diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
index 680472916359..eb79494b0421 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
@@ -392,11 +392,7 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
   var optionTemplate = document.createElement('option'),
       optGroupTemplate = document.createElement('optgroup');
 
-  return {
-    restrict: 'A',
-    terminal: true,
-    require: ['select', 'ngModel'],
-    link: function(scope, selectElement, attr, ctrls) {
+    function ngOptionsPostLink(scope, selectElement, attr, ctrls) {
 
       var selectCtrl = ctrls[0];
       var ngModelCtrl = ctrls[1];
@@ -448,7 +444,6 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
         unknownOption.remove();
       };
 
-
       // Update the controller methods for multiple selectable options
       if (!multiple) {
 
@@ -726,7 +721,17 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
         }
 
       }
+  }
 
+  return {
+    restrict: 'A',
+    terminal: true,
+    require: ['select', 'ngModel'],
+    link: {
+      pre: function ngOptionsPreLink(scope, selectElement, attr, ctrls) {
+        ctrls[0].register = noop;
+      },
+      post: ngOptionsPostLink
     }
   };
 }];
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/select.js b/src/ng/directive/select.js
index df2bcee32437..111930dc23dd 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/select.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/select.js
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 
 var noopNgModelController = { $setViewValue: noop, $render: noop };
 
+function chromeHack(optionElement) {
+  // Workaround for https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=381459
+  // Adding an <option selected="selected"> element to a <select required="required"> should
+  // automatically select the new element
+  if (optionElement[0].hasAttribute('selected')) {
+    optionElement[0].selected = true;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * @ngdoc type
  * @name  select.SelectController
@@ -77,6 +86,8 @@ var SelectController =
     }
     var count = optionsMap.get(value) || 0;
     optionsMap.put(value, count + 1);
+    self.ngModelCtrl.$render();
+    chromeHack(element);
   };
 
   // Tell the select control that an option, with the given value, has been removed
@@ -98,6 +109,39 @@ var SelectController =
   self.hasOption = function(value) {
     return !!optionsMap.get(value);
   };
+
+
+  self.register = function($scope, $optionElement, $optionAttrs, interpolateValueFn, interpolateTextFn) {
+
+    if (interpolateValueFn) {
+      // The value attribute is interpolated
+      var oldVal;
+      $optionAttrs.$observe('value', function valueAttributeObserveAction(newVal) {
+        if (isDefined(oldVal)) {
+          self.removeOption(oldVal);
+        }
+        oldVal = newVal;
+        self.addOption(newVal, $optionElement);
+      });
+    } else if (interpolateTextFn) {
+      // The text content is interpolated
+      $scope.$watch(interpolateTextFn, function interpolateWatchAction(newVal, oldVal) {
+        $optionAttrs.$set('value', newVal);
+        if (oldVal !== newVal) {
+          self.removeOption(oldVal);
+        }
+        self.addOption(newVal, $optionElement);
+      });
+    } else {
+      // The value attribute is static
+      self.addOption($optionAttrs.value, $optionElement);
+    }
+
+    $optionElement.on('$destroy', function() {
+      self.removeOption($optionAttrs.value);
+      self.ngModelCtrl.$render();
+    });
+  };
 }];
 
 /**
@@ -308,7 +352,13 @@ var selectDirective = function() {
     restrict: 'E',
     require: ['select', '?ngModel'],
     controller: SelectController,
-    link: function(scope, element, attr, ctrls) {
+    priority: 1,
+    link: {
+      pre: selectPreLink
+    }
+  };
+
+  function selectPreLink(scope, element, attr, ctrls) {
 
       // if ngModel is not defined, we don't need to do anything
       var ngModelCtrl = ctrls[1];
@@ -378,7 +428,6 @@ var selectDirective = function() {
 
       }
     }
-  };
 };
 
 
@@ -386,16 +435,6 @@ var selectDirective = function() {
 // of dynamically created (and destroyed) option elements to their containing select
 // directive via its controller.
 var optionDirective = ['$interpolate', function($interpolate) {
-
-  function chromeHack(optionElement) {
-    // Workaround for https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=381459
-    // Adding an <option selected="selected"> element to a <select required="required"> should
-    // automatically select the new element
-    if (optionElement[0].hasAttribute('selected')) {
-      optionElement[0].selected = true;
-    }
-  }
-
   return {
     restrict: 'E',
     priority: 100,
@@ -403,12 +442,12 @@ var optionDirective = ['$interpolate', function($interpolate) {
 
       if (isDefined(attr.value)) {
         // If the value attribute is defined, check if it contains an interpolation
-        var valueInterpolated = $interpolate(attr.value, true);
+        var interpolateValueFn = $interpolate(attr.value, true);
       } else {
         // If the value attribute is not defined then we fall back to the
         // text content of the option element, which may be interpolated
-        var interpolateFn = $interpolate(element.text(), true);
-        if (!interpolateFn) {
+        var interpolateTextFn = $interpolate(element.text(), true);
+        if (!interpolateTextFn) {
           attr.$set('value', element.text());
         }
       }
@@ -422,44 +461,8 @@ var optionDirective = ['$interpolate', function($interpolate) {
             selectCtrl = parent.data(selectCtrlName) ||
               parent.parent().data(selectCtrlName); // in case we are in optgroup
 
