diff --git a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
index 6487f24cfa..f4feaa9588 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
+++ b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@
       </ul>
     </div>
 
+    <!-- Single button using append-to-body -->
+    <div class="btn-group" dropdown dropdown-append-to-body>
+      <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary dropdown-toggle" dropdown-toggle>
+        Dropdown on Body <span class="caret"></span>
+      </button>
+      <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu">
+        <li><a href="#">Action</a></li>
+        <li><a href="#">Another action</a></li>
+        <li><a href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+        <li class="divider"></li>
+        <li><a href="#">Separated link</a></li>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
+
     <hr />
     <p>
         <button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-sm" ng-click="toggleDropdown($event)">Toggle button dropdown</button>
diff --git a/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md b/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
index 5f42e0e829..02970d0a5f 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@
 Dropdown is a simple directive which will toggle a dropdown menu on click or programmatically.
 You can either use `is-open` to toggle or add inside a `<a dropdown-toggle>` element to toggle it when is clicked.
 There is also the `on-toggle(open)` optional expression fired when dropdown changes state.
+
+Add `dropdown-append-to-body` to the `dropdown` element to append to the inner `dropdown-menu` to the body.
+This is useful when the dropdown button is inside a div with `overflow: hidden`, and the menu would otherwise be hidden.
+
 By default the dropdown will automatically close if any of its elements is clicked, you can change this behavior by setting the `auto-close` option as follows:
 
   * `always` - (Default) automatically closes the dropdown when any of its elements is clicked.
   * `outsideClick` - closes the dropdown automatically only when the user clicks any element outside the dropdown.
   * `disabled` - disables the auto close. You can then control the open/close status of the dropdown manually, by using `is-open`. Please notice that the dropdown will still close if the toggle is clicked, the `esc` key is pressed or another dropdown is open.
+
diff --git a/src/dropdown/dropdown.js b/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
index b469b0bec5..8f03186160 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
+++ b/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', [])
+angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
 
 .constant('dropdownConfig', {
   openClass: 'open'
@@ -60,13 +60,14 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', [])
   };
 }])
 
-.controller('DropdownController', ['$scope', '$attrs', '$parse', 'dropdownConfig', 'dropdownService', '$animate', function($scope, $attrs, $parse, dropdownConfig, dropdownService, $animate) {
+.controller('DropdownController', ['$scope', '$attrs', '$parse', 'dropdownConfig', 'dropdownService', '$animate', '$position', '$document', function($scope, $attrs, $parse, dropdownConfig, dropdownService, $animate, $position, $document) {
   var self = this,
       scope = $scope.$new(), // create a child scope so we are not polluting original one
       openClass = dropdownConfig.openClass,
       getIsOpen,
       setIsOpen = angular.noop,
-      toggleInvoker = $attrs.onToggle ? $parse($attrs.onToggle) : angular.noop;
+      toggleInvoker = $attrs.onToggle ? $parse($attrs.onToggle) : angular.noop,
+      appendToBody = false;
 
   this.init = function( element ) {
     self.$element = element;
@@ -79,6 +80,15 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', [])
         scope.isOpen = !!value;
       });
     }
+
+    appendToBody = angular.isDefined($attrs.dropdownAppendToBody);
+
+    if ( appendToBody && self.dropdownMenu ) {
+      $document.find('body').append( self.dropdownMenu );
+      element.on('$destroy', function handleDestroyEvent() {
+        self.dropdownMenu.remove();
+      });
+    }
   };
 
   this.toggle = function( open ) {
@@ -109,6 +119,15 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', [])
   };
 
   scope.$watch('isOpen', function( isOpen, wasOpen ) {
+    if ( appendToBody && self.dropdownMenu ) {
+      var pos = $position.positionElements(self.$element, self.dropdownMenu, 'bottom-left', true);
+      self.dropdownMenu.css({
+        top: pos.top + 'px',
+        left: pos.left + 'px',
+        display: isOpen ? 'block' : 'none'
+      });
+    }
+
     $animate[isOpen ? 'addClass' : 'removeClass'](self.$element, openClass);
 
     if ( isOpen ) {
@@ -142,6 +161,19 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', [])
   };
 })
 
+.directive('dropdownMenu', function() {
+  return {
+    restrict: 'AC',
+    require: '?^dropdown',
+    link: function(scope, element, attrs, dropdownCtrl) {
+      if ( !dropdownCtrl ) {
+        return;
+      }
+      dropdownCtrl.dropdownMenu = element;
+    }
+  };
+})
+
 .directive('dropdownToggle', function() {
   return {
     require: '?^dropdown',
diff --git a/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js b/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
index 5e7c7dab9e..8438aca550 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
+++ b/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
     $document = _$document_;
   }));
 
+  afterEach(function() {
+    element.remove();
+  });
+
   var clickDropdownToggle = function(elm) {
     elm = elm || element;
     elm.find('a[dropdown-toggle]').click();
@@ -50,7 +54,6 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       var optionEl = element.find('ul > li').eq(0).find('a').eq(0);
       optionEl.click();
       expect(element.hasClass('open')).toBe(false);
-      element.remove();
     });
 
     it('should close on document click', function() {
@@ -66,7 +69,6 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       triggerKeyDown($document, 27);
       expect(element.hasClass('open')).toBe(false);
       expect(isFocused(element.find('a'))).toBe(true);
-      element.remove();
     });
 
     it('should not close on backspace key', function() {
@@ -180,6 +182,26 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('using dropdown-append-to-body', function() {
+    function dropdown() {
+      return $compile('<li dropdown dropdown-append-to-body><a href dropdown-toggle></a><ul class="dropdown-menu" id="dropdown-menu"><li><a href>Hello On Body</a></li></ul></li>')($rootScope);
+    }
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      element = dropdown();
+    });
+
+    it('adds the menu to the body', function() {
+      expect($document.find('#dropdown-menu').parent()[0]).toBe($document.find('body')[0]);
+    });
+
+    it('removes the menu when the dropdown is removed', function() {
+      element.remove();
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect($document.find('#dropdown-menu').length).toEqual(0);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('integration with $location URL rewriting', function() {
     function dropdown() {
 
@@ -256,7 +278,6 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       $rootScope.isopen = true;
       $rootScope.$digest();
       expect(isFocused(element.find('a'))).toBe(true);
-      element.remove();
     });
   });
 
@@ -396,7 +417,6 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       triggerKeyDown($document, 27);
       expect(element.hasClass('open')).toBe(false);
       expect(isFocused(element.find('a'))).toBe(true);
-      element.remove();
     });
 
     it('should close anyway if another dropdown is opened', function() {