diff --git a/src/ng/animateCss.js b/src/ng/animateCss.js
index 552e51095ebf..2e133167a6c3 100644
--- a/src/ng/animateCss.js
+++ b/src/ng/animateCss.js
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@ var $CoreAnimateCssProvider = function() {
   this.$get = ['$$rAF', '$q', '$$AnimateRunner', function($$rAF, $q, $$AnimateRunner) {
 
     return function(element, initialOptions) {
-      // we always make a copy of the options since
-      // there should never be any side effects on
-      // the input data when running `$animateCss`.
-      var options = copy(initialOptions);
+      // all of the animation functions should create
+      // a copy of the options data, however, if a
+      // parent service has already created a copy then
+      // we should stick to using that
+      var options = initialOptions || {};
+      if (!options.$$prepared) {
+        options = copy(options);
+      }
 
       // there is no point in applying the styles since
       // there is no animation that goes on at all in
diff --git a/src/ngAnimate/animateCss.js b/src/ngAnimate/animateCss.js
index ba5e34773cf6..6fd848c5e2d7 100644
--- a/src/ngAnimate/animateCss.js
+++ b/src/ngAnimate/animateCss.js
@@ -447,10 +447,14 @@ var $AnimateCssProvider = ['$animateProvider', function($animateProvider) {
     }
 
     return function init(element, initialOptions) {
-      // we always make a copy of the options since
-      // there should never be any side effects on
-      // the input data when running `$animateCss`.
-      var options = copy(initialOptions);
+      // all of the animation functions should create
+      // a copy of the options data, however, if a
+      // parent service has already created a copy then
+      // we should stick to using that
+      var options = initialOptions || {};
+      if (!options.$$prepared) {
+        options = prepareAnimationOptions(copy(options));
+      }
 
       var restoreStyles = {};
       var node = getDomNode(element);
@@ -460,8 +464,6 @@ var $AnimateCssProvider = ['$animateProvider', function($animateProvider) {
         return closeAndReturnNoopAnimator();
       }
 
-      options = prepareAnimationOptions(options);
-
       var temporaryStyles = [];
       var classes = element.attr('class');
       var styles = packageStyles(options);
diff --git a/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js b/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js
index f0a027805cfa..dcc37b7fc9c9 100644
--- a/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js
@@ -31,6 +31,28 @@ describe("$animateCss", function() {
       expect(copiedOptions).toEqual(initialOptions);
     }));
 
+    it("should not create a copy of the provided options if they have already been prepared earlier",
+      inject(function($animateCss, $$rAF) {
+
+      var options = {
+        from: { height: '50px' },
+        to: { width: '50px' },
+        addClass: 'one',
+        removeClass: 'two'
+      };
+
+      options.$$prepared = true;
+      var runner = $animateCss(element, options).start();
+      runner.end();
+
+      $$rAF.flush();
+
+      expect(options.addClass).toBeFalsy();
+      expect(options.removeClass).toBeFalsy();
+      expect(options.to).toBeFalsy();
+      expect(options.from).toBeFalsy();
+    }));
+
     it("should apply the provided [from] CSS to the element", inject(function($animateCss) {
       $animateCss(element, { from: { height: '50px' }}).start();
       expect(element.css('height')).toBe('50px');
diff --git a/test/ngAnimate/animateCssSpec.js b/test/ngAnimate/animateCssSpec.js
index 74fa12fc4b75..f12d2ab4b3f3 100644
--- a/test/ngAnimate/animateCssSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngAnimate/animateCssSpec.js
@@ -1995,6 +1995,28 @@ describe("ngAnimate $animateCss", function() {
         expect(copiedOptions).toEqual(initialOptions);
       }));
 
+      it("should not create a copy of the provided options if they have already been prepared earlier",
+        inject(function($animate, $animateCss) {
+
+        var options = {
+          from: { height: '50px' },
+          to: { width: '50px' },
+          addClass: 'one',
+          removeClass: 'two'
+        };
+
+        options.$$prepared = true;
+        var runner = $animateCss(element, options).start();
+        runner.end();
+
+        $animate.flush();
+
+        expect(options.addClass).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(options.removeClass).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(options.to).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(options.from).toBeFalsy();
+      }));
+
       describe("[$$skipPreparationClasses]", function() {
         it('should not apply and remove the preparation classes to the element when true',
           inject(function($animateCss) {
diff --git a/test/ngAnimate/integrationSpec.js b/test/ngAnimate/integrationSpec.js
index 4a0610f2170a..981739480fe5 100644
--- a/test/ngAnimate/integrationSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngAnimate/integrationSpec.js
@@ -28,6 +28,27 @@ describe('ngAnimate integration tests', function() {
   describe('CSS animations', function() {
     if (!browserSupportsCssAnimations()) return;
 
+    it("should only create a single copy of the provided animation options",
+      inject(function($rootScope, $rootElement, $animate) {
+
+      ss.addRule('.animate-me', 'transition:2s linear all;');
+
+      var element = jqLite('<div class="animate-me"></div>');
+      html(element);
+
+      var myOptions = {to: { 'color': 'red' }};
+
+      var spy = spyOn(window, 'copy');
+      expect(spy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      var animation = $animate.leave(element, myOptions);
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      $animate.flush();
+
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      dealoc(element);
+    }));
+
     they('should render an $prop animation',
       ['enter', 'leave', 'move', 'addClass', 'removeClass', 'setClass'], function(event) {