-        function addOption(optionValue) {
-          selectCtrl.addOption(optionValue, element);
-          selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl.$render();
-          chromeHack(element);
-        }
-
-        // Only update trigger option updates if this is an option within a `select`
-        // that also has `ngModel` attached
-        if (selectCtrl && selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl) {
-
-          if (valueInterpolated) {
-            // The value attribute is interpolated
-            var oldVal;
-            attr.$observe('value', function valueAttributeObserveAction(newVal) {
-              if (isDefined(oldVal)) {
-                selectCtrl.removeOption(oldVal);
-              }
-              oldVal = newVal;
-              addOption(newVal);
-            });
-          } else if (interpolateFn) {
-            // The text content is interpolated
-            scope.$watch(interpolateFn, function interpolateWatchAction(newVal, oldVal) {
-              attr.$set('value', newVal);
-              if (oldVal !== newVal) {
-                selectCtrl.removeOption(oldVal);
-              }
-              addOption(newVal);
-            });
-          } else {
-            // The value attribute is static
-            addOption(attr.value);
-          }
-
-          element.on('$destroy', function() {
-            selectCtrl.removeOption(attr.value);
-            selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl.$render();
-          });
+        if (selectCtrl) {
+          selectCtrl.register(scope, element, attr, interpolateValueFn, interpolateTextFn);
         }
       };
     }
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
index bc50bcbef818..b96f8acc8026 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 describe('ngOptions', function() {
 
-  var scope, formElement, element, $compile;
+  var scope, formElement, element, $compile, linkLog;
 
   function compile(html) {
     formElement = jqLite('<form name="form">' + html + '</form>');
@@ -104,6 +104,53 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  beforeEach(module(function($compileProvider, $provide) {
+    linkLog = [];
+
+    $compileProvider
+      .directive('customSelect', function() {
+        return {
+          restrict: "E",
+          replace: true,
+          scope: {
+            ngModel: '=',
+            options: '='
+          },
+          templateUrl: 'select_template.html',
+          link: function(scope, $element, attributes) {
+            scope.selectable_options = scope.options;
+          }
+        };
+      })
+
+      .directive('oCompileContents', function() {
+        return {
+          link: function(scope, element)  {
+            linkLog.push('linkCompileContents');
+            $compile(element.contents())(scope);
+          }
+        };
+    });
+
+    $provide.decorator('ngOptionsDirective', function($delegate) {
+
+      var origPreLink = $delegate[0].link.pre;
+      var origPostLink = $delegate[0].link.post;
+
+      $delegate[0].compile = function() {
+        return {
+          pre: origPreLink,
+          post: function() {
+            linkLog.push('linkNgOptions');
+            origPostLink.apply(this, arguments);
+          }
+        };
+      };
+
+      return $delegate;
+    });
+  }));
+
   beforeEach(inject(function($rootScope, _$compile_) {
     scope = $rootScope.$new(); //create a child scope because the root scope can't be $destroy-ed
     $compile = _$compile_;
@@ -2119,6 +2166,35 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
       option = element.find('option').eq(0);
       expect(option.text()).toBe('A');
     });
+
+
+    it('should not throw when a directive compiles the blank option before ngOptions is linked', function() {
+      expect(function() {
+        createSelect({
+          'o-compile-contents': '',
+          'name': 'select',
+          'ng-model': 'value',
+          'ng-options': 'item for item in items'
+        }, true);
+      }).not.toThrow();
+
+      expect(linkLog).toEqual(['linkCompileContents', 'linkNgOptions']);
+    });
+
+
+    it('should not throw with a directive that replaces', inject(function($templateCache, $httpBackend) {
+      $templateCache.put('select_template.html', '<select ng-options="option as option for option in selectable_options"> <option value="">This is a test</option> </select>');
+
+      scope.options = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'];
+
+      expect(function() {
+        element = $compile('<custom-select ng-model="value" options="options"></custom-select>')(scope);
+        scope.$digest();
+      }).not.toThrow();
+
+      dealoc(element);
+    }));
+
   });