diff --git a/ionic/components/nav-bar/back-button.js b/ionic/components/nav-bar/back-button.js
index 9794572ffd..20ae62ea0d 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav-bar/back-button.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav-bar/back-button.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class BackButton {
     ev.preventDefault();
 
     let item = this.item;
-    item && item.viewController && item.viewController.pop();
+    item && item.viewCtrl && item.viewCtrl.pop();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav-bar/nav-bar.js b/ionic/components/nav-bar/nav-bar.js
index 06cd40d8c5..699477b6c5 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav-bar/nav-bar.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav-bar/nav-bar.js
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@ import {ElementRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/element_ref';
 import {ProtoViewRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/view_ref';
 import {NgZone} from 'angular2/src/core/zone/ng_zone';
 
-import * as dom from '../../util/dom';
-import {Platform} from 'ionic/platform/platform';
 import {ViewItem} from '../view/view-item';
 import {BackButton} from './back-button';
+import * as dom from '../../util/dom';
 
 
 @Component({
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ import {BackButton} from './back-button';
   lifecycle: [onInit]
 })
 export class Navbar {
-  constructor(item: ViewItem, elementRef:ElementRef, ngZone:NgZone) {
+  constructor(item: ViewItem, elementRef: ElementRef, ngZone: NgZone) {
     this.item = item;
     this.domElement = elementRef.domElement;
     this.zone = ngZone;
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/nav.js b/ionic/components/nav/nav.js
index 55825974f8..e99180537a 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav/nav.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav/nav.js
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ import {ViewController} from '../view/view-controller';
 export class Nav extends ViewController {
 
   constructor(
-    @Optional() viewController: ViewController,
+    @Optional() viewCtrl: ViewController,
     compiler: Compiler,
     elementRef: ElementRef,
     loader: DynamicComponentLoader,
     injector: Injector
   ) {
-    super(viewController, compiler, elementRef, loader, injector);
+    super(viewCtrl, compiler, elementRef, loader, injector);
     this.panes.setAnchor(elementRef);
   }
 
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/pane.js b/ionic/components/nav/pane.js
index 5225219d8a..ab4ac6b7d0 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav/pane.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav/pane.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {Component, Directive, onInit} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
+import {Component, Directive} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
 import {View} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/view';
 import {Parent} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility';
 import {ViewContainerRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/view_container_ref';
@@ -6,15 +6,14 @@ import {ElementRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/element_ref';
 import {bind} from 'angular2/di';
 
 import {ViewController} from '../view/view-controller';
-import {Nav} from './nav';
 import {SwipeHandle} from './swipe-handle';
 import {ModeComponent} from '../../config/component';
 
 
 export class PaneController {
-  constructor(viewController: ViewController) {
+  constructor(viewCtrl: ViewController) {
     this.panes = {};
-    this.viewController = viewController;
+    this.viewCtrl = viewCtrl;
   }
 
   get(itemStructure, callback) {
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ export class PaneController {
     // Tabs and view's without a navbar would get a different Panes
 
     let key = itemStructure.key;
-    let viewController = this.viewController;
+    let viewCtrl = this.viewCtrl;
     let pane = this.panes[key];
 
     if (pane) {
@@ -34,13 +33,13 @@ export class PaneController {
       // create a new nav pane
       this.panes[key] = null;
 
-      let injector = viewController.injector.resolveAndCreateChild([
-        bind(ViewController).toValue(viewController)
+      let injector = viewCtrl.injector.resolveAndCreateChild([
+        bind(ViewController).toValue(viewCtrl)
       ]);
 
       // add a Pane element
       // when the Pane is added, it'll also add its reference to the panes object
-      viewController.loader.loadNextToExistingLocation(Pane, this.anchor, injector).then(() => {
+      viewCtrl.loader.loadNextToExistingLocation(Pane, this.anchor, injector).then(() => {
 
         // get the pane reference by name
         pane = this.panes[key];
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ export class PaneController {
           // as each section is compiled and added to the Pane
           // the section will add a reference to itself in the Pane's sections object
           promises.push(
-            viewController.loader.loadNextToExistingLocation(SectionClass, sectionAnchorElementRef)
+            viewCtrl.loader.loadNextToExistingLocation(SectionClass, sectionAnchorElementRef)
           );
         });
 
@@ -88,7 +87,6 @@ export class PaneController {
         return;
       }
     }
-    this.panes['_n'] = pane;
   }
 
