diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/extras/attribute.py b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/extras/attribute.py
index 5b98c4f..ad282af 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/nodes/extras/attribute.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/nodes/extras/attribute.py
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ class Attribute(StringMixIn):
             return base + "=" + self.pad_after_eq + str(self.value)
         return base
 
+    def _set_padding(self, attr, value):
+        """Setter for the value of a padding attribute."""
+        if not value:
+            setattr(self, attr, "")
+        else:
+            value = str(value)
+            if not value.isspace():
+                raise ValueError("padding must be entirely whitespace")
+            setattr(self, attr, value)
+
     @property
     def name(self):
         """The name of the attribute as a :py:class:`~.Wikicode` object."""
@@ -98,12 +108,12 @@ class Attribute(StringMixIn):
 
     @pad_first.setter
     def pad_first(self, value):
-        self._pad_first = str(value)
+        self._set_padding("_pad_first", value)
 
     @pad_before_eq.setter
     def pad_before_eq(self, value):
-        self._pad_before_eq = str(value)
+        self._set_padding("_pad_before_eq", value)
 
     @pad_after_eq.setter
     def pad_after_eq(self, value):
-        self._pad_after_eq = str(value)
+        self._set_padding("_pad_after_eq", value)
diff --git a/tests/test_attribute.py b/tests/test_attribute.py
index e69de29..2cb9f01 100644
--- a/tests/test_attribute.py
+++ b/tests/test_attribute.py
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2013 Ben Kurtovic <ben.kurtovic@verizon.net>
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+import unittest
+
+from mwparserfromhell.compat import str
+from mwparserfromhell.nodes import Template
+from mwparserfromhell.nodes.extras import Attribute
+
+from ._test_tree_equality import TreeEqualityTestCase, wrap, wraptext
+
+class TestAttribute(TreeEqualityTestCase):
+    """Test cases for the Attribute node extra."""
+
+    def test_unicode(self):
+        """test Attribute.__unicode__()"""
+        node = Attribute(wraptext("foo"))
+        self.assertEqual(" foo", str(node))
+        node2 = Attribute(wraptext("foo"), wraptext("bar"))
+        self.assertEqual(' foo="bar"', str(node2))
+        node3 = Attribute(wraptext("a"), wraptext("b"), False, "", " ", "   ")
+        self.assertEqual("a =   b", str(node3))
+
+    def test_name(self):
+        """test getter/setter for the name attribute"""
+        name = wraptext("id")
+        node = Attribute(name, wraptext("bar"))
+        self.assertIs(name, node.name)
+        node.name = "{{id}}"
+        self.assertWikicodeEqual(wrap([Template(wraptext("id"))]), node.name)
+
+    def test_value(self):
+        """test getter/setter for the value attribute"""
+        value = wraptext("foo")
+        node = Attribute(wraptext("id"), value)
+        self.assertIs(value, node.value)
+        node.value = "{{bar}}"
+        self.assertWikicodeEqual(wrap([Template(wraptext("bar"))]), node.value)
+
+    def test_quoted(self):
+        """test getter/setter for the quoted attribute"""
+        node1 = Attribute(wraptext("id"), wraptext("foo"), False)
+        node2 = Attribute(wraptext("id"), wraptext("bar"))
+        self.assertFalse(node1.quoted)
+        self.assertTrue(node2.quoted)
+        node1.quoted = True
+        node2.quoted = ""
+        self.assertTrue(node1.quoted)
+        self.assertFalse(node2.quoted)
+
+    def test_padding(self):
+        """test getter/setter for the padding attributes"""
+        for pad in ["pad_first", "pad_before_eq", "pad_after_eq"]:
+            padding = wraptext("\n")
+            node = Attribute(wraptext("id"), wraptext("foo"), **{pad: padding})
+            self.assertIs(padding, getattr(node, pad))
+            setattr(node, pad, " ")
+            self.assertEqual(" ", getattr(node, pad))
+            setattr(node, pad, None)
+            self.assertEqual("", getattr(node, pad))
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, setattr, node, pad, True)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main(verbosity=2)