diff --git a/ui/builder/component-builder.ts b/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
index eb2a22d01..ee1672cf6 100644
--- a/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
+++ b/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ function attachGestureBinding(instance: view.View, gestureName: string, value: s
             var handler = instance.bindingContext && instance.bindingContext[getBindingExpressionFromAttribute(value)];
             // Check if the handler is function and add it to the instance for specified event name.
             if (types.isFunction(handler)) {
-                instance.observe(gestures.fromString(gestureName.toLowerCase()), handler);
+                instance.observe(gestures.fromString(gestureName.toLowerCase()), handler, instance.bindingContext);
             }
             instance.off(observable.Observable.propertyChangeEvent, propertyChangeHandler);
         }
diff --git a/ui/core/view-common.ts b/ui/core/view-common.ts
index 87d1a90dd..a67d2d027 100644
--- a/ui/core/view-common.ts
+++ b/ui/core/view-common.ts
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ export class View extends proxy.ProxyObject implements definition.View {
         this._visualState = visualStateConstants.Normal;
     }
 
-    observe(type: number, callback: (args: gestures.GestureEventData) => void): gestures.GesturesObserver {
-        this._gesturesObserver = gestures.observe(this, type, callback);
+    observe(type: number, callback: (args: gestures.GestureEventData) => void, thisArg?: any): gestures.GesturesObserver {
+        this._gesturesObserver = gestures.observe(this, type, callback, thisArg);
         return this._gesturesObserver;
     }
 
diff --git a/ui/core/view.d.ts b/ui/core/view.d.ts
index bbe9232c4..f981f3cf1 100644
--- a/ui/core/view.d.ts
+++ b/ui/core/view.d.ts
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ declare module "ui/core/view" {
          */
         public focus(): boolean;
 
-        observe(type: number, callback: (args: gestures.GestureEventData) => void): gestures.GesturesObserver;
+        observe(type: number, callback: (args: gestures.GestureEventData) => void, thisArg?: any): gestures.GesturesObserver;
 
         /**
          * A basic method signature to hook an event listener (shortcut alias to the addEventListener method).
diff --git a/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts b/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
index 62eec6113..4ace2eea1 100644
--- a/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
+++ b/ui/gestures/gestures-common.ts
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ export enum SwipeDirection {
     down = 1 << 3
 }
 
-export function observe(target: view.View, type: number, callback: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void): definition.GesturesObserver {
+export function observe(target: view.View, type: number, callback: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void, thisArg?: any): definition.GesturesObserver {
     var observer = new definition.GesturesObserver(callback);
-    observer.observe(target, type);
+    observer.observe(target, type, thisArg);
     return observer;
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/gestures/gestures.d.ts b/ui/gestures/gestures.d.ts
index ea50afb8b..c8d6fa0b7 100644
--- a/ui/gestures/gestures.d.ts
+++ b/ui/gestures/gestures.d.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ declare module "ui/gestures" {
          * @param target - View which will be watched for originating a specific gesture.
          * @param type - Type of the gesture.
          */
-        observe(target: view.View, type: GestureTypes);
+        observe(target: view.View, type: GestureTypes, thisArg?: any);
 
         /**
          * Disconnects the gesture observer.
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ declare module "ui/gestures" {
      * @param type - Type of the gesture.
      * @param callback - A function that will be executed when a gesture is received.
      */
-    export function observe(target: view.View, type: GestureTypes, callback: (args: GestureEventData) => void): GesturesObserver;
+    export function observe(target: view.View, type: GestureTypes, callback: (args: GestureEventData) => void, thisArg?: any): GesturesObserver;
 
     /**
      * Returns a string representation of a gesture type.
diff --git a/ui/gestures/gestures.ios.ts b/ui/gestures/gestures.ios.ts
index ca4b7a872..d867c28c8 100644
--- a/ui/gestures/gestures.ios.ts
+++ b/ui/gestures/gestures.ios.ts
@@ -16,14 +16,20 @@ class UIGestureRecognizerImpl extends NSObject {
     private _owner: GesturesObserver;
     private _type: any;
     private _callback: Function;
+    private _context: any;
 
-    public initWithOwnerTypeCallback(owner: GesturesObserver, type: any, callback?: Function): UIGestureRecognizerImpl {
+    public initWithOwnerTypeCallback(owner: GesturesObserver, type: any, callback?: Function, thisArg?: any): UIGestureRecognizerImpl {
         this._owner = owner;
         this._type = type;
+
         if (callback) {
             this._callback = callback;
         }
 
+        if (thisArg) {
+            this._context = thisArg;
+        }
+
         return this;
     }
 
@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ class UIGestureRecognizerImpl extends NSObject {
         };
 
         if (callback) {
-            callback(args);
+            callback.call(this._context, args);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -53,6 +59,7 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
     public _callback: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void;
     public _target: view.View;
     private _recognizers: {};
+    private _context: any;
 
     private _onTargetLoaded: (data: observable.EventData) => void;
     private _onTargetUnloaded: (data: observable.EventData) => void;
@@ -62,9 +69,10 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
         this._recognizers = {};
     }
 
-    public observe(target: view.View, type: definition.GestureTypes) {
+    public observe(target: view.View, type: definition.GestureTypes, thisArg?: any) {
         if (target) {
             this._target = target;
+            this._context = thisArg;
             this._onTargetLoaded = args => {
                 trace.write(this._target + ".target loaded. _nativeView:" + this._target._nativeView, "gestures");
                 this._attach(target, type);
@@ -84,7 +92,7 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
 
     }
 
-    private _attach(target: view.View, type: definition.GestureTypes) { 
+    private _attach(target: view.View, type: definition.GestureTypes) {
         trace.write(target + "._attach() _nativeView:" + target._nativeView, "gestures");
         this._dettach();
 
@@ -175,14 +183,14 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
 
     private _executeCallback(args: definition.GestureEventData) {
         if (this._callback) {
-            this._callback(args);
+            this._callback.call(this._context, args);
         }
     }
 
     private _createRecognizer(type: definition.GestureTypes, callback?: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void, swipeDirection?: UISwipeGestureRecognizerDirection): UIGestureRecognizer {
         var recognizer: UIGestureRecognizer;
         var name = definition.toString(type);
-        var target = _createUIGestureRecognizerTarget(this, type, callback);
+        var target = _createUIGestureRecognizerTarget(this, type, callback, this._context);
         var recognizerType = _getUIGestureRecognizerType(type);
 
         if (recognizerType) {
@@ -194,7 +202,7 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
             else {
                 recognizer = recognizerType.alloc().initWithTargetAction(target, "recognize");
             }
-            
+
             if (recognizer) {
                 this._recognizers[name] = <RecognizerCache>{ recognizer: recognizer, target: target };
             }
@@ -204,8 +212,8 @@ export class GesturesObserver implements definition.GesturesObserver {
     }
 }
 
-function _createUIGestureRecognizerTarget(owner: GesturesObserver, type: definition.GestureTypes, callback?: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void): any {
-    return UIGestureRecognizerImpl.new().initWithOwnerTypeCallback(owner, type, callback);
+function _createUIGestureRecognizerTarget(owner: GesturesObserver, type: definition.GestureTypes, callback?: (args: definition.GestureEventData) => void, thisArg?: any): any {
+    return UIGestureRecognizerImpl.new().initWithOwnerTypeCallback(owner, type, callback, thisArg);
 }
 
 interface RecognizerCache {