diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/base.py b/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/base.py
index c7619203581..f38a24890eb 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/base.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/base.py
@@ -84,38 +84,37 @@ class in `scikit-learn`_.
 
     .. versionadded:: 2.0.0
     """
+
     def _validate_key(self, key):
-        if key in dir(UserDict) or (key == "data" and self._dict_frozen):
+        if key in dir(self):
             raise AttributeError(f"'{key}' is a protected dictionary "
                                  "attribute")
         elif isinstance(key, str) and not key.isidentifier():
             raise ValueError(f"'{key}' is not a valid attribute")
 
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        kwargs = dict(*args, **kwargs)
         if "data" in kwargs.keys():
             raise AttributeError(f"'data' is a protected dictionary attribute")
-
-        self._dict_frozen = False
-        for key in kwargs:
-            self._validate_key(key)
-        super().__init__(**kwargs)
-        self._dict_frozen = True
+        self.__dict__["data"] = {}
+        self.update(kwargs)
 
     def __setitem__(self, key, item):
         self._validate_key(key)
         super().__setitem__(key, item)
 
-    def __setattr__(self, attr, value):
-        self._validate_key(attr)
-        super().__setattr__(attr, value)
-
-        # attribute available as key
-        if self._dict_frozen and attr != "_dict_frozen":
-            super().__setitem__(attr, value)
+    __setattr__ = __setitem__
 
     def __getattr__(self, attr):
         try:
-            return self.data[attr]
+            return self[attr]
+        except KeyError as err:
+            raise AttributeError("'Results' object has no "
+                                 f"attribute '{attr}'") from err
+
+    def __delattr__(self, attr):
+        try:
+            del self[attr]
         except KeyError as err:
             raise AttributeError("'Results' object has no "
                                  f"attribute '{attr}'") from err
diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_base.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_base.py
index 71ea1aea3e3..9c4995e4c07 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_base.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_base.py
@@ -45,23 +45,24 @@ def test_get(self, results):
         assert results.a == results["a"] == 1
 
     def test_no_attr(self, results):
-        with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+        msg = "'Results' object has no attribute 'c'"
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=msg):
             results.c
 
     def test_set_attr(self, results):
         value = [1, 2, 3, 4]
         results.c = value
-        assert results.c == results["c"] == value
+        assert results.c is results["c"] is value
 
     def test_set_key(self, results):
         value = [1, 2, 3, 4]
         results["c"] = value
-        assert results.c == results["c"] == value
+        assert results.c is results["c"] is value
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('key', dir(UserDict) + ["data"])
     def test_existing_dict_attr(self, results, key):
         msg = f"'{key}' is a protected dictionary attribute"
-        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=key):
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=msg):
             results[key] = None
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize('key', dir(UserDict) + ["data"])
@@ -76,6 +77,70 @@ def test_weird_key(self, results, key):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=msg):
             results[key] = None
 
+    def test_setattr_modify_item(self, results):
+        mylist = [1, 2]
+        mylist2 = [3, 4]
+        results.myattr = mylist
+        assert results.myattr is mylist
+        results["myattr"] = mylist2
+        assert results.myattr is mylist2
+        mylist2.pop(0)
+        assert len(results.myattr) == 1
+        assert results.myattr is mylist2
+
+    def test_setitem_modify_item(self, results):
+        mylist = [1, 2]
+        mylist2 = [3, 4]
+        results["myattr"] = mylist
+        assert results.myattr is mylist
+        results.myattr = mylist2
+        assert results.myattr is mylist2
+        mylist2.pop(0)
+        assert len(results["myattr"]) == 1
+        assert results["myattr"] is mylist2
+
+    def test_delattr(self, results):
+        assert hasattr(results, "a")
+        delattr(results, "a")
+        assert not hasattr(results, "a")
+
+    def test_missing_delattr(self, results):
+        assert not hasattr(results, "d")
+        msg = "'Results' object has no attribute 'd'"
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=msg):
+            delattr(results, "d")
+
+    def test_pop(self, results):
+        assert hasattr(results, "a")
+        results.pop("a")
+        assert not hasattr(results, "a")
+
+    def test_update(self, results):
+        assert not hasattr(results, "spudda")
+        results.update({"spudda": "fett"})
+        assert results.spudda == "fett"
+
+    def test_update_data_fail(self, results):
+        msg = f"'data' is a protected dictionary attribute"
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=msg):
+            results.update({"data": 0})
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("args, kwargs, length", [
+        (({"darth": "tater"},), {}, 1),
+        ([], {"darth": "tater"}, 1),
+        (({"darth": "tater"},), {"yam": "solo"}, 2),
+        (({"darth": "tater"},), {"darth": "vader"}, 1),
+    ])
+    def test_initialize_arguments(self, args, kwargs, length):
+        results = base.Results(*args, **kwargs)
+        ref = dict(*args, **kwargs)
+        assert ref == results
+        assert len(results) == length
+
+    def test_different_instances(self, results):
+        new_results = base.Results(darth="tater")
+        assert new_results.data is not results.data
+
 
 class FrameAnalysis(base.AnalysisBase):
     """Just grabs frame numbers of frames it goes over"""