diff --git a/src/DragAndDrop.js b/src/DragAndDrop.js
index 254b2cdf..3d3c5b5f 100644
--- a/src/DragAndDrop.js
+++ b/src/DragAndDrop.js
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
      * @param {String} draggable
      */
     Kinetic.Node.prototype.setDraggable = function(draggable) {
-        this.setAttr('draggable', draggable);
+        this._setAttr('draggable', draggable);
         this._dragChange();
     };
 
diff --git a/src/Node.js b/src/Node.js
index 6ecb902e..42bf69b8 100644
--- a/src/Node.js
+++ b/src/Node.js
@@ -173,6 +173,28 @@
                 return this.attrs[attr];
             }
         },
+        /**
+         * set attr
+         * @name setAttr
+         * @methodOf Kinetic.Node.prototype
+         * @param {String} attr  
+         * #param {*} val
+         */
+        setAttr: function() {
+            var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments),
+                attr = args[0],
+                method = SET + Kinetic.Util._capitalize(attr),
+                func = this[method];
+
+            args.shift();
+            if(Kinetic.Util._isFunction(func)) {
+                func.apply(this, args);
+            }
+            // otherwise get directly
+            else {
+                this.attrs[attr] = args[0];
+            }
+        },
         /**
          * get attrs
          * @name getAttrs
@@ -209,7 +231,7 @@
                     }
                     // otherwise set directly
                     else {
-                        this.setAttr(key, config[key]);
+                        this._setAttr(key, config[key]);
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -915,7 +937,7 @@
                 
             go._removeId(oldId);
             go._addId(this, id);
-            this.setAttr(ID, id);
+            this._setAttr(ID, id);
         },
         /**
          * set name
@@ -930,7 +952,7 @@
                 
             go._removeName(oldName, this._id);
             go._addName(this, name);
-            this.setAttr(NAME, name);
+            this._setAttr(NAME, name);
         },
         /**
          * get node type.  Returns 'Stage', 'Layer', 'Group', or 'Shape'
@@ -940,7 +962,7 @@
         getNodeType: function() {
             return this.nodeType;
         },
-        setAttr: function(key, val) {
+        _setAttr: function(key, val) {
             var oldVal;
             if(val !== undefined) {
                 oldVal = this.attrs[key];
@@ -985,7 +1007,7 @@
             if (events) {
                 len = events.length;
                 for(i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-                    events[i].handler.apply(this, [evt]);
+                    events[i].handler.call(this, evt);
                 }
             }
         },
@@ -1059,7 +1081,7 @@
                 g = obj && obj.g !== undefined ? obj.g | 0 : this.getAttr(attr + UPPER_G),
                 b = obj && obj.b !== undefined ? obj.b | 0 : this.getAttr(attr + UPPER_B);
 
-            this.setAttr(attr, HASH + Kinetic.Util._rgbToHex(r, g, b));
+            this._setAttr(attr, HASH + Kinetic.Util._rgbToHex(r, g, b));
         };
     };
     Kinetic.Node.addColorComponentGetter = function(constructor, attr, c) {
@@ -1083,7 +1105,7 @@
             method = SET + Kinetic.Util._capitalize(attr);
             
         constructor.prototype[method] = function(val) {
-            this.setAttr(attr, val);
+            this._setAttr(attr, val);
             if (isTransform) {
                 this.cachedTransform = null;
             }
@@ -1120,14 +1142,14 @@
             
         // radians
         constructor.prototype[method] = function(val) {
-            this.setAttr(attr, val);
+            this._setAttr(attr, val);
             if (isTransform) {
                 this.cachedTransform = null;
             }
         };
         // degrees
         constructor.prototype[method + DEG] = function(deg) {
-            this.setAttr(attr, Kinetic.Util._degToRad(deg));
+            this._setAttr(attr, Kinetic.Util._degToRad(deg));
             if (isTransform) {
                 this.cachedTransform = null;
             }
diff --git a/src/Shape.js b/src/Shape.js
index e964acf7..3d2f42f3 100644
--- a/src/Shape.js
+++ b/src/Shape.js
@@ -97,61 +97,61 @@
          * enable fill
          */
         enableFill: function() {
-            this.setAttr('fillEnabled', true);
+            this._setAttr('fillEnabled', true);
         },
         /**
          * disable fill
          */
         disableFill: function() {
-            this.setAttr('fillEnabled', false);
+            this._setAttr('fillEnabled', false);
         },
         /**
          * enable stroke
          */
         enableStroke: function() {
-            this.setAttr('strokeEnabled', true);
+            this._setAttr('strokeEnabled', true);
         },
         /**
          * disable stroke
          */
         disableStroke: function() {
-            this.setAttr('strokeEnabled', false);
+            this._setAttr('strokeEnabled', false);
         },
         /**
          * enable stroke scale
          */
         enableStrokeScale: function() {
-            this.setAttr('strokeScaleEnabled', true);
+            this._setAttr('strokeScaleEnabled', true);
         },
         /**
          * disable stroke scale
          */
         disableStrokeScale: function() {
-            this.setAttr('strokeScaleEnabled', false);
+            this._setAttr('strokeScaleEnabled', false);
         },
         /**
          * enable shadow
          */
         enableShadow: function() {
-            this.setAttr('shadowEnabled', true);
+            this._setAttr('shadowEnabled', true);
         },
         /**
          * disable shadow
          */
         disableShadow: function() {
-            this.setAttr('shadowEnabled', false);
+            this._setAttr('shadowEnabled', false);
         },
         /**
          * enable dash array
          */
         enableDashArray: function() {
-            this.setAttr('dashArrayEnabled', true);
+            this._setAttr('dashArrayEnabled', true);
         },
         /**
          * disable dash array
          */
         disableDashArray: function() {
-            this.setAttr('dashArrayEnabled', false);
+            this._setAttr('dashArrayEnabled', false);
         },
         /**
          * get shape type.  Ex. 'Circle', 'Rect', 'Text', etc.
diff --git a/src/Stage.js b/src/Stage.js
index 7a6b8027..adea6354 100644
--- a/src/Stage.js
+++ b/src/Stage.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
             if( typeof container === STRING) {
                 container = document.getElementById(container);
             }
-            this.setAttr(CONTAINER, container);
+            this._setAttr(CONTAINER, container);
         },
         draw: function() {
             // clear children layers
diff --git a/src/shapes/Image.js b/src/shapes/Image.js
index 033ec24b..c0a1d1f8 100644
--- a/src/shapes/Image.js
+++ b/src/shapes/Image.js
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
                 size = Kinetic.Util._getSize(config),
                 both = Kinetic.Util._merge(pos, size);
                 
