diff --git a/js/ext/angular/test/service/ionicActivator.unit.js b/js/ext/angular/test/service/ionicActivator.unit.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33ce8dd2ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/ext/angular/test/service/ionicActivator.unit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+describe('Ionic Element Activator', function() {
+
+  window.setTimeout = ionic.requestAnimationFrame = function(cb) { cb(); };
+
+  it('Should activate an <a>', function() {
+    var e = { target: document.createElement('a') };
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(e.target.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate a <button>', function() {
+    var e = { target: document.createElement('button') };
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(e.target.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate an element with ng-click', function() {
+    var e = { target: document.createElement('div') };
+    e.target.setAttribute('ng-click', 'test()');
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(e.target.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate a .button', function() {
+    var e = { target: document.createElement('div') };
+    e.target.className = 'button';
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(e.target.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+  });
+
+  it('Should not activate just .item', function() {
+    var e = { target: document.createElement('div') };
+    e.target.className = 'item';
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(e.target.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate .item with a child "a"', function() {
+    var itemEle = document.createElement('div');
+    itemEle.className = 'item';
+
+    var aEle = document.createElement('a');
+    itemEle.appendChild(aEle);
+
+    var e = { target: aEle };
+
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(itemEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+    expect(aEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate .item with a child "div.item-content a"', function() {
+    var itemEle = document.createElement('div');
+    itemEle.className = 'item';
+
+    var itemContentEle = document.createElement('div');
+    itemContentEle.className = 'item-content';
+    itemEle.appendChild(itemContentEle);
+
+    var aEle = document.createElement('a');
+    itemContentEle.appendChild(aEle);
+
+    var e = { target: aEle };
+
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(itemEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+    expect(itemContentEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+    expect(aEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('Should activate .item with a child "div.item-content div[ng-click]"', function() {
+    var itemEle = document.createElement('div');
+    itemEle.className = 'item';
+
+    var itemContentEle = document.createElement('div');
+    itemContentEle.className = 'item-content';
+    itemEle.appendChild(itemContentEle);
+
+    var divEle = document.createElement('div');
+    divEle.setAttribute('ng-click', 'test()');
+    itemContentEle.appendChild(divEle);
+
+    var e = { target: divEle };
+
+    ionic.activator.start(e);
+    expect(itemEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(true);
+    expect(itemContentEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+    expect(divEle.classList.contains('active')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/js/utils/activator.js b/js/utils/activator.js
index a9891d0a83..3dd17168e4 100644
--- a/js/utils/activator.js
+++ b/js/utils/activator.js
@@ -5,18 +5,34 @@
   var activeElements = {};  // elements that are currently active
   var keyId = 0;            // a counter for unique keys for the above ojects
 
-  function onStart(e) {
-    // when an element is touched/clicked, it climbs up a few
-    // parents to see if it is an .item or .button element
+  ionic.activator = {
 
-    ionic.requestAnimationFrame(function(){
-      var x, ele = e.target;
-      for(x=0; x<5; x++) {
-        if(!ele || ele.tagName === 'LABEL') break;
-        if( ele.classList.contains('item') || ele.classList.contains('button') ) {
+    start: function(e) {
+      // when an element is touched/clicked, it climbs up a few
+      // parents to see if it is an .item or .button element
+      ionic.requestAnimationFrame(function(){
+        var ele = e.target;
+        var eleToActivate;
 
+        for(var x=0; x<4; x++) {
+          if(!ele) break;
+          if(eleToActivate && ele.classList.contains('item')) {
+            eleToActivate = ele;
+            break;
+          }
+          if( ele.tagName == 'A' || ele.tagName == 'BUTTON' || ele.getAttribute('ng-click') ) {
+            eleToActivate = ele;
+          }
+          if( ele.classList.contains('button') ) {
+            eleToActivate = ele;
+            break;
+          }
+          ele = ele.parentElement;
+        }
+
+        if(eleToActivate) {
           // queue that this element should be set to active
-          queueElements[keyId] = ele;
+          queueElements[keyId] = eleToActivate;
 
           // in XX milliseconds, set the queued elements to active
           // add listeners to clear all queued/active elements onMove
@@ -29,12 +45,11 @@
           }
 
           keyId = (keyId > 19 ? 0 : keyId + 1);
-          break;
         }
-        ele = ele.parentElement;
-      }
-    });
-  }
+
+      });
+    }
+  };
 
   function activateElements() {
     // activate all elements in the queue
@@ -76,8 +91,8 @@
   // use window.onload because this doesn't need to run immediately
   window.addEventListener('load', function(){
     // start an active element
-    document.body.addEventListener('touchstart', onStart, false);
-    document.body.addEventListener('mousedown', onStart, false);
+    document.body.addEventListener('touchstart', ionic.activator.start, false);
+    document.body.addEventListener('mousedown', ionic.activator.start, false);
 
     // clear all active elements after XX milliseconds
     document.body.addEventListener('touchend', onEnd, false);