diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index b53a4fffb2..51ca038089 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ exports = module.exports = function parse(content, options, isDocument) {
     } else {
       // Generic root element
       var root = new domhandler.Document(content);
-      content.forEach(function (node) {
-        node.parent = root;
-      });
+
+      // Update the DOM using the root
+      exports.update(content, root);
 
       dom = root;
     }
diff --git a/test/cheerio.js b/test/cheerio.js
index 0523546906..865296b4c8 100644
--- a/test/cheerio.js
+++ b/test/cheerio.js
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ describe('cheerio', function () {
       expect($('ul')).to.have.length(3);
     });
 
+    it('should allow loading a single element', function () {
+      var el = htmlparser2.parseDOM(food)[0];
+      var $ = cheerio.load(el);
+
+      expect($('ul')).to.have.length(3);
+    });
+
     it('should render xml in html() when options.xml = true', function () {
       var str = '<MixedCaseTag UPPERCASEATTRIBUTE=""></MixedCaseTag>';
       var expected = '<MixedCaseTag UPPERCASEATTRIBUTE=""/>';