diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 3d46118d7e..cc2c453ebb 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ gulp.task('watch', function() {
     'serve',
 
     function() {
-      watch(['ionic/**/*.js', 'ionic/components/*/test/**/*'], function() {
+      watch(['ionic/**/*.js', '!ionic/components/*/test/**/*'], function() {
         runSequence(
           'transpile',
           'bundle.js',
diff --git a/ionic/components/app/app.js b/ionic/components/app/app.js
index a58f508622..e32724543d 100644
--- a/ionic/components/app/app.js
+++ b/ionic/components/app/app.js
@@ -43,67 +43,6 @@ export class IonicApp {
     return this._config;
   }
 
-  url(val) {
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      this._url = val;
-      this._qs = util.getQuerystring(val);
-    }
-    return this._url;
-  }
-
-  query(key) {
-    return (this._qs || {})[key];
-  }
-
-  userAgent(val) {
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      this._ua = val;
-    }
-    return this._ua;
-  }
-
-  matchQuery(queryValue) {
-    let val = this.query('ionicplatform');
-    if (val) {
-      let valueSplit = val.toLowerCase().split(';');
-      for (let i = 0; i < valueSplit.length; i++) {
-        if (valueSplit[i] == queryValue) {
-          return true;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  matchUserAgent(userAgentExpression) {
-    if (this._ua) {
-      let rx = new RegExp(userAgentExpression, 'i');
-      return rx.exec(this._ua);
-    }
-  }
-
-  isPlatform(queryValue, userAgentExpression) {
-    if (!userAgentExpression) {
-      userAgentExpression = queryValue;
-    }
-    return (this.matchQuery(queryValue)) ||
-           (this.matchUserAgent(userAgentExpression) !== null);
-  }
-
-  width(val) {
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      this._w = val;
-    }
-    return this._w || 0;
-  }
-
-  height(val) {
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      this._h = val;
-    }
-    return this._h || 0;
-  }
-
   /**
    * Create and append the given component into the root
    * element of the app.
@@ -154,13 +93,27 @@ export class IonicApp {
     return this._ref;
   }
 
-  applyCss(platform, config) {
-    let className = document.body.className;
+  applyCss(bodyEle, platform, config) {
+    let className = bodyEle.className;
     platform.platforms().forEach(platformName => {
       className += ' platform-' + platformName;
     });
     className += ' mode-' + config.setting('mode');
-    document.body.className = className.trim();
+    bodyEle.className = className.trim();
+  }
+
+  isRTL(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._rtl = val;
+    }
+    return this._rtl;
+  }
+
+  lang(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._lang = val;
+    }
+    return this._lang;
   }
 
 }
@@ -168,24 +121,24 @@ export class IonicApp {
 export function ionicBootstrap(ComponentType, config) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     try {
-      let app = new IonicApp();
-      app.url(window.location.href);
-      app.userAgent(window.navigator.userAgent);
-      app.width(window.innerWidth);
-      app.height(window.innerHeight);
-
-      let platform = Platform.load(app);
+      // create the base IonicApp
+      let app = initApp(window, document)
 
+      // get the user config, or create one if wasn't passed in
       config = config || new IonicConfig();
 
       // copy default platform settings into the user config platform settings
       // user config platform settings should override default platform settings
-      config.setPlatform(platform);
-
-      app.applyCss(platform, config)
+      config.setPlatform(Platform);
 
+      // make the config global
       GlobalIonicConfig = config;
 
+      // config and platform settings have been figured out
+      // apply the correct CSS to the app
+      app.applyCss(document.body, Platform, config)
+
+      // add injectables that will be available to all child components
       let injectableBindings = [
         bind(IonicApp).toValue(app),
         bind(IonicConfig).toValue(config)
@@ -193,14 +146,7 @@ export function ionicBootstrap(ComponentType, config) {
 
       bootstrap(ComponentType, injectableBindings).then(appRef => {
         app.ref(appRef);
-
-        platform.run();
-
-        resolve({
-          app,
-          config,
-          platform
-        });
+        resolve(app);
 
       }).catch(err => {
         console.error('ionicBootstrap', err);
@@ -214,6 +160,23 @@ export function ionicBootstrap(ComponentType, config) {
   });
 }
 
