diff --git a/js/angular/directive/gesture.js b/js/angular/directive/gesture.js
index 638fdb4be2..0e0e05c6f9 100644
--- a/js/angular/directive/gesture.js
+++ b/js/angular/directive/gesture.js
@@ -239,26 +239,22 @@ function gestureDirective(directiveName) {
   return ['$ionicGesture', '$parse', function($ionicGesture, $parse) {
     var eventType = directiveName.substr(2).toLowerCase();
 
-    return {
-      restrict: 'A',
-      compile: function($element, attr) {
-        var fn = $parse( attr[directiveName] );
+    return function(scope, element, attr) {
+      var fn = $parse( attr[directiveName] );
 
-        return function(scope, element, attr) {
-
-          var listener = function(ev) {
-            scope.$apply(function() {
-              fn(scope, {$event:event});
-            });
-          };
-
-          var gesture = $ionicGesture.on(eventType, listener, $element);
-
-          scope.$on('$destroy', function() {
-            $ionicGesture.off(gesture, eventType, listener);
+      var listener = function(ev) {
+        scope.$apply(function() {
+          fn(scope, {
+            $event: ev
           });
-        };
-      }
+        });
+      };
+
+      var gesture = $ionicGesture.on(eventType, listener, element);
+
+      scope.$on('$destroy', function() {
+        $ionicGesture.off(gesture, eventType, listener);
+      });
     };
   }];
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/gesture.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/gesture.unit.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d266dfb44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/angular/directive/gesture.unit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+describe('gesture directive', function() {
+  beforeEach(module('ionic'));
+
+  'onHold onTap onTouch onRelease onDrag onDragUp onDragRight onDragDown onDragLeft onSwipe onSwipeUp onSwipeRight onSwipeBottom onSwipeLeft'
+  .split(' ')
+  .map(function(directiveName) {
+    return {
+      gestureName: directiveName.substr(2).toLowerCase(),
+      directiveName: directiveName,
+      htmlName: directiveName.replace(/[A-Z]/g, function(match, i) {
+        return '-' + match.toLowerCase();
+      })
+    };
+  })
+  .forEach(function(directive){ 
+    it('should compile', inject(function($compile, $rootScope, $ionicGesture) {
+      var fakeGesture = {};
+      spyOn($ionicGesture, 'on').andCallFake(function(eventType, listener, el) {
+        callback = listener;
+        return fakeGesture;
+      });
+      spyOn($ionicGesture, 'off');
+      var el = $compile('<div ' + directive.htmlName + '="foo(1, $event)">')($rootScope.$new());
+      $rootScope.$apply();
+
+      el.scope().foo = jasmine.createSpy('foo');
+      
+      expect($ionicGesture.on.mostRecentCall.args[0]).toBe(directive.gestureName);
+      var event = {};
+      callback(event);
+      expect(el.scope().foo).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, event);
+      el.scope().$destroy();
+      expect($ionicGesture.off).toHaveBeenCalledWith(fakeGesture, directive.gestureName, callback);
+    }));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/gestures.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/gestures.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2..0000000000