.containers[ i ].element );
 				this.containers[ i ].containerCache.left = p.left;
 				this.containers[ i ].containerCache.top = p.top;
 				this.containers[ i ].containerCache.width =
@@ -1176,7 +1177,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.sortable", $.ui.mouse, {
 
 		//Get the offsetParent and cache its position
 		this.offsetParent = this.helper.offsetParent();
-		var po = this.offsetParent.offset();
+		var po = $.ui.__safeOffset__( this.offsetParent );
 
 		// This is a special case where we need to modify a offset calculated on start, since the
 		// following happened: