diff --git a/ionic/components/app/structure.scss b/ionic/components/app/structure.scss
index dc80ae3891..7c88ffc217 100644
--- a/ionic/components/app/structure.scss
+++ b/ionic/components/app/structure.scss
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ html {
     height: 100vh;
   }
 
+  .nav-item {
+    // by default .nav-item is hidden
+    // and the transition animation will display it
+    display: none;
+  }
+
   .nav-item,
   .nav-item-child {
     // user created view, contained by .nav-item
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/nav-base.js b/ionic/components/nav/nav-base.js
index 682b147187..acc8572b19 100644
--- a/ionic/components/nav/nav-base.js
+++ b/ionic/components/nav/nav-base.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export class NavBase {
     }
   }
 
-  getActiveItem() {
+  getActive() {
     for (let i = 0, ii = this.navItems.length; i < ii; i++) {
       if (this.navItems[i].state === ACTIVE_STATE) {
         return this.navItems[i];
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ export class NavBase {
     return null;
   }
 
+  getPrevious(item) {
+    if (item) {
+      return this._stack[ this._stack.indexOf(item) - 1 ];
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   getStagedEnteringItem() {
     for (let i = 0, ii = this.navItems.length; i < ii; i++) {
       if (this.navItems[i].state === STAGED_ENTERING_STATE) {
@@ -97,7 +104,7 @@ export class NavBase {
     }
 
     // the active item is going to be the leaving one (if one exists)
-    let leavingItem = this.getActiveItem() || {};
+    let leavingItem = this.getActive() || {};
 
     // create a new NavStackItem
     let enteringItem = new NavStackItem(Class, params);
@@ -111,7 +118,6 @@ export class NavBase {
 
     // start the transition
     this.transition(enteringItem, leavingItem, opts).then(() => {
-      console.log('push completed');
       resolve();
     });
 
@@ -133,12 +139,11 @@ export class NavBase {
 
     // get the active item and set that it is staged to be leaving
     // was probably the one popped from the stack
-    let leavingItem = this.getActiveItem() || {};
+    let leavingItem = this.getActive() || {};
 
     // start the transition
     this.transition(enteringItem, leavingItem, opts).then(() => {
       // transition completed, destroy the leaving item
-      console.log('pop completed');
       this._destroy(leavingItem);
       resolve();
     });
@@ -190,6 +195,8 @@ export class NavBase {
           // allow clicks again
           ClickBlock(false);
 
+          console.log('transition, canSwipeBack()', this.canSwipeBack());
+
           // resolve that this push has completed
           resolve();
         });
@@ -248,23 +255,24 @@ export class NavBase {
     util.array.remove(this.navItems, navItem);
   }
 
-  getPrevious(item) {
-    return this._stack[ this._stack.indexOf(item) - 1 ];
-  }
-
   getToolbars(pos: String) {
     let last = this.last();
     return last && last.navItem && last.navItem._toolbars[pos] || [];
   }
+
+  canSwipeBack() {
+    return !!this.getPrevious(this.getActive());
+  }
 }
 
 
 class NavStackItem {
+
   constructor(ComponentClass, params = {}) {
     this.Class = ComponentClass;
     this.params = params;
     this._setupPromise = new Promise((resolve) => {
-      this._resolveSetupPromise = resolve;
+      this._resolveSetup = resolve;
     });
   }
 
@@ -273,64 +281,9 @@ class NavStackItem {
   }
 
   finishSetup(navItem, componentInstance) {
-    this.navItem = navItem
-    this.instance = componentInstance
-    this._resolveSetupPromise()
-  }
-
-  setAnimation(state) {
-    if (!state) {
-      this.navItem.domElement.removeAttribute('animate')
-      this.navItem.domElement.classList.remove('start')
-    } else {
-      this.navItem.domElement.setAttribute('animate', state)
-    }
-  }
-
-  setShown(isShown) {
-    this.navItem.domElement.classList[isShown?'add':'remove']('shown')
-  }
-
-  startAnimation() {
-    this.navItem.domElement.classList.add('start')
-  }
-
-  _animate({ isShown, animation }) {
-    this.setAnimation(animation)
-    this.setShown(isShown)
-    if (animation) {
-      // We have to wait two rafs for the element to show. Yawn.
-      return util.dom.rafPromise().then(util.dom.rafPromise).then(() => {
-        this.startAnimation()
-        return util.dom.transitionEndPromise(this.navItem.domElement).then(() => {
-          this.setAnimation(null)
-        })
-      })
-    } else {
-      return Promise.resolve()
-    }
-  }
-
-  enterReverse(opts) {
-    return this.enter( util.extend({reverse: true}, opts) )
-  }
-
-  enter({ reverse = false, animate = false } = {}) {
-    return this._animate({
-      isShown: true,
-      animation: animate ? (reverse ? 'enter-reverse' : 'enter') : null
-    })
-  }
-
-  leave({ reverse = false, animate = false } = {}) {
-    return this._animate({
-      isShown: false,
-      animation: animate ? (reverse ? 'leave-reverse' : 'leave') : null
-    })
-  }
-
-  leaveReverse(opts) {
-    return this.leave( util.extend({reverse: true}, opts) )
+    this.navItem = navItem;
+    this.instance = componentInstance;
+    this._resolveSetup();
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/ionic/components/nav/nav-item.scss b/ionic/components/nav/nav-item.scss
deleted file mode 100644
index 8db8d420d8..0000000000
--- a/ionic/components/nav/nav-item.scss
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-
-$transition-duration: 500ms;
-
-
-.nav-item {
-  display: none;
-
-  &.shown {
-    display: block;
-  }
-  &[animate] {
-    display: block;
-    transition: $transition-duration linear;
-  }
-
-  &[animate=enter] {
-    transform: translate3d(100%,0,0);
-    &.start {
-      transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-    }
-  }
-  &[animate=enter-reverse] {
-    transform: translate3d(-100%,0,0);
-    &.start {
-      transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-    }
-  }
-  &[animate=leave-reverse] {
-    transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-    &.start {
-      transform: translate3d(-100%,0,0);
-    }
-  }
-  &[animate=leave] {
-    transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-    &.start {
-      transform: translate3d(100%,0,0);
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/ionic/ionic.scss b/ionic/ionic.scss
index 4a31461e9c..e83f6471ea 100644
--- a/ionic/ionic.scss
+++ b/ionic/ionic.scss
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
   "components/layout/layout",
   "components/list/list",
   "components/modal/modal",
-  "components/nav/nav-item",
   "components/radio/radio",
   "components/search-bar/search-bar",
   "components/switch/switch",