diff --git a/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/decoder/AXmlResourceParser.java b/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/decoder/AXmlResourceParser.java
index 62f23896..9ada6407 100644
--- a/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/decoder/AXmlResourceParser.java
+++ b/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/decoder/AXmlResourceParser.java
@@ -306,15 +306,15 @@ public class AXmlResourceParser implements XmlResourceParser {
 
     public String getAttributeValue(int index) {
         int offset = getAttributeOffset(index);
-        int valueString = m_attributes[offset + ATTRIBUTE_IX_VALUE_STRING];
-        if (valueString != -1) {
-            return AndrolibResources.escapeTextForResXml(
-                m_strings.getString(valueString));
-        }
         int valueType = m_attributes[offset + ATTRIBUTE_IX_VALUE_TYPE];
         int valueData = m_attributes[offset + ATTRIBUTE_IX_VALUE_DATA];
+        int valueString = m_attributes[offset + ATTRIBUTE_IX_VALUE_STRING];
 
-        if (mAttrDecoder != null) {
+        if (mAttrDecoder != null && (
+                valueString == -1
+                || valueType == TypedValue.TYPE_REFERENCE
+                || valueType == TypedValue.TYPE_ATTRIBUTE
+        )) {
             try {
                 return mAttrDecoder.decode(valueType, valueData,
                     getAttributeNameResource(index));
@@ -329,6 +329,11 @@ public class AXmlResourceParser implements XmlResourceParser {
             }
         }
 
+        if (valueString != -1) {
+            return AndrolibResources.escapeTextForResXml(
+                m_strings.getString(valueString));
+        }
+
         return TypedValue.coerceToString(valueType, valueData);
     }