diff --git a/src/modal/docs/readme.md b/src/modal/docs/readme.md
index 1c36320f00..89b115b109 100644
--- a/src/modal/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/modal/docs/readme.md
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ The `$modal` service has only one method: `open(options)` where available option
 * `templateUrl` - a path to a template representing modal's content
 * `template` - inline template representing the modal's content
 * `scope` - a scope instance to be used for the modal's content (actually the `$modal` service is going to create a child scope of a provided scope). Defaults to `$rootScope`
-* `controller` - a controller for a modal instance - it can initialize scope used by modal. Accepts the "controller-as" syntax, and can be injected with `$modalInstance`
+* `controller` - a controller for a modal instance - it can initialize scope used by modal. Accepts the "controller-as" syntax in the form 'SomeCtrl as myctrl'; can be injected with `$modalInstance`
+* `controllerAs` - an alternative to the controller-as syntax, matching the API of directive definitions. Requires the `controller` option to be provided as well
 * `resolve` - members that will be resolved and passed to the controller as locals; it is equivalent of the `resolve` property for AngularJS routes
 * `backdrop` - controls presence of a backdrop. Allowed values: true (default), false (no backdrop), `'static'` - backdrop is present but modal window is not closed when clicking outside of the modal window.
 * `keyboard` - indicates whether the dialog should be closable by hitting the ESC key, defaults to true
@@ -27,4 +28,4 @@ In addition the scope associated with modal's content is augmented with 2 method
 * `$close(result)`
 * `$dismiss(reason)`
 
-Those methods make it easy to close a modal window without a need to create a dedicated controller
+Those methods make it easy to close a modal window without a need to create a dedicated controller.
diff --git a/src/modal/modal.js b/src/modal/modal.js
index 043596484c..d17377b826 100644
--- a/src/modal/modal.js
+++ b/src/modal/modal.js
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.modal', ['ui.bootstrap.transition'])
                   ctrlLocals[key] = tplAndVars[resolveIter++];
                 });
 
-                $controller(modalOptions.controller, ctrlLocals);
+                $controller(modalOptions.controllerAs ? modalOptions.controller + ' as ' + modalOptions.controllerAs : modalOptions.controller, ctrlLocals);
               }
 
               $modalStack.open(modalInstance, {
diff --git a/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js b/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
index 153b531d0a..3a9d33c1f4 100644
--- a/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
+++ b/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 describe('$modal', function () {
-  var $rootScope, $document, $compile, $templateCache, $timeout, $q;
+  var $controllerProvider, $rootScope, $document, $compile, $templateCache, $timeout, $q;
   var $modal, $modalProvider;
 
   var triggerKeyDown = function (element, keyCode) {
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ describe('$modal', function () {
           $scope.isModalInstance = angular.isObject($modalInstance) && angular.isFunction($modalInstance.close);
         };
 
-        var modal = open({template: '<div>{{fromCtrl}} {{isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: TestCtrl});
+        open({template: '<div>{{fromCtrl}} {{isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: TestCtrl});
         expect($document).toHaveModalOpenWithContent('Content from ctrl true', 'div');
       });
 
@@ -300,10 +300,19 @@ describe('$modal', function () {
           this.isModalInstance = angular.isObject($modalInstance) && angular.isFunction($modalInstance.close);
         });
 
-        var modal = open({template: '<div>{{test.fromCtrl}} {{test.isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: 'TestCtrl as test'});
+        open({template: '<div>{{test.fromCtrl}} {{test.isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: 'TestCtrl as test'});
         expect($document).toHaveModalOpenWithContent('Content from ctrl true', 'div');
       });
 
+      it('should respect the controllerAs property as an alternative for the controller-as syntax', function () {
+        $controllerProvider.register('TestCtrl', function($modalInstance) {
+          this.fromCtrl = 'Content from ctrl';
+          this.isModalInstance = angular.isObject($modalInstance) && angular.isFunction($modalInstance.close);
+        });
+
+        open({template: '<div>{{test.fromCtrl}} {{test.isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: 'TestCtrl', controllerAs: 'test'});
+        expect($document).toHaveModalOpenWithContent('Content from ctrl true', 'div');
+      });
     });
 
     describe('resolve', function () {