ALBION sneaked to the top of the table for the first time this season thanks to a hard-earned point at The Walkers Stadium.
Diomansy Kamara scored for the sixth successive away game to propel the battling Baggies above leaders Derby, who suffered a last-gasp defeat at Sunderland, on goal difference.
The African prince won and coolly converted a 27th-minute penalty - his 21st of the term - to fire the visitors ahead.
Tony Mowbray's troops then took control, with Kamara, Kevin Phillips and Neil Clement all going close to doubling the lead.
However, Foxes centre-half Gareth McAuley hauled his side level against the run of play with a towering header nine minutes before the break.
An evenly-balanced second period produced few chances as a battle-weary Albion extended their unbeaten run to 11 games.
Skipper Curtis Davies made an instant return from suspension to replace Martin Albrechtsen, who dropped to the bench, in the Baggies' back four while Paul McShane moved to right-back.
Jason Jarrett missed a golden opportunity to put the hosts ahead in the fifth minute when he connected with Iain Hume's near-post corner but volleyed high and wide from close range.
Ex-Hawthorns favourite Geoff Horsfield, who receieved a rapturous reception from the 3,100 travelling Albion fans, charged at the Baggies goal in the 11th minute before teeing up Levi Porter, who forced a flying save from Dean Kiely with a fiercely-struck 20-yard drive from the left edge of the penalty area.
Albion gradually began to extert their authority on proceedings and Jason Koumas threaded Phillips through on the right side of the 18-yard box in the 19th minute to give the ex-Sunderland striker a clear sight of goal.
Phillips took the ball in his stride before unleashing a low drive which Paul Henderson did well to block.
McAuley attempted to clear the rebound but fired his clearance straight into Phillips.
But the Foxes centre-half recovered to block the ex-England man's shot.
Two minutes later, Richard Chaplow came in from the left and picked out the lively Phillips on the edge of the box, who again tested Henderson with a skidding effort.
Albion had been getting closer and closer and drew first blood in the 27th minute.
Neil Clement picked out Kamara with a sublime 60-yard ball and, as the Senegal pace ace burst into the box, all Alan Maybury could do was bring him down to give referee Uriah Rennie no choice but to award a penalty.
Kamara picked himself up to fire the spot-kick low into the bottom left-hand corner past the despairing dive of Henderson.
Seconds later, Chaplow won the ball in midfield and fed Phillips, who made Henderson frantically back-pedal to finger-tip his 20-yard lob over the bar.
The confidence was oozing through Clement and he almost caught Leicester on the hop in the 29th minute when he rocketed a 40-yard strike inches over the bar.
It was all Albion now and Robert Koren threaded Kamara through in the box who was unlucky to see his angled effort deflect off Patrick Kisnorbo and just past the far post.
But, like a bolt out of the blue, City were level in the 36th minute.
McAuley towered above Davies to loop a stunning header from Kisnorbo's deep free-kick into the far corner of the net, giving Kiely no chance.
Clement was lucky not to see the ball land in his own net two minutes later when Porter's drive into the box rebounded off him and flew past the post for a corner.
The Baggies slowly began to settle again and, five minutes before the break, Henderson managed to grab Koumas' long-range effort at the second attempt.
South Yorkshire official Rennie threw up a major talking point just before half-time when he decided against punishing Horsfield for what looked like an elbow on McShane near the right-hand touchline.
City had the first effort on goal of the second half when Horsfield managed to get his head to Nils-Eric Johansson's curling cross - but Kiely held it comfortably.
Maybury cut inside from the left in the 61st minute and fired in a swerving 20-yard shot, which Kiely could only beat out before Robinson cleared.
Mowbray made a double switch in the 65th minute as Phillips and Koumas made way for Nathan Ellington and Zoltan Gera respectively.
Hume's left-wing corner lobbed up in the air off a ruck of players in the 70th minute to present Stephen Hughes with a free shot on goal from 15 yards, which he fluffed over the bar.
Three minutes later, Porter found himself in space on the left and crossed for Hughes who again missed the target with a flying 12-yard header.
Albion regrouped and Kisnorbo had to make a vital interception to prevent Chaplow getting on the end of Gera's knockdown in the 75th minute.
Kisnorbo could have nicked all three points for the Foxes when he headed Hume's corner goalwards - but straight at Kiely.
But Albion finished the game strongly and former Baggie Andy Johnson played a crucial part in keeping the scores level in the first minute of injury time when his last-ditch challenge prevented Davies guiding Kamara's cut-back goalwards.
LEICESTER (4-4-2): Henderson; Maybury, McAuley, Kisnorbo, Johansson; Hughes (Yeates 75), Jarrett, Johnson, Porter; Hume, Horsfield. Subs not used: Logan (gk), Hammond, Stearman, Kenton.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; McShane, C Davies, Clement, Robinson; Koren, Chaplow, Greening, Koumas (Gera 65); Phillips (Ellington 65), Kamara. Subs not used: Daniels (gk), Albrechtsen, Carter.
GOALS: LEICESTER - McAuley (36). ALBION - Kamara (pen 27).
BOOKINGS: LEICESTER - Johansson (foul 48). ALBION - Chaplow (foul 14), Robinson (dissent 80).
REFEREE: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 25,581.
ALBION STARMAN: Richard Chaplow.
(PICS BY LAURIE RAMPLING)
