diff --git a/dist/js/ionic-angular.js b/dist/js/ionic-angular.js
index 8371da0510..dc2f56445a 100644
--- a/dist/js/ionic-angular.js
+++ b/dist/js/ionic-angular.js
@@ -427,7 +427,6 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
   ionic.controllers.SideMenuController.call(this, {
     left: {
       width: 270,
-      isEnabled: true,
       pushDown: function() {
         $scope.leftZIndex = -1;
       },
@@ -437,7 +436,6 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
     },
     right: {
       width: 270,
-      isEnabled: true,
       pushDown: function() {
         $scope.rightZIndex = -1;
       },
@@ -508,9 +506,16 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
     replace: true,
     transclude: true,
     template: '<div class="menu menu-{{side}}"></div>',
-    compile: function(element, attr, transclude, sideMenuCtrl) {
-      return function($scope, $element, $attr) {
+    compile: function(element, attr, transclude) {
+      return function($scope, $element, $attr, sideMenuCtrl) {
         $scope.side = attr.side;
+
+        if($scope.side == 'left') {
+          sideMenuCtrl.left.isEnabled = true;
+        } else if($scope.side == 'right') {
+          sideMenuCtrl.right.isEnabled = true;
+        }
+
         $element.append(transclude($scope));
       };
     }
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
index 4d18e54781..84723eb421 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
   ionic.controllers.SideMenuController.call(this, {
     left: {
       width: 270,
-      isEnabled: true,
       pushDown: function() {
         $scope.leftZIndex = -1;
       },
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
     },
     right: {
       width: 270,
-      isEnabled: true,
       pushDown: function() {
         $scope.rightZIndex = -1;
       },
@@ -89,9 +87,16 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', [])
     replace: true,
     transclude: true,
     template: '<div class="menu menu-{{side}}"></div>',
-    compile: function(element, attr, transclude, sideMenuCtrl) {
-      return function($scope, $element, $attr) {
+    compile: function(element, attr, transclude) {
+      return function($scope, $element, $attr, sideMenuCtrl) {
         $scope.side = attr.side;
+
+        if($scope.side == 'left') {
+          sideMenuCtrl.left.isEnabled = true;
+        } else if($scope.side == 'right') {
+          sideMenuCtrl.right.isEnabled = true;
+        }
+
         $element.append(transclude($scope));
       };
     }
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb6894ed9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/**
+ * Test the side menu directive. For more test coverage of the side menu,
+ * see the core Ionic sideMenu controller tests.
+ */
+describe('Ionic Angular Side Menu', function() {
+  var el;
+
+  beforeEach(module('ionic.ui.sideMenu'));
+
+  beforeEach(inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
+    el = $compile('<div side-menu-ctrl></div>')($rootScope);
+  }));
+
+  it('Should init', function() {
+    var scope = el.scope();
+    expect(scope.sideMenuCtrl).not.toBe(undefined);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/test/sideMenu.html b/js/ext/angular/test/sideMenu.html
index 564db0fea1..5ebdda718e 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/test/sideMenu.html
+++ b/js/ext/angular/test/sideMenu.html
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@
     <!-- Sets initial viewport load and disables zooming  -->
     <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
     <link href="/vendor/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css" rel="stylesheet">
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../../dist/ionic.css">
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../../dist/css/ionic.css">
     <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.2/angular.min.js"></script>
     <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.2/angular-touch.js"></script>
     <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.0-rc.2/angular-animate.js"></script>
   </head>
   <body>
 
-    <side-menu-ctrl>
+    <div side-menu-ctrl>
       <div class="full-section" side-menu-content>
         <header class="bar bar-header bar-dark">
           <a href="#" class="button"><i class="icon-reorder"></i></a>
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
       <menu side="right">
         <h2>Items</h2>
       </menu>
-    </side-menu-ctrl>
-    <script src="../../../../dist/ionic.js"></script>
-    <script src="../src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js"></script>
+    </div>
+    <script src="../../../../dist/js/ionic.js"></script>
+    <script src="../../../../dist/js/ionic-angular.js"></script>
     <script>
       angular.module('sideMenuTest', ['ionic.ui.sideMenu'])
 
diff --git a/test/controllers/sideMenu.html b/test/controllers/sideMenu.html
index a28929f598..b454998b83 100644
--- a/test/controllers/sideMenu.html
+++ b/test/controllers/sideMenu.html
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <!-- Sets initial viewport load and disables zooming  -->
     <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
     <link href="/vendor/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css" rel="stylesheet">
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../dist/ionic.css">
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../dist/css/ionic.css">
   </head>
   <body>
 
@@ -28,10 +28,8 @@
       <h1>RIGHT</h1>
     </section>
 
-    <script src="../../js/events.js"></script>
-    <script src="../../js/gestures.js"></script>
-    <script src="../../js/views/sideMenu.js"></script>
-    <script src="../../js/controllers/sideMenuController.js"></script>
+    <script src="../../../../dist/js/ionic.js"></script>
+    <script src="../../../../dist/js/ionic-angular.js"></script>
     <script>
       var Controller = function(opts) {
         var _this = this;