diff --git a/cjs/html/document.js b/cjs/html/document.js
index 85f1a4f8..1f57fd82 100644
--- a/cjs/html/document.js
+++ b/cjs/html/document.js
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class HTMLDocument extends Document {
    */
   get head() {
     const {documentElement} = this;
+    if (documentElement && documentElement.tagName === 'HEAD')
+      return documentElement;
     let {firstElementChild} = documentElement;
     if (!firstElementChild || firstElementChild.tagName !== 'HEAD') {
       firstElementChild = this.createElement('head');
@@ -64,6 +66,9 @@ class HTMLDocument extends Document {
    * @type HTMLBodyElement
    */
   get body() {
+    const {documentElement} = this;
+    if (documentElement && documentElement.tagName === 'BODY')
+      return documentElement;
     const {head} = this;
     let {nextElementSibling} = head;
     if (!nextElementSibling || nextElementSibling.tagName !== 'BODY') {
diff --git a/esm/html/document.js b/esm/html/document.js
index 47e23bca..5f8bc348 100644
--- a/esm/html/document.js
+++ b/esm/html/document.js
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ export class HTMLDocument extends Document {
    */
   get head() {
     const {documentElement} = this;
+    if (documentElement && documentElement.tagName === 'HEAD')
+      return documentElement;
     let {firstElementChild} = documentElement;
     if (!firstElementChild || firstElementChild.tagName !== 'HEAD') {
       firstElementChild = this.createElement('head');
@@ -63,6 +65,9 @@ export class HTMLDocument extends Document {
    * @type HTMLBodyElement
    */
   get body() {
+    const {documentElement} = this;
+    if (documentElement && documentElement.tagName === 'BODY')
+      return documentElement;
     const {head} = this;
     let {nextElementSibling} = head;
     if (!nextElementSibling || nextElementSibling.tagName !== 'BODY') {
diff --git a/test/html/document.js b/test/html/document.js
index b5e15062..eaab23e3 100644
--- a/test/html/document.js
+++ b/test/html/document.js
@@ -98,3 +98,10 @@ const issue187 = (new DOMParser).parseFromString(`<!DOCTYPE html><html><head></h
 issue187.body.innerHTML = '<span></span>';
 let span = issue187.body.firstElementChild;
 assert(span.ownerDocument.body, issue187.body);
+
+const issue283 = parseHTML('<body><div class="whatever"></div></body>');
+assert(issue283.document.querySelectorAll('body').length, 1, 'only one body element exists');
+assert(issue283.document.querySelector('body'), issue283.document.body, 'document.body is the real body element');
+
+const issue283Head = parseHTML('<head><title>t</title></head>');
+assert(issue283Head.document.querySelector('head'), issue283Head.document.head, 'document.head is the real head element');