diff --git a/gluon/html.py b/gluon/html.py
index 1806f427..e677d9bb 100644
--- a/gluon/html.py
+++ b/gluon/html.py
@@ -1482,8 +1482,11 @@ class A(DIV):
     def xml(self):
         if not self.components and self['_href']:
             self.append(self['_href'])
-        if not self['_disable_with']:
-            self['_data-w2p_disable_with'] = 'default'
+        disable_needed = ['callback', 'cid', 'delete', 'component', 'target']
+        disable_needed = any((self[attr] for attr in disable_needed))
+        if disable_needed:
+            self['_data-w2p_disable_with'] = self['_disable_with'] or 'default'
+            self['_disable_with'] = None
         if self['callback'] and not self['_id']:
             self['_id'] = web2py_uuid()
         if self['delete']:
@@ -2518,7 +2521,7 @@ def test():
 
     >>> from validators import *
     >>> print DIV(A('click me', _href=URL(a='a', c='b', f='c')), BR(), HR(), DIV(SPAN("World"), _class='unknown')).xml()
-    <div><a data-w2p_disable_with="default" href="/a/b/c">click me</a><br /><hr /><div class=\"unknown\"><span>World</span></div></div>
+    <div><a href="/a/b/c">click me</a><br /><hr /><div class=\"unknown\"><span>World</span></div></div>
     >>> print DIV(UL("doc","cat","mouse")).xml()
     <div><ul><li>doc</li><li>cat</li><li>mouse</li></ul></div>
     >>> print DIV(UL("doc", LI("cat", _class='feline'), 18)).xml()
diff --git a/gluon/tests/test_html.py b/gluon/tests/test_html.py
index 8272adbd..a5668da3 100644
--- a/gluon/tests/test_html.py
+++ b/gluon/tests/test_html.py
@@ -69,8 +69,50 @@ class TestBareHelpers(unittest.TestCase):
                          '<meta a="1" b="2" />')
 
     def testA(self):
-        self.assertEqual(A('<>', _a='1', _b='2').xml(),
-                         '<a a="1" b="2" data-w2p_disable_with="default">&lt;&gt;</a>')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('<>', _a='1', _b='2').xml(),
+            '<a a="1" b="2">&lt;&gt;</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', cid='b').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="GET" data-w2p_target="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', callback='b', _id='c').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="POST" href="b" id="c">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', delete='tr').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_remove="tr">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', _id='b', target='<self>').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_target="b" id="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', component='b').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="GET" href="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', _id='b', callback='c', noconfirm=True).xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="POST" href="c" id="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', cid='b').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="GET" data-w2p_target="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', cid='b', _disable_with='processing...').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="processing..." data-w2p_method="GET" data-w2p_target="b">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', callback='b', delete='tr', noconfirm=True, _id='c').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="POST" data-w2p_remove="tr" href="b" id="c">a</a>'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            A('a', callback='b', delete='tr', confirm='Are you sure?', _id='c').xml(),
+            '<a data-w2p_confirm="Are you sure?" data-w2p_disable_with="default" data-w2p_method="POST" data-w2p_remove="tr" href="b" id="c">a</a>'
+            )
 
     def testB(self):
         self.assertEqual(B('<>', _a='1', _b='2').xml(),
@@ -237,7 +279,7 @@ class TestBareHelpers(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestData(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def testAdata(self):
-        self.assertEqual(A('<>', data=dict(abc='<def?asd>', cde='standard'), _a='1', _b='2').xml(),'<a a="1" b="2" data-abc="&lt;def?asd&gt;" data-cde="standard" data-w2p_disable_with="default">&lt;&gt;</a>')
+        self.assertEqual(A('<>', data=dict(abc='<def?asd>', cde='standard'), _a='1', _b='2').xml(),'<a a="1" b="2" data-abc="&lt;def?asd&gt;" data-cde="standard">&lt;&gt;</a>')
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':