diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
index 3d626706a13e..1d1b3eb64a68 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
@@ -729,7 +729,8 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
     require: ['select', 'ngModel'],
     link: {
       pre: function ngOptionsPreLink(scope, selectElement, attr, ctrls) {
-        ctrls[0].ngModelCtrl = null;
+        ctrls[0].addOption = noop;
+        ctrls[0].removeOption = noop;
       },
       post: ngOptionsPostLink
     }
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/select.js b/src/ng/directive/select.js
index dd468283e965..82d59c66b269 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/select.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/select.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ var SelectController =
   var self = this,
       optionsMap = new HashMap();
 
+  self.optionsMap = optionsMap;
+
   // If the ngModel doesn't get provided then provide a dummy noop version to prevent errors
   self.ngModelCtrl = noopNgModelController;
 
@@ -68,31 +70,8 @@ var SelectController =
     }
   };
 
-
-  // Tell the select control that an option, with the given value, has been added
-  self.addOption = function(value, element) {
-    assertNotHasOwnProperty(value, '"option value"');
-    if (value === '') {
-      self.emptyOption = element;
-    }
-    var count = optionsMap.get(value) || 0;
-    optionsMap.put(value, count + 1);
-  };
-
-  // Tell the select control that an option, with the given value, has been removed
-  self.removeOption = function(value) {
-    var count = optionsMap.get(value);
-    if (count) {
-      if (count === 1) {
-        optionsMap.remove(value);
-        if (value === '') {
-          self.emptyOption = undefined;
-        }
-      } else {
-        optionsMap.put(value, count - 1);
-      }
-    }
-  };
+  self.addOption = noop;
+  self.removeOption = noop;
 
   // Check whether the select control has an option matching the given value
   self.hasOption = function(value) {
@@ -324,6 +303,36 @@ var selectDirective = function() {
 
       selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl = ngModelCtrl;
 
+      // Tell the select control that an option, with the given value, has been added
+      selectCtrl.addOption = function(value, element) {
+        assertNotHasOwnProperty(value, '"option value"');
+        if (value === '') {
+          selectCtrl.emptyOption = element;
+        }
+        var count = selectCtrl.optionsMap.get(value) || 0;
+        selectCtrl.optionsMap.put(value, count + 1);
+
+        element.on('$destroy', function() {
+          selectCtrl.removeOption(value);
+          selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl.$render();
+        });
+      };
+
+      // Tell the select control that an option, with the given value, has been removed
+      selectCtrl.removeOption = function(value) {
+        var count = selectCtrl.optionsMap.get(value);
+        if (count) {
+          if (count === 1) {
+            selectCtrl.optionsMap.remove(value);
+            if (value === '') {
+              selectCtrl.emptyOption = undefined;
+            }
+          } else {
+            selectCtrl.optionsMap.put(value, count - 1);
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
       // We delegate rendering to the `writeValue` method, which can be changed
       // if the select can have multiple selected values or if the options are being
       // generated by `ngOptions`
@@ -460,11 +469,6 @@ var optionDirective = ['$interpolate', function($interpolate) {
             // The value attribute is static
             addOption(attr.value);
           }
-
-          element.on('$destroy', function() {
-            selectCtrl.removeOption(attr.value);
-            selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl.$render();
-          });
         }
       };
     }
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
index 8c2c15d7b878..fa8e21d02744 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
@@ -125,12 +125,15 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
 
       .directive('oCompileContents', function() {
         return {
-          link: function(scope, element)  {
-            linkLog.push('linkCompileContents');
-            $compile(element.contents())(scope);
+          priority: 2,
+          link: {
+            pre: function(scope, element)  {
+              linkLog.push('linkCompileContents');
+              $compile(element.contents())(scope);
+            }
           }
         };
-    });
+      });
 
     $provide.decorator('ngOptionsDirective', function($delegate) {
 
@@ -2170,29 +2173,38 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
 
     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'
+        createSelect({
+        'o-compile-contents': '',
+        'name': 'select',
+        'ng-model': 'value',
+        'ng-options': 'item for item in items'
         }, true);
       }).not.toThrow();
 
       expect(linkLog).toEqual(['linkCompileContents', 'linkNgOptions']);
+
+      var options = element.find('option');
+      expect(options.length).toBe(1);
+      expect(options.eq(0).val()).toBe('');
+      expect(options.eq(0).text()).toBe('blank');
     });
 
 
     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>');
+      $templateCache.put('select_template.html', '<select ng-options="option as option for option in selectable_options"> <option value="">--select--</option> </select>');
 
-      scope.options = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'];
+      scope.options = ['a', 'b', 'c'];
 
       expect(function() {
-        var element = $compile('<custom-select ng-model="value" options="options"></custom-select>')(scope);
+        element = $compile('<custom-select ng-model="value" options="options"></custom-select>')(scope);
         scope.$digest();
-        dealoc(element);
       }).not.toThrow();
 
+      var options = element.find('option');
+      expect(options.length).toBe(4);
+      expect(options.eq(0).val()).toBe('');
+      expect(options.eq(0).text()).toBe('--select--');
+      dealoc(element);
     }));
 
   });