diff --git a/src/modal/docs/readme.md b/src/modal/docs/readme.md
index 11badf65a8..ccc539f48d 100644
--- a/src/modal/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/modal/docs/readme.md
@@ -16,4 +16,9 @@ The `open` method returns a modal instance, an object with the following propert
 * `close(result)` - a method that can be used to close a modal, passing a result
 * `dismiss(reason)` - a method that can be used to dismiss a modal, passing a reason
 * `result` - a promise that is resolved when a modal is closed and rejected when a modal is dismissed
-* `opened` - a promise that is resolved when a modal gets opened after downloading content's template and resolving all variables
\ No newline at end of file
+* `opened` - a promise that is resolved when a modal gets opened after downloading content's template and resolving all variables
+
+In addition the scope associated with modal's content is augmented with 2 methods:
+* `$close(result)`
+* `$dismiss(reason)`
+Those methods make it easy to close a modal window without a need to create a dedicated controller
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modal/modal.js b/src/modal/modal.js
index 2b7752bb03..58a6870e9f 100644
--- a/src/modal/modal.js
+++ b/src/modal/modal.js
@@ -247,10 +247,10 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.modal', [])
               result: modalResultDeferred.promise,
               opened: modalOpenedDeferred.promise,
               close: function (result) {
-                $modalStack.close(this, result);
+                $modalStack.close(modalInstance, result);
               },
               dismiss: function (reason) {
-                $modalStack.dismiss(this, reason);
+                $modalStack.dismiss(modalInstance, reason);
               }
             };
 
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.modal', [])
             templateAndResolvePromise.then(function resolveSuccess(tplAndVars) {
 
               var modalScope = (modalOptions.scope || $rootScope).$new();
+              modalScope.$close = modalInstance.close;
+              modalScope.$dismiss = modalInstance.dismiss;
 
               var ctrlInstance, ctrlLocals = {};
               var resolveIter = 1;