diff --git a/packages/base/src/backbone-patch.ts b/packages/base/src/backbone-patch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c490c9e50e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/base/src/backbone-patch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// This file contains a modified version of the set function from the Backbone
+// (see
+// https://github.com/jashkenas/backbone/blob/05fde9e201f7e2137796663081105cd6dad12a98/backbone.js#L460,
+// with changes below marked with an EDIT comment). This file in Backbone has the following license.
+
+//     (c) 2010-2015 Jeremy Ashkenas, DocumentCloud and Investigative Reporters & Editors
+//     Backbone may be freely distributed under the MIT license.
+//     For all details and documentation:
+//     http://backbonejs.org
+
+// Backbone's full license is below (from https://github.com/jashkenas/backbone/blob/05fde9e201f7e2137796663081105cd6dad12a98/LICENSE)
+
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2010-2015 Jeremy Ashkenas, DocumentCloud
+
+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.
+*/
+
+
+import * as utils from './utils';
+
+// Set a hash of model attributes on the object, firing `"change"`. This is
+// the core primitive operation of a model, updating the data and notifying
+// anyone who needs to know about the change in state. The heart of the beast.
+// This *MUST* be called with the model as the `this` context.
+export
+function set(key, val, options) {
+    if (key == null) return this;
+
+    // Handle both `"key", value` and `{key: value}` -style arguments.
+    var attrs;
+    if (typeof key === 'object') {
+        attrs = key;
+        options = val;
+    } else {
+        (attrs = {})[key] = val;
+    }
+
+    options || (options = {});
+
+    // Run validation.
+    if (!this._validate(attrs, options)) return false;
+
+    // Extract attributes and options.
+    var unset      = options.unset;
+    var silent     = options.silent;
+    var changes    = [];
+    var changing   = this._changing;
+    this._changing = true;
+
+    if (!changing) {
+        // EDIT: changed to use object spread instead of _.clone
+        this._previousAttributes = {...this.attributes};
+        this.changed = {};
+    }
+
+    var current = this.attributes;
+    var changed = this.changed;
+    var prev    = this._previousAttributes;
+
+    // For each `set` attribute, update or delete the current value.
+    for (var attr in attrs) {
+        val = attrs[attr];
+        // EDIT: the following two lines use our isEqual instead of _.isEqual
+        if (!utils.isEqual(current[attr], val)) changes.push(attr);
+        if (!utils.isEqual(prev[attr], val)) {
+        changed[attr] = val;
+        } else {
+        delete changed[attr];
+        }
+        unset ? delete current[attr] : current[attr] = val;
+    }
+
+    // Update the `id`.
+    this.id = this.get(this.idAttribute);
+
+    // Trigger all relevant attribute changes.
+    if (!silent) {
+        if (changes.length) this._pending = options;
+        for (var i = 0; i < changes.length; i++) {
+        this.trigger('change:' + changes[i], this, current[changes[i]], options);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // You might be wondering why there's a `while` loop here. Changes can
+    // be recursively nested within `"change"` events.
+    if (changing) return this;
+    if (!silent) {
+        while (this._pending) {
+        options = this._pending;
+        this._pending = false;
+        this.trigger('change', this, options);
+        }
+    }
+    this._pending = false;
+    this._changing = false;
+    return this;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/base/src/widget.ts b/packages/base/src/widget.ts
index d6833706e2..c823dc74c1 100644
--- a/packages/base/src/widget.ts
+++ b/packages/base/src/widget.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 import * as managerBase from './manager-base';
 import * as utils from './utils';
+import * as backbonePatch from './backbone-patch'
+
 import * as Backbone from 'backbone';
 import * as $ from 'jquery';
 
@@ -277,7 +279,8 @@ class WidgetModel extends Backbone.Model {
      * Handles both "key", value and {key: value} -style arguments.
      */
     set(key: any, val?: any, options?: any) {
-        let return_value = super.set(key, val, options);
+        // Call our patched backbone set. See #1642 and #1643.
+        let return_value = backbonePatch.set.call(this, key, val, options);
 
         // Backbone only remembers the diff of the most recent set()
         // operation.  Calling set multiple times in a row results in a