diff --git a/src/core/ReactCompositeComponent.js b/src/core/ReactCompositeComponent.js
index fdf3d8e7ae..468c200511 100644
--- a/src/core/ReactCompositeComponent.js
+++ b/src/core/ReactCompositeComponent.js
@@ -734,9 +734,16 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
    * @private
    */
   _renderValidatedComponent: function() {
+    var renderedComponent;
     ReactCurrentOwner.current = this;
-    var renderedComponent = this.render();
-    ReactCurrentOwner.current = null;
+    try {
+      renderedComponent = this.render();
+    } catch (error) {
+      // IE8 requires `catch` in order to use `finally`.
+      throw error;
+    } finally {
+      ReactCurrentOwner.current = null;
+    }
     invariant(
       ReactComponent.isValidComponent(renderedComponent),
       '%s.render(): A valid ReactComponent must be returned.',
diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponent-test.js b/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponent-test.js
index f2b666321c..178edaee1d 100644
--- a/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponent-test.js
+++ b/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponent-test.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ var MorphingComponent;
 var MorphingAutoBindComponent;
 var ChildUpdates;
 var React;
+var ReactCurrentOwner;
 var ReactProps;
 var ReactTestUtils;
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ describe('ReactCompositeComponent', function() {
     cx = require('cx');
     reactComponentExpect = require('reactComponentExpect');
     React = require('React');
+    ReactCurrentOwner = require('ReactCurrentOwner');
     ReactProps = require('ReactProps');
     ReactTestUtils = require('ReactTestUtils');
 
@@ -302,4 +304,21 @@ describe('ReactCompositeComponent', function() {
     );
   });
 
+  it('should cleanup even if render() fatals', function() {
+    var BadComponent = React.createClass({
+      render: function() {
+        throw new Error();
+      }
+    });
+    var instance = <BadComponent />;
+
+    expect(ReactCurrentOwner.current).toBe(null);
+
+    expect(function() {
+      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(instance);
+    }).toThrow();
+
+    expect(ReactCurrentOwner.current).toBe(null);
+  });
+
 });