diff --git a/src/core/a-entity.js b/src/core/a-entity.js
index 6b39e4e0562..19ac59e0020 100644
--- a/src/core/a-entity.js
+++ b/src/core/a-entity.js
@@ -369,9 +369,13 @@ class AEntity extends ANode {
 
     // Wait for component to initialize.
     if (!component.initialized) {
+      component.pendingRemoval = true;
       this.addEventListener('componentinitialized', function tryRemoveLater (evt) {
         if (evt.detail.name !== name) { return; }
-        this.removeComponent(name, destroy);
+        if (component.pendingRemoval) {
+          this.removeComponent(name, destroy);
+          component.pendingRemoval = false;
+        }
         this.removeEventListener('componentinitialized', tryRemoveLater);
       });
       return;
@@ -462,8 +466,16 @@ class AEntity extends ANode {
         this.removeComponent(attr, true);
         return;
       }
-      // Component already initialized. Update component.
+      // Component initialization already started. Update component.
       component.updateProperties(attrValue, clobber);
+
+      // Component has been initialized, but is pending removal
+      if (component.pendingRemoval) {
+        // This new update should cancel any pending removal, and reinstate the attribute
+        // (which will have been removed, synchronously, when the component removal was initiated)
+        window.HTMLElement.prototype.setAttribute.call(this, attr, '');
+        component.pendingRemoval = false;
+      }
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/core/a-entity.test.js b/tests/core/a-entity.test.js
index deaa5585c63..c8c517faf04 100644
--- a/tests/core/a-entity.test.js
+++ b/tests/core/a-entity.test.js
@@ -1693,3 +1693,54 @@ suite('a-entity component dependency management', function () {
     });
   });
 });
+
+suite('a-entity attribute operations prior to adding to DOM', function () {
+  var scene;
+  setup(function (done) {
+    this.TestComponent = registerComponent('test', TestComponent);
+    scene = document.createElement('a-scene');
+    document.body.appendChild(scene);
+    scene.addEventListener('loaded', () => {
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  test('Add component before element added to DOM', function () {
+    var TestComponent = this.TestComponent.prototype;
+    this.sinon.spy(TestComponent, 'init');
+    const el = document.createElement('a-entity');
+    el.setAttribute('test', '');
+    sinon.assert.notCalled(TestComponent.init);
+    el.addEventListener('loaded', function () {
+      sinon.assert.called(TestComponent.init);
+    });
+    scene.appendChild(el);
+  });
+
+  test('Add and remove component before element added to DOM', function () {
+    var TestComponent = this.TestComponent.prototype;
+    this.sinon.spy(TestComponent, 'init');
+    const el = document.createElement('a-entity');
+    el.setAttribute('test', '');
+    sinon.assert.notCalled(TestComponent.init);
+    el.removeAttribute('test');
+    el.addEventListener('loaded', function () {
+      sinon.assert.notCalled(TestComponent.init);
+    });
+    scene.appendChild(el);
+  });
+
+  test('Add, remove & re-add component before element added to DOM', function () {
+    var TestComponent = this.TestComponent.prototype;
+    this.sinon.spy(TestComponent, 'init');
+    const el = document.createElement('a-entity');
+    el.setAttribute('test', '');
+    sinon.assert.notCalled(TestComponent.init);
+    el.removeAttribute('test');
+    el.setAttribute('test', '');
+    el.addEventListener('loaded', function () {
+      sinon.assert.called(TestComponent.init);
+    });
+    scene.appendChild(el);
+  });
+});