+function initApp(window, document) {
+  // create the base IonicApp
+  let app = new IonicApp();
+  app.isRTL(document.documentElement.getAttribute('dir') == 'rtl');
+  app.lang(document.documentElement.getAttribute('lang'));
+
+  // load all platform data
+  // Platform is a global singleton
+  Platform.url(window.location.href);
+  Platform.userAgent(window.navigator.userAgent);
+  Platform.width(window.innerWidth);
+  Platform.height(window.innerHeight);
+  Platform.load();
+
+  return app;
+}
+
 export let GlobalIonicConfig = null;
 
 export function load(app) {
diff --git a/ionic/components/modal/test/basic/index.js b/ionic/components/modal/test/basic/index.js
index 1b0434b51a..828d37e4c3 100644
--- a/ionic/components/modal/test/basic/index.js
+++ b/ionic/components/modal/test/basic/index.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {Component, Directive} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotatio
 import {View} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/view';
 import {Parent, Ancestor} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility';
 
-import {IonicView, IonicConfig} from 'ionic/ionic';
+import {IonicView, IonicConfig, Platform} from 'ionic/ionic';
 
 import {IonicComponent} from 'ionic/ionic';
 import {Modal, NavController, NavParams, Animation, ActionMenu} from 'ionic/ionic';
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {Modal, NavController, NavParams, Animation, ActionMenu} from 'ionic/ioni
 @IonicView({
   templateUrl: 'main.html'
 })
-class MyApp {
+class MyAppCmp {
 
   constructor(Modal: Modal) {
     this.Modal = Modal;
@@ -152,25 +152,28 @@ export function main(ionicBootstrap) {
 
   let myConfig = new IonicConfig();
 
-  //myConfig.setting('someKey', 'userConfig');
+  // myConfig.setting('someKey', 'userConfig');
   // myConfig.setting('ios', 'someKey', 'iosConfig');
   // myConfig.setting('ipad', 'someKey', 'ipadConfig');
 
-  ionicBootstrap(MyApp, myConfig).then(root => {
+  ionicBootstrap(MyAppCmp, myConfig).then(app => {
 
-    console.log('platforms', root.platform.platforms());
+    console.log('platforms', Platform.platforms());
     console.log('mode', myConfig.setting('mode'));
 
-    console.log('core', root.platform.is('core'))
-    console.log('cordova', root.platform.is('cordova'))
-    console.log('mobile', root.platform.is('mobile'))
-    console.log('ipad', root.platform.is('ipad'))
-    console.log('iphone', root.platform.is('iphone'))
-    console.log('phablet', root.platform.is('phablet'))
-    console.log('tablet', root.platform.is('tablet'))
-    console.log('ios', root.platform.is('ios'))
-    console.log('android', root.platform.is('android'))
-    console.log('windows phone', root.platform.is('windowsphone'))
+    console.log('core', Platform.is('core'))
+    console.log('cordova', Platform.is('cordova'))
+    console.log('mobile', Platform.is('mobile'))
+    console.log('ipad', Platform.is('ipad'))
+    console.log('iphone', Platform.is('iphone'))
+    console.log('phablet', Platform.is('phablet'))
+    console.log('tablet', Platform.is('tablet'))
+    console.log('ios', Platform.is('ios'))
+    console.log('android', Platform.is('android'))
+    console.log('windows phone', Platform.is('windowsphone'))
+
+    console.log('isRTL', app.isRTL())
+    console.log('lang', app.lang())
 
   });
 }
diff --git a/ionic/platform/platform.js b/ionic/platform/platform.js
index 0d32ebcaa9..f364b9dce2 100644
--- a/ionic/platform/platform.js
+++ b/ionic/platform/platform.js
@@ -10,6 +10,67 @@ export class PlatformCtrl {
     this._default = null;
   }
 
