diff --git a/src/.jshintrc b/src/.jshintrc
index f5b8b6c54bfe..e5ce17e43234 100644
--- a/src/.jshintrc
+++ b/src/.jshintrc
@@ -163,9 +163,6 @@
     /* ng/compile.js */
     "directiveNormalize": false,
 
-    /* ng/parse.js */
-    "setter": false,
-
     /* ng/directive/directives.js */
     "ngDirective": false,
 
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/form.js b/src/ng/directive/form.js
index 9c7f52564c91..28c186ebf033 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/form.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/form.js
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ function FormController(element, attrs, $scope, $animate, $interpolate) {
  *                       related scope, under this name.
  */
 var formDirectiveFactory = function(isNgForm) {
-  return ['$timeout', function($timeout) {
+  return ['$timeout', '$parse', function($timeout, $parse) {
     var formDirective = {
       name: 'form',
       restrict: isNgForm ? 'EAC' : 'E',
@@ -491,21 +491,21 @@ var formDirectiveFactory = function(isNgForm) {
             }
 
             var parentFormCtrl = controller.$$parentForm;
+            var setter = nameAttr ? getSetter(controller.$name) : noop;
 
             if (nameAttr) {
-              setter(scope, controller.$name, controller, controller.$name);
+              setter(scope, controller);
               attr.$observe(nameAttr, function(newValue) {
                 if (controller.$name === newValue) return;
-                setter(scope, controller.$name, undefined, controller.$name);
+                setter(scope, undefined);
                 parentFormCtrl.$$renameControl(controller, newValue);
-                setter(scope, controller.$name, controller, controller.$name);
+                setter = getSetter(controller.$name);
+                setter(scope, controller);
               });
             }
             formElement.on('$destroy', function() {
               parentFormCtrl.$removeControl(controller);
-              if (nameAttr) {
-                setter(scope, attr[nameAttr], undefined, controller.$name);
-              }
+              setter(scope, undefined);
               extend(controller, nullFormCtrl); //stop propagating child destruction handlers upwards
             });
           }
@@ -514,6 +514,13 @@ var formDirectiveFactory = function(isNgForm) {
     };
 
     return formDirective;
+
+    function getSetter(expression) {
+      if (expression === '') {
+        return $parse('this[""]').assign;
+      }
+      return $parse(expression).assign || noop;
+    }
   }];
 };
 
diff --git a/src/ng/parse.js b/src/ng/parse.js
index 5d0c84aa41bb..b3e5c5642962 100644
--- a/src/ng/parse.js
+++ b/src/ng/parse.js
@@ -1610,29 +1610,6 @@ Parser.prototype = {
   }
 };
 
-//////////////////////////////////////////////////
-// Parser helper functions
-//////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-function setter(obj, path, setValue, fullExp) {
-  ensureSafeObject(obj, fullExp);
-
-  var element = path.split('.'), key;
-  for (var i = 0; element.length > 1; i++) {
-    key = ensureSafeMemberName(element.shift(), fullExp);
-    var propertyObj = ensureSafeObject(obj[key], fullExp);
-    if (!propertyObj) {
-      propertyObj = {};
-      obj[key] = propertyObj;
-    }
-    obj = propertyObj;
-  }
-  key = ensureSafeMemberName(element.shift(), fullExp);
-  ensureSafeObject(obj[key], fullExp);
-  obj[key] = setValue;
-  return setValue;
-}
-
 var getterFnCacheDefault = createMap();
 var getterFnCacheExpensive = createMap();