diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/controller/ionicScrollController.js b/js/ext/angular/src/controller/ionicScrollController.js
index 7cb3780523..c395df3749 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/controller/ionicScrollController.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/controller/ionicScrollController.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function($scope, scrollViewOptions, $timeout, $window, $$scrollValueCache, $loca
     .data('$$ionicScrollController', this);
 
   $parse(scrollViewOptions.controllerBind || '$ionicScrollController')
-    .assign($scope.$parent, this);
+    .assign($scope.$parent || $scope, this);
 
   if (!angular.isDefined(scrollViewOptions.bouncing)) {
     ionic.Platform.ready(function() {
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
index 48d53db217..db5e287837 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
@@ -124,12 +124,13 @@ function barDirective(isHeader) {
             alignTitle: $attr.alignTitle || 'center'
           });
 
+          var el = $element[0];
+          //just incase header is on rootscope
+          var parentScope = $scope.$parent || $scope;
+
           $parse($attr.controllerBind ||
             (isHeader ? '$ionicHeaderBarController' : '$ionicFooterBarController')
-          ).assign($scope, hb);
-
-          var el = $element[0];
-          var parentScope = $scope.$parent || $scope; //just incase header is on rootscope
+          ).assign(parentScope, hb);
 
           if (isHeader) {
             $scope.$watch(function() { return el.className; }, function(value) {
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
index d46e9ae1af..f666b1a335 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', ['ionic.service.gesture', 'ionic.service.vie
 
       $scope.sideMenuContentTranslateX = 0;
 
-      $parse($attrs.controllerBind || '$ionicSideMenusController').assign($scope, this);
+      $parse($attrs.controllerBind || '$ionicSideMenusController')
+        .assign($scope.$parent || $scope, this);
     }],
     replace: true,
     transclude: true,
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
index cd325551eb..acb83e575a 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ describe('Ionic Angular Side Menu', function() {
   }));
 
   it('should assign sideMenuController with option', inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
-    var el = $compile('<ion-side-menus controller-bind="supermodel"></ion-side-menus>')($rootScope);
+    var el = $compile('<ion-side-menus controller-bind="supermodel"></ion-side-menus>')($rootScope.$new());
     var scope = el.scope();
     expect(el.controller('ionSideMenus')).toBeDefined();
-    expect(scope.supermodel).toBe(el.controller('ionSideMenus'));
+    expect(scope.$parent.supermodel).toBe(el.controller('ionSideMenus'));
   }));
 
   it('should init with custom model attr', function() {