-            this.setAttr(CROP, Kinetic.Util._merge(both, this.getCrop()));
+            this._setAttr(CROP, Kinetic.Util._merge(both, this.getCrop()));
         },
         /**
          * create image hit region which enables more accurate hit detection mapping of the image
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
             method = SET + Kinetic.Util._capitalize(attr);
             
         constructor.prototype[method] = function(val) {
-            this.setAttr(attr, val);
+            this._setAttr(attr, val);
             this._applyFilter = true;
         };
     };
diff --git a/src/shapes/Line.js b/src/shapes/Line.js
index 199c34e0..16620e3b 100644
--- a/src/shapes/Line.js
+++ b/src/shapes/Line.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
          *  of Numbers.  e.g. [{x:1,y:2},{x:3,y:4}] or [1,2,3,4]
          */
         setPoints: function(val) {
-            this.setAttr('points', Kinetic.Util._getPoints(val));
+            this._setAttr('points', Kinetic.Util._getPoints(val));
         },
         /**
          * get points array
diff --git a/src/shapes/Polygon.js b/src/shapes/Polygon.js
index aefd8f63..7eb53366 100644
--- a/src/shapes/Polygon.js
+++ b/src/shapes/Polygon.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
          *  of Numbers.  e.g. [{x:1,y:2},{x:3,y:4}] or [1,2,3,4]
          */
         setPoints: function(val) {
-            this.setAttr('points', Kinetic.Util._getPoints(val));
+            this._setAttr('points', Kinetic.Util._getPoints(val));
         },
         /**
          * get points array
diff --git a/src/shapes/Spline.js b/src/shapes/Spline.js
index b1a4e935..2130a070 100644
--- a/src/shapes/Spline.js
+++ b/src/shapes/Spline.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
          * @param {Number} tension
          */
         setTension: function(tension) {
-            this.setAttr('tension', tension);
+            this._setAttr('tension', tension);
             this._setAllPoints();
         },
         _setAllPoints: function() {
diff --git a/src/shapes/Text.js b/src/shapes/Text.js
index efff51b0..4c31969a 100644
--- a/src/shapes/Text.js
+++ b/src/shapes/Text.js
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
          */
         setText: function(text) {
             var str = Kinetic.Util._isString(text) ? text : text.toString();
-            this.setAttr(TEXT, str);
+            this._setAttr(TEXT, str);
         },
         /**
          * get width
diff --git a/tests/js/unit/nodeTests.js b/tests/js/unit/nodeTests.js
index e4d4eff7..2d80ff8b 100644
--- a/tests/js/unit/nodeTests.js
+++ b/tests/js/unit/nodeTests.js
@@ -1,4 +1,37 @@
 Test.Modules.NODE = {
+    'setAttr': function(containerId) {
+        var stage = new Kinetic.Stage({
+            container: containerId,
+            width: 578,
+            height: 200
+        });
+        var layer = new Kinetic.Layer();
+        var circle = new Kinetic.Circle({
+            x: stage.getWidth() / 2,
+            y: stage.getHeight() / 2,
+            radius: 70,
+            fill: 'green',
+            stroke: 'black',
+            strokeWidth: 4
+        });
+
+        stage.add(layer.add(circle));
+
+        circle.setAttr('fill', 'red');
+        layer.draw();
+
+        test(circle.getFill() === 'red', 'circle should now be red');
+
+        circle.setAttr('position', 5, 6);
+
+        test(circle.getX() === 5, 'circle x should be 5');
+        test(circle.getY() === 6, 'circle y should be 6');
+
+        circle.setAttr('foobar', 12);
+
+        test(circle.getAttr('foobar') === 12, 'custom foobar attr should be 12');
+        
+    },
     'set shape and layer opacity to 0.5': function(containerId) {
         var stage = new Kinetic.Stage({
             container: containerId,