+  url(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._url = val;
+      this._qs = util.getQuerystring(val);
+    }
+    return this._url;
+  }
+
+  query(key) {
+    return (this._qs || {})[key];
+  }
+
+  userAgent(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._ua = val;
+    }
+    return this._ua;
+  }
+
+  matchQuery(queryValue) {
+    let val = this.query('ionicplatform');
+    if (val) {
+      let valueSplit = val.toLowerCase().split(';');
+      for (let i = 0; i < valueSplit.length; i++) {
+        if (valueSplit[i] == queryValue) {
+          return true;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  matchUserAgent(userAgentExpression) {
+    if (this._ua) {
+      let rx = new RegExp(userAgentExpression, 'i');
+      return rx.exec(this._ua);
+    }
+  }
+
+  isPlatform(queryValue, userAgentExpression) {
+    if (!userAgentExpression) {
+      userAgentExpression = queryValue;
+    }
+    return (this.matchQuery(queryValue)) ||
+           (this.matchUserAgent(userAgentExpression) !== null);
+  }
+
+  width(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._w = val;
+    }
+    return this._w || 0;
+  }
+
+  height(val) {
+    if (arguments.length) {
+      this._h = val;
+    }
+    return this._h || 0;
+  }
+
   register(platformConfig) {
     this._registry[platformConfig.name] = platformConfig;
   }
@@ -22,46 +83,16 @@ export class PlatformCtrl {
     this._default = platformName;
   }
 
-  load(app) {
+  load() {
     let rootPlatformNode = null;
     let engineNode = null;
-
-    function matchPlatform(platformName) {
-      // build a PlatformNode and assign config data to it
-      // use it's getRoot method to build up its hierarchy
-      // depending on which platforms match
-      let platformNode = new PlatformNode(platformName);
-      let tmpPlatform = platformNode.getRoot(app, 0);
-
-      if (tmpPlatform) {
-        tmpPlatform.depth = 0;
-        let childPlatform = tmpPlatform.child();
-        while(childPlatform) {
-          tmpPlatform.depth++
-          childPlatform = childPlatform.child();
-        }
-      }
-      return tmpPlatform;
-    }
-
-    function insertSuperset(platformNode) {
-      let supersetPlaformName = platformNode.superset();
-      if (supersetPlaformName) {
-        // add a platform in between two exist platforms
-        // so we can build the correct hierarchy of active platforms
-        let supersetPlatform = new PlatformNode(supersetPlaformName);
-        supersetPlatform.parent(platformNode.parent());
-        supersetPlatform.child(platformNode);
-        supersetPlatform.parent().child(supersetPlatform);
-        platformNode.parent(supersetPlatform);
-      }
-    }
+    let self = this;
 
     // figure out the most specific platform and active engine
     let tmpPlatform = null;
     for (let platformName in this._registry) {
 
-      tmpPlatform = matchPlatform(platformName);
+      tmpPlatform = matchPlatform(platformName, this);
       if (tmpPlatform) {
         // we found a platform match!
         // check if its more specific than the one we already have
@@ -133,15 +164,6 @@ export class PlatformCtrl {
     return this._settings;
   }
 
-  run() {
-    let config = null;
-
-    for (var i = 0; i < this._platforms.length; i++) {
-      config = Platform.get(this._platforms[i]);
-      config.run && config.run();
-    }
-  }
-
   platforms() {
     // get the array of active platforms, which also knows the hierarchy,
     // with the last one the most important
@@ -154,6 +176,37 @@ export class PlatformCtrl {
 
 }
 
+function matchPlatform(platformName, platform) {
+  // build a PlatformNode and assign config data to it
+  // use it's getRoot method to build up its hierarchy
+  // depending on which platforms match
+  let platformNode = new PlatformNode(platformName);
+  let tmpPlatform = platformNode.getRoot(platform, 0);
+
+  if (tmpPlatform) {
+    tmpPlatform.depth = 0;
+    let childPlatform = tmpPlatform.child();
+    while(childPlatform) {
+      tmpPlatform.depth++
+      childPlatform = childPlatform.child();
+    }
+  }
+  return tmpPlatform;
+}
+
+function insertSuperset(platformNode) {
+  let supersetPlaformName = platformNode.superset();
+  if (supersetPlaformName) {
+    // add a platform in between two exist platforms
+    // so we can build the correct hierarchy of active platforms
+    let supersetPlatform = new PlatformNode(supersetPlaformName);
+    supersetPlatform.parent(platformNode.parent());
+    supersetPlatform.child(platformNode);
+    supersetPlatform.parent().child(supersetPlatform);
+    platformNode.parent(supersetPlatform);
+  }
+}
+
 
 class PlatformNode {
 
@@ -174,15 +227,6 @@ class PlatformNode {
     return this.c.superset;
   }
 
-  runAll() {
-    let platform = this;
-    while (platform) {
-      platform.run();
-      platform = platform.child();
-    }
-    return false;
-  }
-
   parent(val) {
     if (arguments.length) {
       this._parent = val;
@@ -197,19 +241,19 @@ class PlatformNode {
     return this._child;
   }
 
