diff --git a/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.json b/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.json
index 97d28e7..2459b7a 100644
--- a/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.json
+++ b/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.json
@@ -225,6 +225,39 @@
    "bold": 0,
    "collapsible": 0,
    "columns": 0,
+   "fieldname": "leave_application",
+   "fieldtype": "Link",
+   "hidden": 0,
+   "ignore_user_permissions": 0,
+   "ignore_xss_filter": 0,
+   "in_filter": 0,
+   "in_global_search": 0,
+   "in_list_view": 0,
+   "in_standard_filter": 0,
+   "label": "Leave Application",
+   "length": 0,
+   "no_copy": 0,
+   "options": "Leave Application",
+   "permlevel": 0,
+   "precision": "",
+   "print_hide": 0,
+   "print_hide_if_no_value": 0,
+   "read_only": 1,
+   "remember_last_selected_value": 0,
+   "report_hide": 0,
+   "reqd": 0,
+   "search_index": 0,
+   "set_only_once": 0,
+   "translatable": 0,
+   "unique": 0
+  },
+  {
+   "allow_bulk_edit": 0,
+   "allow_in_quick_entry": 0,
+   "allow_on_submit": 0,
+   "bold": 0,
+   "collapsible": 0,
+   "columns": 0,
    "fieldname": "column_break0",
    "fieldtype": "Column Break",
    "hidden": 0,
@@ -428,7 +461,7 @@
  "issingle": 0,
  "istable": 0,
  "max_attachments": 0,
- "modified": "2019-01-30 11:28:13.075959",
+ "modified": "2019-03-08 12:00:14.043535",
  "modified_by": "Administrator",
  "module": "HR",
  "name": "Attendance",
diff --git a/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.py b/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.py
index 74a5303..7dd9f0e 100644
--- a/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.py
+++ b/erpnext/hr/doctype/attendance/attendance.py
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@
 	def validate_attendance_date(self):
 		date_of_joining = frappe.db.get_value("Employee", self.employee, "date_of_joining")
 
-		if getdate(self.attendance_date) > getdate(nowdate()):
+		# leaves can be marked for future dates
+		if self.status not in ('On Leave', 'Half Day') and getdate(self.attendance_date) > getdate(nowdate()):
 			frappe.throw(_("Attendance can not be marked for future dates"))
 		elif date_of_joining and getdate(self.attendance_date) < getdate(date_of_joining):
 			frappe.throw(_("Attendance date can not be less than employee's joining date"))
diff --git a/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/leave_application.py b/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/leave_application.py
index b85f38b..819bbf9 100755
--- a/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/leave_application.py
+++ b/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/leave_application.py
@@ -117,28 +117,29 @@
 
 	def update_attendance(self):
 		if self.status == "Approved":
-			attendance = frappe.db.sql("""select name from `tabAttendance` where employee = %s\
-				and (attendance_date between %s and %s) and docstatus < 2""",(self.employee, self.from_date, self.to_date), as_dict=1)
+			for dt in daterange(getdate(self.from_date), getdate(self.to_date)):
+				date = dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+				status = "Half Day" if date == self.half_day_date else "On Leave"
 
-			if attendance:
-				for d in attendance:
-					doc = frappe.get_doc("Attendance", d.name)
-					if getdate(self.half_day_date) == doc.attendance_date:
-						status = "Half Day"
-					else:
-						status = "On Leave"
-					frappe.db.sql("""update `tabAttendance` set status = %s, leave_type = %s\
-						where name = %s""",(status, self.leave_type, d.name))
+				attendance_name = frappe.db.exists('Attendance', dict(employee = self.employee,
+					attenance_date = date, docstatus = ('!=', 2)))
 
-			elif getdate(self.to_date) <= getdate(nowdate()):
-				for dt in daterange(getdate(self.from_date), getdate(self.to_date)):
-					date = dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+				if attendance_name:
+					# update existing attendance, change absent to on leave
+					doc = frappe.get_doc('Attendance', attendance_date)
+					if doc.status != status:
+						doc.db_set('status', status)
+						doc.db_set('leave_type', self.leave_type)
+						doc.db_set('leave_application', self.name)
+				else:
+					# make new attendance and submit it
 					doc = frappe.new_doc("Attendance")
 					doc.employee = self.employee
 					doc.attendance_date = date
 					doc.company = self.company
 					doc.leave_type = self.leave_type
-					doc.status = "Half Day" if date == self.half_day_date else "On Leave"
+					doc.leave_application = self.name
+					doc.status = status
 					doc.flags.ignore_validate = True
 					doc.insert(ignore_permissions=True)
 					doc.submit()
diff --git a/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/test_leave_application.py b/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/test_leave_application.py
index a682e8b..d3dcca1 100644
--- a/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/test_leave_application.py
+++ b/erpnext/hr/doctype/leave_application/test_leave_application.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from erpnext.hr.doctype.leave_application.leave_application import LeaveDayBlockedError, OverlapError, NotAnOptionalHoliday, get_leave_balance_on
 from frappe.permissions import clear_user_permissions_for_doctype
-from frappe.utils import add_days, nowdate, now_datetime
+from frappe.utils import add_days, nowdate, now_datetime, getdate
 
 test_dependencies = ["Leave Allocation", "Leave Block List"]
 
@@ -67,6 +67,43 @@
 		application.to_date = "2013-01-05"
 		return application
 
+	def test_attendance_creation(self):
+		'''check attendance is automatically created on leave approval'''
+		make_allocation_record()
+		application = self.get_application(_test_records[0])
+		application.status = 'Approved'
+		application.from_date = '2018-01-01'
+		application.to_date = '2018-01-03'
+		application.insert()
+		application.submit()
+
+		attendance = frappe.get_all('Attendance', ['name', 'status', 'attendance_date'], dict(leave_application = application.name))
+
+		# attendance created for all 3 days
+		self.assertEqual(len(attendance), 3)
+
+		# all on leave
+		self.assertTrue(all([d.status == 'On Leave' for d in attendance]))
+
+		# dates
+		dates = [d.attendance_date for d in attendance]
+		for d in ('2018-01-01', '2018-01-02', '2018-01-03'):
+			self.assertTrue(getdate(d) in dates)
+
+	def test_overwrite_attendance(self):
+		# employee marked as absent
+		doc = frappe.new_doc("Attendance")
+		doc.employee = '_T-Employee-00001'
+		doc.attendance_date = '2018-01-01'
+		doc.company = '_Test Company'
+		doc.status = 'Absent'
+		doc.flags.ignore_validate = True
+		doc.insert(ignore_permissions=True)
+		doc.submit()
+
+		# now check if the status has been updated
+		self.test_attendance_creation()
+
 	def test_block_list(self):
 		self._clear_roles()
 
@@ -428,7 +465,7 @@
 		"employee": employee or "_T-Employee-00001",
 		"leave_type": leave_type or "_Test Leave Type",
 		"from_date": "2013-01-01",
-		"to_date": "2015-12-31",
+		"to_date": "2019-12-31",
 		"new_leaves_allocated": 30
 	})