 }
@@ -108,13 +106,8 @@ export class PaneController {
   directives: [PaneAnchor, PaneContentAnchor, SwipeHandle]
 })
 class Pane {
-  constructor(@Parent() nav: Nav, viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef) {
-    this.sections = {};
-    nav.panes.add(this);
-  }
-
-  addSection(sectionName, instance) {
-    this.sections[sectionName] = instance;
+  constructor(viewCtrl: ViewController) {
+    viewCtrl.panes.add(this);
   }
 }
 
@@ -152,7 +145,7 @@ class NavBarContainer {}
   selector: 'template[navbar-anchor]'
 })
 class NavBarAnchor {
-  constructor(viewController: ViewController, viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef) {
-    viewController.navbarViewContainer(viewContainerRef);
+  constructor(viewCtrl: ViewController, viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef) {
+    viewCtrl.navbarViewContainer(viewContainerRef);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/swipe-handle.js b/ionic/components/nav/swipe-handle.js
index 52534b7b36..a4054ce0ee 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav/swipe-handle.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav/swipe-handle.js
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ import {Gesture} from 'ionic/gestures/gesture';
 })
 export class SwipeHandle {
   constructor(
-    @Optional() viewController: ViewController,
+    @Optional() viewCtrl: ViewController,
     elementRef: ElementRef
   ) {
-    if (!viewController) return;
+    if (!viewCtrl) return;
 
-    this.viewController = viewController;
+    this.viewCtrl = viewCtrl;
 
     let gesture = new Gesture(elementRef.domElement);
     gesture.listen();
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export class SwipeHandle {
         }
       }
 
-      viewController.swipeBackEnd(completeSwipeBack, progress, playbackRate);
+      viewCtrl.swipeBackEnd(completeSwipeBack, progress, playbackRate);
 
       startX = null;
     }
@@ -73,18 +73,18 @@ export class SwipeHandle {
         ev.stopPropagation();
 
         startX = ev.gesture.center.x;
-        swipeableAreaWidth = viewController.width() - startX;
+        swipeableAreaWidth = viewCtrl.width() - startX;
 
-        viewController.swipeBackStart();
+        viewCtrl.swipeBackStart();
       }
 
-      viewController.swipeBackProgress( (ev.gesture.center.x - startX) / swipeableAreaWidth );
+      viewCtrl.swipeBackProgress( (ev.gesture.center.x - startX) / swipeableAreaWidth );
     }
 
   }
 
   showHandle() {
-    return (this.viewController ? this.viewController.swipeBackEnabled() : false);
+    return (this.viewCtrl ? this.viewCtrl.swipeBackEnabled() : false);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/tab.js b/ionic/components/tabs/tab.js
index f2fbfc4b9c..5df4ed97e1 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/tab.js
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/tab.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import {ElementRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/element_ref';
 import {Compiler} from 'angular2/angular2';
 import {DynamicComponentLoader} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/dynamic_component_loader';
 import {Injector} from 'angular2/di';
-import {ViewContainerRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/view_container_ref';
 
 import {ViewController} from '../view/view-controller';
 import {Tabs} from './tabs';
@@ -34,10 +33,10 @@ import {IonicComponent} from '../../config/component';
 })
 @View({
   template: `
-    <template content-anchor></template>
+    <template pane-anchor></template>
     <content></content>
   `,
-  directives: [TabContentAnchor]
+  directives: [TabPaneAnchor]
 })
 export class Tab extends ViewController {
 
@@ -46,17 +45,21 @@ export class Tab extends ViewController {
     compiler: Compiler,
     elementRef: ElementRef,
     loader: DynamicComponentLoader,
-    injector: Injector,
-    viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef
+    injector: Injector
   ) {
-
+    // A Tab is both a container of many views, and is a view itself.
+    // A Tab is one ViewItem within it's parent Tabs (which extends ViewController)
+    // A Tab is a ViewController for its child ViewItems
     super(tabs, compiler, elementRef, loader, injector);
     this.tabs = tabs;
 
+    // the navbar is already provided by the container of Tabs, which contains Tab
+    // Views which come into this Tab should not create their own navbar, but use the parent's
+    this.parentNavbar(true);
+
     let item = this.item = new ViewItem(tabs.parent);
     item.setInstance(this);
     item.setViewElement(elementRef.domElement);
-    this.panes.add(this)
     tabs.addTab(this.item);
 
     this.panelId = 'tab-panel-' + item.id;
@@ -93,10 +96,10 @@ export class Tab extends ViewController {
 
