diff --git a/src/htmx.js b/src/htmx.js
index 0e2e57a6d..68f317735 100644
--- a/src/htmx.js
+++ b/src/htmx.js
@@ -3905,9 +3905,9 @@ var htmx = (function() {
         })
       } else {
         let resolvedTarget = resolveTarget(context.target)
-        // If target is supplied but can't resolve OR both target and source can't be resolved
+        // If target is supplied but can't resolve OR source is supplied but both target and source can't be resolved
         // then use DUMMY_ELT to abort the request with htmx:targetError to avoid it replacing body by mistake
-        if ((context.target && !resolvedTarget) || (!resolvedTarget && !resolveTarget(context.source))) {
+        if ((context.target && !resolvedTarget) || (context.source && !resolvedTarget && !resolveTarget(context.source))) {
           resolvedTarget = DUMMY_ELT
         }
         return issueAjaxRequest(verb, path, resolveTarget(context.source), context.event,
diff --git a/test/core/api.js b/test/core/api.js
index c131dfd05..290363911 100644
--- a/test/core/api.js
+++ b/test/core/api.js
@@ -278,6 +278,16 @@ describe('Core htmx API test', function() {
     div.innerHTML.should.equal('foo!')
   })
 
+  it('ajax api falls back to targeting body if target and source not set', function() {
+    this.server.respondWith('GET', '/test', 'foo!')
+    var div = make("<div id='d1'></div>")
+    const saveBody = document.body.innerHTML
+    htmx.ajax('GET', '/test', {})
+    this.server.respond()
+    document.body.innerHTML.should.equal('foo!')
+    document.body.innerHTML = saveBody
+  })
+
   it('ajax api works with swapSpec', function() {
     this.server.respondWith('GET', '/test', "<p class='test'>foo!</p>")
     var div = make("<div><div id='target'></div></div>")