diff --git a/flow/options.flow.js b/flow/options.flow.js
index 92f1a7231..992cf3d8b 100644
--- a/flow/options.flow.js
+++ b/flow/options.flow.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 declare type Options = {
   // eslint-disable-line no-undef
   attachToDocument?: boolean,
+  attachTo?: HTMLElement | string,
   propsData?: Object,
   mocks?: Object,
   methods?: { [key: string]: Function },
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ declare type Options = {
 }
 
 declare type NormalizedOptions = {
+  attachTo?: HTMLElement | string,
   attachToDocument?: boolean,
   propsData?: Object,
   mocks: Object,
diff --git a/packages/shared/validate-options.js b/packages/shared/validate-options.js
index 1ad9c90ac..452d64eb4 100644
--- a/packages/shared/validate-options.js
+++ b/packages/shared/validate-options.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import {
   isPlainObject,
   isFunctionalComponent,
-  isConstructor
+  isConstructor,
+  isDomSelector,
+  isHTMLElement
 } from './validators'
 import { VUE_VERSION } from './consts'
 import { compileTemplateForSlots } from './compile-template'
-import { throwError } from './util'
+import { throwError, warn } from './util'
 import { validateSlots } from './validate-slots'
 
 function vueExtendUnsupportedOption(option) {
@@ -22,6 +24,20 @@ function vueExtendUnsupportedOption(option) {
 const UNSUPPORTED_VERSION_OPTIONS = ['mocks', 'stubs', 'localVue']
 
 export function validateOptions(options, component) {
+  if (
+    options.attachTo &&
+    !isHTMLElement(options.attachTo) &&
+    !isDomSelector(options.attachTo)
+  ) {
+    throwError(
+      `options.attachTo should be a valid HTMLElement or CSS selector string`
+    )
+  }
+  if ('attachToDocument' in options) {
+    warn(
+      `options.attachToDocument is deprecated in favor of options.attachTo and will be removed in a future release`
+    )
+  }
   if (options.parentComponent && !isPlainObject(options.parentComponent)) {
     throwError(
       `options.parentComponent should be a valid Vue component options object`
diff --git a/packages/shared/validators.js b/packages/shared/validators.js
index 09fcb384b..55da960d6 100644
--- a/packages/shared/validators.js
+++ b/packages/shared/validators.js
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@ export function isPlainObject(c: any): boolean {
   return Object.prototype.toString.call(c) === '[object Object]'
 }
 
+export function isHTMLElement(c: any): boolean {
+  if (typeof HTMLElement === 'undefined') {
+    return false
+  }
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-undef
+  return c instanceof HTMLElement
+}
+
 export function isRequiredComponent(name: string): boolean {
   return (
     name === 'KeepAlive' || name === 'Transition' || name === 'TransitionGroup'
diff --git a/packages/test-utils/src/mount.js b/packages/test-utils/src/mount.js
index c6dab106d..0a0ef4128 100644
--- a/packages/test-utils/src/mount.js
+++ b/packages/test-utils/src/mount.js
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ export default function mount(component, options = {}) {
 
   const parentVm = createInstance(component, mergedOptions, _Vue)
 
-  const el = options.attachToDocument ? createElement() : undefined
+  const el =
+    options.attachTo || (options.attachToDocument ? createElement() : undefined)
   const vm = parentVm.$mount(el)
 
   component._Ctor = {}
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ export default function mount(component, options = {}) {
   throwIfInstancesThrew(vm)
 
   const wrapperOptions = {
-    attachedToDocument: !!mergedOptions.attachToDocument
+    attachedToDocument: !!el
   }
 
   const root = parentVm.$options._isFunctionalContainer
diff --git a/test/specs/mount.spec.js b/test/specs/mount.spec.js
index 279f9224a..d9869c512 100644
--- a/test/specs/mount.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/mount.spec.js
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ describeRunIf(process.env.TEST_ENV !== 'node', 'mount', () => {
     expect(wrapper.vm.$options.context).to.equal(undefined)
     expect(wrapper.vm.$options.attrs).to.equal(undefined)
     expect(wrapper.vm.$options.listeners).to.equal(undefined)
+    wrapper.destroy()
   })
 
   itDoNotRunIf(vueVersion < 2.3, 'injects store correctly', () => {
@@ -366,6 +367,7 @@ describeRunIf(process.env.TEST_ENV !== 'node', 'mount', () => {
         '  <p class="prop-2"></p>\n' +
         '</div>'
     )
+    wrapper.destroy()
   })
 
   it('overwrites the component options with the instance options', () => {
diff --git a/test/specs/mounting-options/attachTo.spec.js b/test/specs/mounting-options/attachTo.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fba92b14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/mounting-options/attachTo.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { describeWithShallowAndMount } from '~resources/utils'
+
+const innerHTML = '<input><span>Hello world</span>'
+const outerHTML = `<div id="attach-to">${innerHTML}</div>`
+const ssrHTML = `<div id="attach-to" data-server-rendered="true">${innerHTML}</div>`
+const template = '<div id="attach-to"><input /><span>Hello world</span></div>'
+const TestComponent = { template }
+
+describeWithShallowAndMount('options.attachTo', mountingMethod => {
+  it('attaches to a provided HTMLElement', () => {
+    const div = document.createElement('div')
+    div.id = 'root'
+    document.body.appendChild(div)
+    expect(document.getElementById('root')).to.not.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+    const wrapper = mountingMethod(TestComponent, {
+      attachTo: div
+    })
+    expect(document.getElementById('root')).to.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.not.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to').outerHTML).to.equal(outerHTML)
+    expect(wrapper.options.attachedToDocument).to.equal(true)
+    wrapper.destroy()
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+  })
+  it('attaches to a provided CSS selector string', () => {
+    const div = document.createElement('div')
+    div.id = 'root'
+    document.body.appendChild(div)
+    expect(document.getElementById('root')).to.not.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+    const wrapper = mountingMethod(TestComponent, {
+      attachTo: '#root'
+    })
+    expect(document.getElementById('root')).to.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.not.be.null
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to').outerHTML).to.equal(outerHTML)
+    expect(wrapper.options.attachedToDocument).to.equal(true)
+    wrapper.destroy()
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+  })
+
+  it('correctly hydrates markup', () => {
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+
+    const div = document.createElement('div')
+    div.id = 'attach-to'
+    div.setAttribute('data-server-rendered', 'true')
+    div.innerHTML = innerHTML
+    document.body.appendChild(div)
+    expect(div.outerHTML).to.equal(ssrHTML)
+    const wrapper = mountingMethod(TestComponent, {
+      attachTo: '#attach-to'
+    })
+    const rendered = document.getElementById('attach-to')
+    expect(rendered).to.not.be.null
+    expect(rendered.outerHTML).to.equal(outerHTML)
+    expect(wrapper.options.attachedToDocument).to.equal(true)
+    wrapper.destroy()
+    expect(document.getElementById('attach-to')).to.be.null
+  })
+})