 
 @Directive({
-  selector: 'template[content-anchor]'
+  selector: 'template[pane-anchor]'
 })
-class TabContentAnchor {
-  constructor(@Parent() tab: Tab, viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef) {
-    tab.contentContainerRef = viewContainerRef;
+class TabPaneAnchor {
+  constructor(@Parent() tab: Tab, elementRef: ElementRef) {
+    tab.panes.setAnchor(elementRef);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.js b/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.js
index 514de71b16..1d082d89b2 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.js
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/tabs.js
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
-import {Ancestor, Parent} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility';
 import {Optional} from 'angular2/src/di/annotations_impl'
-import {Directive, Component} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
+import {Component} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
 import {View} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/view';
 import {ElementRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/element_ref';
 import {Compiler} from 'angular2/angular2';
 import {DynamicComponentLoader} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/dynamic_component_loader';
 import {Injector} from 'angular2/di';
 import {NgFor} from 'angular2/angular2';
-import {ViewContainerRef} from 'angular2/src/core/compiler/view_container_ref';
 
 import {ViewController} from '../view/view-controller';
 import {ViewItem} from '../view/view-item';
@@ -44,14 +42,14 @@ import {ModeComponent} from '../../config/component';
 export class Tabs extends ViewController {
 
   constructor(
-    @Optional() viewController: ViewController,
+    @Optional() viewCtrl: ViewController,
     @Optional() item: ViewItem,
     compiler: Compiler,
     elementRef: ElementRef,
     loader: DynamicComponentLoader,
     injector: Injector
   ) {
-    super(viewController, compiler, elementRef, loader, injector);
+    super(viewCtrl, compiler, elementRef, loader, injector);
     this.item = item;
   }
 
diff --git a/ionic/components/view/view-controller.js b/ionic/components/view/view-controller.js
index 28853d2d11..89f1b6efd1 100644
--- a/ionic/components/view/view-controller.js
+++ b/ionic/components/view/view-controller.js
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ import * as util from 'ionic/util';
 export class ViewController {
 
   constructor(
-    parent: ViewController,
+    parentViewCtrl: ViewController,
     compiler: Compiler,
     elementRef: ElementRef,
     loader: DynamicComponentLoader,
     injector: Injector
   ) {
 
-    this.parent = parent;
+    this.parent = parentViewCtrl;
     this.compiler = compiler;
     this.elementRef = elementRef;
     this.loader = loader;
@@ -420,6 +420,13 @@ export class ViewController {
     }
   }
 
+  parentNavbar() {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._parentNavbar = arguments[0];
+    }
+    return this._parentNavbar;
+  }
+
   add(item) {
     item.id = this.id + '' + (++this.childIds);
     this.items.push(item);
diff --git a/ionic/components/view/view-item.js b/ionic/components/view/view-item.js
index b9287945ff..159824d4cb 100644
--- a/ionic/components/view/view-item.js
+++ b/ionic/components/view/view-item.js
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import {NavParams} from '../nav/nav-params';
 
 export class ViewItem {
 
-  constructor(viewController, ComponentClass, params = {}) {
-    this.viewController = viewController;
+  constructor(viewCtrl, ComponentClass, params = {}) {
+    this.viewCtrl = viewCtrl;
     this.ComponentClass = ComponentClass;
     this.params = new NavParams(params);
     this.instance = null;
@@ -31,45 +31,47 @@ export class ViewItem {
   }
 
   stage(callback) {
-    let viewController = this.viewController;
+    let viewCtrl = this.viewCtrl;
 
     // update if it's possible to go back from this nav item
-    this.enableBack = viewController && !!viewController.getPrevious(this);
+    this.enableBack = viewCtrl && !!viewCtrl.getPrevious(this);
 
-    if (this.instance || !viewController) {
+    if (this.instance || !viewCtrl) {
       // already compiled this view
       return callback();
     }
 
     // compile the Component
-    viewController.compiler.compileInHost(this.ComponentClass).then(componentProtoViewRef => {
+    viewCtrl.compiler.compileInHost(this.ComponentClass).then(componentProtoViewRef => {
 
       // figure out the sturcture of this Component
       // does it have a navbar? Is it tabs? Should it not have a navbar or any toolbars?
-      let itemStructure = getProtoViewStructure(componentProtoViewRef);
+      let itemStructure = this.sturcture = this.getProtoViewStructure(componentProtoViewRef);
+      console.log('Pane itemStructure', itemStructure.key);
 
       // get the appropriate Pane which this ViewItem will fit into
-      viewController.panes.get(itemStructure, pane => {
+      viewCtrl.panes.get(itemStructure, pane => {
 
