diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/nav-controller.ts b/ionic/components/nav/nav-controller.ts
index 0dde99b465..c2574cc07c 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav/nav-controller.ts
+++ b/ionic/components/nav/nav-controller.ts
@@ -316,9 +316,16 @@ export class NavController extends Ion {
    * @returns {Promise} Returns a promise, which resolves when the transition has completed
    */
   present(enteringView, opts={}) {
-    let rootNav = this.rootNav;
+    let nav = this.rootNav;
 
-    enteringView.setNav(rootNav);
+    if (nav._tabs) {
+      // TODO: must have until this goes in
+      // https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/5481
+      console.error('A parent <ion-nav> is required for ActionSheet/Alert/Modal');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    enteringView.setNav(nav);
 
     let resolve;
     let promise = new Promise(res => { resolve = res; });
@@ -339,7 +346,7 @@ export class NavController extends Ion {
     });
 
     // the active view is going to be the leaving one (if one exists)
-    let leavingView = rootNav.getActive() || new ViewController();
+    let leavingView = nav.getActive() || new ViewController();
     leavingView.shouldCache = (isBoolean(opts.cacheLeavingView) ? opts.cacheLeavingView : true);
     leavingView.shouldDestroy = !leavingView.shouldCache;
     if (leavingView.shouldDestroy) {
@@ -347,10 +354,10 @@ export class NavController extends Ion {
     }
 
     // add the view to the stack
-    rootNav._add(enteringView);
+    nav._add(enteringView);
 
     // start the transition
-    rootNav._transition(enteringView, leavingView, opts, resolve);
+    nav._transition(enteringView, leavingView, opts, resolve);
 
     return promise;
   }
diff --git a/ionic/components/tabs/test/basic/index.ts b/ionic/components/tabs/test/basic/index.ts
index d1357ef7ca..82628beee0 100644
--- a/ionic/components/tabs/test/basic/index.ts
+++ b/ionic/components/tabs/test/basic/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-  import {App, Page, NavController} from 'ionic/ionic';
+  import {App, Page, NavController, Alert} from 'ionic/ionic';
 
 //
 // Tab 1
@@ -78,10 +78,25 @@ class Tab2 {
     </ion-navbar>
     <ion-content padding>
       <h2>Tab 3</h2>
+      <p>
+        <button (click)="presentAlert()">Present Alert</button>
+      </p>
     </ion-content>
     `
 })
-class Tab3 {}
+class Tab3 {
+  constructor(nav: NavController) {
+    this.nav = nav;
+  }
+
+  presentAlert() {
+    let alert = Alert.create({
+      title: 'Alert Title!',
+      buttons: ['Dismiss']
+    });
+    this.nav.present(alert);
+  }
+}
 
 
 @App({