diff --git a/examples/basic/app.js b/examples/basic/app.js
index 1744a41cc..1242bf98b 100644
--- a/examples/basic/app.js
+++ b/examples/basic/app.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ new Vue({
         <li><router-link to="/">/</router-link></li>
         <li><router-link to="/foo">/foo</router-link></li>
         <li><router-link to="/bar">/bar</router-link></li>
+        <router-link tag="li" to="/bar">/bar</router-link>
       </ul>
       <router-view class="view"></router-view>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/components/link.js b/src/components/link.js
index 0fdfd8e4e..1b312f17c 100644
--- a/src/components/link.js
+++ b/src/components/link.js
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ export default {
         aData.on = on
         const aAttrs = aData.attrs || (aData.attrs = {})
         aAttrs.href = href
+      } else {
+        // doesn't have <a> child, apply listener to self
+        data.on = on
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/basic.js b/test/e2e/specs/basic.js
index 6dfcf5372..bfe53d538 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/basic.js
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/basic.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module.exports = {
     browser
     .url('http://localhost:8080/basic/')
       .waitForElementVisible('#app', 1000)
+      .assert.count('li', 4)
       .assert.count('li a', 3)
       // assert correct href with base
       .assert.attributeContains('li:nth-child(1) a', 'href', '/basic/')
@@ -22,6 +23,10 @@ module.exports = {
       .assert.urlEquals('http://localhost:8080/basic/')
       .assert.containsText('.view', 'home')
 
+      .click('li:nth-child(4)')
+      .assert.urlEquals('http://localhost:8080/basic/bar')
+      .assert.containsText('.view', 'bar')
+
     // check initial visit
     .url('http://localhost:8080/basic/foo')
       .waitForElementVisible('#app', 1000)