diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
index db5e287837..3b4ee2cb11 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicBar.js
@@ -124,14 +124,14 @@ function barDirective(isHeader) {
             alignTitle: $attr.alignTitle || 'center'
           });
 
+          $parse($attr.controllerBind ||
+            (isHeader ? '$ionicHeaderBarController' : '$ionicFooterBarController')
+          ).assign($scope, hb);
+
           var el = $element[0];
           //just incase header is on rootscope
           var parentScope = $scope.$parent || $scope;
 
-          $parse($attr.controllerBind ||
-            (isHeader ? '$ionicHeaderBarController' : '$ionicFooterBarController')
-          ).assign(parentScope, hb);
-
           if (isHeader) {
             $scope.$watch(function() { return el.className; }, function(value) {
               var isSubheader = value.indexOf('bar-subheader') !== -1;
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
index f666b1a335..9eff9c5e3a 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/src/directive/ionicSideMenu.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ angular.module('ionic.ui.sideMenu', ['ionic.service.gesture', 'ionic.service.vie
       $scope.sideMenuContentTranslateX = 0;
 
       $parse($attrs.controllerBind || '$ionicSideMenusController')
-        .assign($scope.$parent || $scope, this);
+        .assign($scope, this);
     }],
     replace: true,
     transclude: true,
diff --git a/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
index acb83e575a..ed9a7df5b2 100644
--- a/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
+++ b/js/ext/angular/test/directive/ionicSideMenu.unit.js
@@ -18,11 +18,8 @@ describe('Ionic Angular Side Menu', function() {
     var el = $compile('<ion-side-menus controller-bind="supermodel"></ion-side-menus>')($rootScope.$new());
     var scope = el.scope();
     expect(el.controller('ionSideMenus')).toBeDefined();
-    expect(scope.$parent.supermodel).toBe(el.controller('ionSideMenus'));
+    expect(scope.supermodel).toBe(el.controller('ionSideMenus'));
   }));
-
-  it('should init with custom model attr', function() {
-  });
 });
 
 describe('Ionic Side Menu Content Directive', function () {