         // create a new injector just for this ViewItem
-        let injector = viewController.injector.resolveAndCreateChild([
-          bind(ViewController).toValue(viewController),
-          bind(NavController).toValue(viewController.navCtrl),
+        let injector = viewCtrl.injector.resolveAndCreateChild([
+          bind(ViewController).toValue(viewCtrl),
+          bind(NavController).toValue(viewCtrl.navCtrl),
           bind(NavParams).toValue(this.params),
           bind(ViewItem).toValue(this)
         ]);
 
         // add the content of the view to the content area
-        let viewContainer = pane.contentContainerRef;
-        let hostViewRef = viewContainer.create(componentProtoViewRef, -1, null, injector);
+        // it will already have the correct context
+        let contentContainer = pane.contentContainerRef;
+        let hostViewRef = contentContainer.create(componentProtoViewRef, -1, null, injector);
 
-        let newLocation = new ElementRef(hostViewRef, 0);
-
-        this.setInstance( viewController.loader._viewManager.getComponent(newLocation) );
+        // get the component's instance, and set it to the this ViewItem
+        this.setInstance( viewCtrl.loader._viewManager.getComponent(new ElementRef(hostViewRef, 0)) );
         this.setViewElement( hostViewRef._view.render._view.rootNodes[0] );
 
+        // remember how to dispose of this reference
         this.disposals.push(() => {
-          viewContainer.remove( viewContainer.indexOf(hostViewRef) );
+          contentContainer.remove( contentContainer.indexOf(hostViewRef) );
         });
 
         // get the view's context so when creating the navbar
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ export class ViewItem {
         };
 
         // get the item container's nav bar
-        let navbarViewContainer = viewController.navbarViewContainer();
+        let navbarViewContainer = viewCtrl.navbarViewContainer();
 
         // get the item's navbar protoview
         let navbarProtoView = this.protos.navbar;
@@ -113,6 +115,47 @@ export class ViewItem {
     });
   }
 
+
+  getProtoViewStructure(componentProtoViewRef) {
+    let navbar = false;
+    let tabs = false;
+    let toolbars = [];
+    let key = '';
+
+    componentProtoViewRef._protoView.elementBinders.forEach(rootElementBinder => {
+      if (!rootElementBinder.componentDirective || !rootElementBinder.nestedProtoView) return;
+
+      rootElementBinder.nestedProtoView.elementBinders.forEach(nestedElementBinder => {
+        if ( isComponent(nestedElementBinder, 'Tabs') ) {
+          navbar = true;
+        }
+        if (!nestedElementBinder.componentDirective && nestedElementBinder.nestedProtoView) {
+          nestedElementBinder.nestedProtoView.elementBinders.forEach(templatedElementBinder => {
+            if ( isComponent(templatedElementBinder, 'Navbar') ) {
+              navbar = true;
+            }
+          });
+        }
+      });
+    });
+console.log('getProtoViewStructure')
+
+    if (this.viewCtrl.parentNavbar()) {
+      navbar = false;
+    }
+
+    if (navbar) key += 'n'
+    if (tabs) key += 't'
+    key += 'b' + toolbars.length;
+
+    return {
+      navbar,
+      tabs,
+      toolbars,
+      key
+    };
+  }
+
   waitForResolve() {
     this._wait = true;
   }
@@ -269,36 +312,6 @@ export class ViewItem {
 
 }
 
-
-function getProtoViewStructure(componentProtoViewRef) {
-  let navbar = true;
-  let tabs = false;
-  let toolbars = [];
-  let key = '_';
-
-  // componentProtoViewRef._protoView.elementBinders.forEach(rootElementBinder => {
-  //   if (!rootElementBinder.componentDirective || !rootElementBinder.nestedProtoView) return;
-
-  //   rootElementBinder.nestedProtoView.elementBinders.forEach(nestedElementBinder => {
-  //     let componentDirective = nestedElementBinder.componentDirective;
-  //     if (componentDirective && componentDirective.metadata.id == 'Tab') {
-  //       navbar = tabs = true;
-  //     }
-  //   });
-  // });
-
-  if (navbar) {
-    key += 'n'
-  }
-
-  if (toolbars.length) {
-    key += 'b' + toolbars.length;
-  }
-
-  return {
-    navbar: navbar,
-    tabs: tabs,
-    toolbars: toolbars,
-    key: key
-  };
+function isComponent(elementBinder, id) {
+  return (elementBinder && elementBinder.componentDirective && elementBinder.componentDirective.metadata.id == id);
 }