diff --git a/js/angular/controller/navBarController.js b/js/angular/controller/navBarController.js
index 618c6a2ca3..a08f566f93 100644
--- a/js/angular/controller/navBarController.js
+++ b/js/angular/controller/navBarController.js
@@ -25,10 +25,9 @@ function($scope, $element, $attrs, $ionicViewService, $animate, $compile, $ionic
     $element[0].querySelector('.buttons.right-buttons')
   );
 
-  this.back = function(e) {
+  this.back = function() {
     var backView = $ionicViewService.getBackView();
     backView && backView.go();
-    e && (e.alreadyHandled = true);
     return false;
   };
 
diff --git a/js/angular/directive/navBackButton.js b/js/angular/directive/navBackButton.js
index 12eba0a7ce..1f3b365c79 100644
--- a/js/angular/directive/navBackButton.js
+++ b/js/angular/directive/navBackButton.js
@@ -65,10 +65,9 @@ IonicModule
   '$animate',
   '$rootScope',
   '$sanitize',
-
   '$ionicNavBarConfig',
-
-function($animate, $rootScope, $sanitize, $ionicNavBarConfig) {
+  '$ionicNgClick',
+function($animate, $rootScope, $sanitize, $ionicNavBarConfig, $ionicNgClick) {
   var backIsShown = false;
   //If the current viewstate does not allow a back button,
   //always hide it.
@@ -80,23 +79,19 @@ function($animate, $rootScope, $sanitize, $ionicNavBarConfig) {
     require: '^ionNavBar',
     compile: function(tElement, tAttrs) {
       tElement.addClass('button back-button ng-hide');
-      
+
       return function($scope, $element, $attr, navBarCtrl) {
-        console.log($attr.textFromTitle);
 
         // Add a default back button icon based on the nav config, unless one is set
         if($element[0].className.indexOf('ion-') < 0) {
           $element.addClass($ionicNavBarConfig.backButtonIcon);
         }
 
-        if (!$attr.ngClick) {
-          $scope.$navBack = navBarCtrl.back;
-          $element.on('click', function(event){
-            $scope.$apply(function() {
-              $scope.$navBack(event);
-            });
-          });
+        //Default to ngClick going back, but don't override a custom one
+        if (!isDefined($attr.ngClick)) {
+          $ionicNgClick($scope, $element, navBarCtrl.back);
         }
+
         //Make sure both that a backButton is allowed in the first place,
         //and that it is shown by the current view.
         $scope.$watch(function() {
diff --git a/js/angular/directive/ngClick.js b/js/angular/directive/ngClick.js
index c29ede8609..56951ae3d0 100644
--- a/js/angular/directive/ngClick.js
+++ b/js/angular/directive/ngClick.js
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ IonicModule
  */
 .factory('$ionicNgClick', ['$parse', function($parse) {
   return function(scope, element, clickExpr) {
-    var clickHandler = $parse(clickExpr);
+    var clickHandler = angular.isFunction(clickExpr) ?
+      clickExpr :
+      $parse(clickExpr);
 
     element.on('click', function(event) {
       scope.$apply(function() {
diff --git a/test/html/list-simple.html b/test/html/list-simple.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
index b6958c8f6c..1189358fb4 100644
--- a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
+++ b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 describe('ionNavBackButton directive', function() {
   beforeEach(module('ionic'));
 
@@ -62,11 +61,11 @@ describe('ionNavBackButton directive', function() {
     expect(el.children().eq(0)[0].tagName.toLowerCase()).toBe('b');
   });
 
-  it('should $navBack on click by default', function() {
+  it('should go back on click by default', function() {
     var el = setup();
-    el.scope().$navBack = jasmine.createSpy('$navBack');
+    expect(el.controller('ionNavBar').back).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     el.triggerHandler('click');
-    expect(el.scope().$navBack).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(el.controller('ionNavBar').back).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it('should do ngClick expression if defined', function() {
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ describe('ionNavBackButton directive', function() {
 
 
   describe('ionNavBackButton directive: Platforms', function() {
-    describe('ionNavBackButton directive: iOS Platform', function() { 
+    describe('ionNavBackButton directive: iOS Platform', function() {
       beforeEach(function($provide) {
         TestUtil.setPlatform('ios');
       });
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBar.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBar.unit.js
index fba07817e8..0cfebca6a6 100644
--- a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBar.unit.js
+++ b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBar.unit.js
@@ -49,11 +49,9 @@ describe('ionNavBar', function() {
 
     it('should go back', inject(function($ionicViewService) {
       var ctrl = setup();
-      var e = { alreadyHandled: false };
-      ctrl.back(e);
+      ctrl.back();
       expect($ionicViewService.getBackView).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(backView.go).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(e.alreadyHandled).toBe(true);
     }));
 
     it('should align', function() {
@@ -308,7 +306,7 @@ describe('ionNavBar', function() {
     describe('iOS', function() {
       beforeEach(module('ionic', function($provide) {
         TestUtil.setPlatform('ios');
-        $provide.constant('$ionicNavBarConfig', { 
+        $provide.constant('$ionicNavBarConfig', {
           alignTitle: 'center',
           transition: 'nav-title-slide-ios7',
           backButtonIcon: 'ion-ios7-arrow-back'
@@ -330,7 +328,7 @@ describe('ionNavBar', function() {
     describe('Android', function() {
       beforeEach(module('ionic', function($provide) {
         TestUtil.setPlatform('android');
-        $provide.constant('$ionicNavBarConfig', { 
+        $provide.constant('$ionicNavBarConfig', {
           alignTitle: 'left',
           transition: 'no-animation',
           backButtonIcon: 'ion-android-back'