diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index 393ab6375a27..3e0b21068589 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -1437,11 +1437,6 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
             if (nodeLinkFn.scope) {
               childScope = scope.$new();
               compile.$$addScopeInfo(jqLite(node), childScope);
-              var destroyBindings = nodeLinkFn.$$destroyBindings;
-              if (destroyBindings) {
-                nodeLinkFn.$$destroyBindings = null;
-                childScope.$on('$destroyed', destroyBindings);
-              }
             } else {
               childScope = scope;
             }
@@ -1460,8 +1455,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
               childBoundTranscludeFn = null;
             }
 
-            nodeLinkFn(childLinkFn, childScope, node, $rootElement, childBoundTranscludeFn,
-                       nodeLinkFn);
+            nodeLinkFn(childLinkFn, childScope, node, $rootElement, childBoundTranscludeFn);
 
           } else if (childLinkFn) {
             childLinkFn(scope, node.childNodes, undefined, parentBoundTranscludeFn);
@@ -2025,8 +2019,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
         return elementControllers;
       }
 
-      function nodeLinkFn(childLinkFn, scope, linkNode, $rootElement, boundTranscludeFn,
-                          thisLinkFn) {
+      function nodeLinkFn(childLinkFn, scope, linkNode, $rootElement, boundTranscludeFn) {
         var i, ii, linkFn, controller, isolateScope, elementControllers, transcludeFn, $element,
             attrs;
 
@@ -2060,24 +2053,28 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
           compile.$$addScopeClass($element, true);
           isolateScope.$$isolateBindings =
               newIsolateScopeDirective.$$isolateBindings;
-          initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, isolateScope,
-                                      isolateScope.$$isolateBindings,
-                                      newIsolateScopeDirective, isolateScope);
+          var parentWatchDestroyer = initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, isolateScope,
+                                        isolateScope.$$isolateBindings,
+                                        newIsolateScopeDirective);
+          if (parentWatchDestroyer) {
+            isolateScope.$on('$destroy', parentWatchDestroyer);
+          }
         }
         if (elementControllers) {
           // Initialize bindToController bindings for new/isolate scopes
           var scopeDirective = newIsolateScopeDirective || newScopeDirective;
           var bindings;
           var controllerForBindings;
+          var destroyBindings;
           if (scopeDirective && elementControllers[scopeDirective.name]) {
             bindings = scopeDirective.$$bindings.bindToController;
             controller = elementControllers[scopeDirective.name];
 
             if (controller && controller.identifier && bindings) {
               controllerForBindings = controller;
-              thisLinkFn.$$destroyBindings =
+              destroyBindings =
                   initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, controller.instance,
-                                              bindings, scopeDirective);
+                                              bindings, scopeDirective) || noop;
             }
           }
           for (i in elementControllers) {
@@ -2091,8 +2088,8 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
               $element.data('$' + i + 'Controller', controllerResult);
               if (controller === controllerForBindings) {
                 // Remove and re-install bindToController bindings
-                thisLinkFn.$$destroyBindings();
-                thisLinkFn.$$destroyBindings =
+                destroyBindings();
+                destroyBindings =
                   initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, controllerResult, bindings, scopeDirective);
               }
             }
@@ -2354,7 +2351,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
               childBoundTranscludeFn = boundTranscludeFn;
             }
             afterTemplateNodeLinkFn(afterTemplateChildLinkFn, scope, linkNode, $rootElement,
-              childBoundTranscludeFn, afterTemplateNodeLinkFn);
+              childBoundTranscludeFn);
           }
           linkQueue = null;
         });
@@ -2371,8 +2368,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
           if (afterTemplateNodeLinkFn.transcludeOnThisElement) {
             childBoundTranscludeFn = createBoundTranscludeFn(scope, afterTemplateNodeLinkFn.transclude, boundTranscludeFn);
           }
-          afterTemplateNodeLinkFn(afterTemplateChildLinkFn, scope, node, rootElement, childBoundTranscludeFn,
-                                  afterTemplateNodeLinkFn);
+          afterTemplateNodeLinkFn(afterTemplateChildLinkFn, scope, node, rootElement, childBoundTranscludeFn);
         }
       };
     }
@@ -2632,8 +2628,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
 
     // Set up $watches for isolate scope and controller bindings. This process
     // only occurs for isolate scopes and new scopes with controllerAs.
-    function initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, destination, bindings,
-                                         directive, newScope) {
+    function initializeDirectiveBindings(scope, attrs, destination, bindings, directive) {
       var onNewScopeDestroyed;
       forEach(bindings, function(definition, scopeName) {
         var attrName = definition.attrName,
@@ -2719,16 +2714,12 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
             break;
         }
       });
-      var destroyBindings = onNewScopeDestroyed ? function destroyBindings() {
+
+      return onNewScopeDestroyed && function destroyBindings() {
         for (var i = 0, ii = onNewScopeDestroyed.length; i < ii; ++i) {
           onNewScopeDestroyed[i]();
         }
-      } : noop;
-      if (newScope && destroyBindings !== noop) {
-        newScope.$on('$destroy', destroyBindings);
-        return noop;
-      }
-      return destroyBindings;
+      };
     }
   }];
 }