-  isMatch(app) {
+  isMatch(p) {
     if (typeof this.c.isMatched !== 'boolean') {
       if (!this.c.isMatch) {
         this.c.isMatched = false;
       } else {
-        this.c.isMatched = this.c.isMatch(app);
+        this.c.isMatched = this.c.isMatch(p);
       }
     }
     return this.c.isMatched;
   }
 
-  getRoot(app) {
-    if (this.isMatch(app)) {
+  getRoot(p) {
+    if (this.isMatch(p)) {
 
       let parents = this.getSubsetParents(this.name());
 
@@ -224,7 +268,7 @@ class PlatformNode {
         platform = new PlatformNode(parents[i]);
         platform.child(this);
 
-        rootPlatform = platform.getRoot(app);
+        rootPlatform = platform.getRoot(p);
         if (rootPlatform) {
           this.parent(platform);
           return rootPlatform;
diff --git a/ionic/platform/registry.js b/ionic/platform/registry.js
index 792498189a..3d01ad1f09 100644
--- a/ionic/platform/registry.js
+++ b/ionic/platform/registry.js
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ Platform.register({
 
 Platform.register({
   name: 'phablet',
-  isMatch(app) {
-    let smallest = Math.min(app.width(), app.height());
-    let largest = Math.max(app.width(), app.height());
+  isMatch(p) {
+    let smallest = Math.min(p.width(), p.height());
+    let largest = Math.max(p.width(), p.height());
     // http://www.mydevice.io/devices/
     return (smallest > 390 && smallest < 520) &&
            (largest > 620 && largest < 800);
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ Platform.register({
 
 Platform.register({
   name: 'tablet',
-  isMatch(app) {
-    let smallest = Math.min(app.width(), app.height());
-    let largest = Math.max(app.width(), app.height());
+  isMatch(p) {
+    let smallest = Math.min(p.width(), p.height());
+    let largest = Math.max(p.width(), p.height());
     // http://www.mydevice.io/devices/
     return (smallest > 460 && smallest < 820) &&
            (largest > 780 && largest < 1400);
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ Platform.register({
   settings: {
     mode: 'md'
   },
-  isMatch(app) {
+  isMatch(p) {
     // "silk" is kindle fire
     let re = 'android| silk';
-    return app.isPlatform('android', re);
+    return p.isPlatform('android', re);
   }
 });
 
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ Platform.register({
   settings: {
     mode: 'ios'
   },
-  isMatch(app) {
+  isMatch(p) {
     // SLEDGEHAMMER OVERRIDE FOR NOW
     return true;
 
-    return app.isPlatform('ios', 'iphone|ipad|ipod');
+    return p.isPlatform('ios', 'iphone|ipad|ipod');
   },
-  versionParser(app) {
-    let val = app.matchUserAgent('OS (\d+)_(\d+)?');
+  versionParser(p) {
+    let val = p.matchUserAgent('OS (\d+)_(\d+)?');
     console.log(val);
   }
 });
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ Platform.register({
 Platform.register({
   name: 'ipad',
   superset: 'tablet',
-  isMatch(app) {
-    return app.isPlatform('ipad');
+  isMatch(p) {
+    return p.isPlatform('ipad');
   }
 });
 
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ Platform.register({
   subsets: [
     'phablet'
   ],
-  isMatch(app) {
-    return app.isPlatform('iphone');
+  isMatch(p) {
+    return p.isPlatform('iphone');
   }
 });
 
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ Platform.register({
   settings: {
     mode: 'wp'
   },
-  isMatch(app) {
-    return app.isPlatform('windowsphone', 'windows phone');
+  isMatch(p) {
+    return p.isPlatform('windowsphone', 'windows phone');
   }
 });
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ Platform.register({
       });
     }
   },
-  isMatch(app) {
+  isMatch(p) {
     return true;
     return !!(window.cordova || window.PhoneGap || window.phonegap);
   }