diff --git a/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js b/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
index bedba7f8da1d..09b639d032cb 100644
--- a/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
+++ b/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
@@ -2612,7 +2612,10 @@ if (window.jasmine || window.mocha) {
       }
       angular.element.cleanData(cleanUpNodes);
 
-      injector.get('$rootScope').$destroy();
+      // Ensure `$destroy()` is available, before calling it
+      // (a mocked `$rootScope` might not implement it (or not even be an object at all))
+      var $rootScope = injector.get('$rootScope');
+      if ($rootScope && $rootScope.$destroy) $rootScope.$destroy();
     }
 
     // clean up jquery's fragment cache
diff --git a/test/ngMock/angular-mocksSpec.js b/test/ngMock/angular-mocksSpec.js
index 1dc2c36b8104..166d10d0dc2c 100644
--- a/test/ngMock/angular-mocksSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngMock/angular-mocksSpec.js
@@ -1674,25 +1674,6 @@ describe('ngMock', function() {
   });
 
 
-  describe('$rootScope', function() {
-    var destroyed = false;
-    var oldRootScope;
-
-    it('should destroy $rootScope after each test', inject(function($rootScope) {
-      $rootScope.$on('$destroy', function() {
-        destroyed = true;
-      });
-      oldRootScope = $rootScope;
-    }));
-
-    it('should have destroyed the $rootScope from the previous test', inject(function($rootScope) {
-      expect(destroyed).toBe(true);
-      expect($rootScope).not.toBe(oldRootScope);
-      expect(oldRootScope.$$destroyed).toBe(true);
-    }));
-  });
-
-
   describe('$rootScopeDecorator', function() {
 
     describe('$countChildScopes', function() {
@@ -2418,112 +2399,165 @@ describe('make sure that we can create an injector outside of tests', function()
 
 
 describe('`afterEach` clean-up', function() {
-  describe('undecorated `$rootElement`', function() {
-    var prevRootElement;
-    var prevCleanDataSpy;
+  describe('`$rootElement`', function() {
+    describe('undecorated', function() {
+      var prevRootElement;
+      var prevCleanDataSpy;
 
 
-    it('should set up spies so the next test can verify `$rootElement` was cleaned up', function() {
-      module(function($provide) {
-        $provide.decorator('$rootElement', function($delegate) {
-          prevRootElement = $delegate;
+      it('should set up spies for the next test to verify that `$rootElement` was cleaned up',
+        function() {
+          module(function($provide) {
+            $provide.decorator('$rootElement', function($delegate) {
+              prevRootElement = $delegate;
 
-          // Spy on `angular.element.cleanData()`, so the next test can verify
-          // that it has been called as necessary
-          prevCleanDataSpy = spyOn(angular.element, 'cleanData').andCallThrough();
+              // Spy on `angular.element.cleanData()`, so the next test can verify
+              // that it has been called as necessary
+              prevCleanDataSpy = spyOn(angular.element, 'cleanData').andCallThrough();
+
+              return $delegate;
+            });
+          });
+
+          // Inject the `$rootElement` to ensure it has been created
+          inject(function($rootElement) {
+            expect($rootElement.injector()).toBeDefined();
+          });
+        }
+      );
 
-          return $delegate;
-        });
-      });
 
-      // Inject the `$rootElement` to ensure it has been created
-      inject(function($rootElement) {
-        expect($rootElement.injector()).toBeDefined();
+      it('should clean up `$rootElement` after each test', function() {
+        // One call is made by `testabilityPatch`'s `dealoc()`
+        // We want to verify the subsequent call, made by `angular-mocks`
+        expect(prevCleanDataSpy.callCount).toBe(2);
+
+        var cleanUpNodes = prevCleanDataSpy.calls[1].args[0];
+        expect(cleanUpNodes.length).toBe(1);
+        expect(cleanUpNodes[0]).toBe(prevRootElement[0]);
       });
     });
 
 
-    it('should clean up `$rootElement` after each test', function() {
-      // One call is made by `testabilityPatch`'s `dealoc()`
-      // We want to verify the subsequent call, made by `angular-mocks`
-      expect(prevCleanDataSpy.callCount).toBe(2);
+    describe('decorated', function() {
+      var prevOriginalRootElement;
+      var prevRootElement;
+      var prevCleanDataSpy;
 
-      var cleanUpNodes = prevCleanDataSpy.calls[1].args[0];
-      expect(cleanUpNodes.length).toBe(1);
-      expect(cleanUpNodes[0]).toBe(prevRootElement[0]);
-    });
-  });
 
+      it('should set up spies for the next text to verify that `$rootElement` was cleaned up',
+        function() {
+          module(function($provide) {
+            $provide.decorator('$rootElement', function($delegate) {
+              prevOriginalRootElement = $delegate;
 
-  describe('decorated `$rootElement`', function() {
-    var prevOriginalRootElement;
-    var prevRootElement;
-    var prevCleanDataSpy;
+              // Mock `$rootElement` to be able to verify that the correct object is cleaned up
+              prevRootElement = angular.element('<div></div>');
 
+              // Spy on `angular.element.cleanData()`, so the next test can verify
+              // that it has been called as necessary
+              prevCleanDataSpy = spyOn(angular.element, 'cleanData').andCallThrough();
 
-    it('should set up spies so the next text can verify `$rootElement` was cleaned up', function() {
-      module(function($provide) {
-        $provide.decorator('$rootElement', function($delegate) {
-          prevOriginalRootElement = $delegate;
+              return prevRootElement;
+            });
+          });
 
-          // Mock `$rootElement` to be able to verify that the correct object is cleaned up
-          prevRootElement = angular.element('<div></div>');
+          // Inject the `$rootElement` to ensure it has been created
+          inject(function($rootElement) {
+            expect($rootElement).toBe(prevRootElement);
+            expect(prevOriginalRootElement.injector()).toBeDefined();
+            expect(prevRootElement.injector()).toBeUndefined();
+
+            // If we don't clean up `prevOriginalRootElement`-related data now, `testabilityPatch` will
+            // complain about a memory leak, because it doesn't clean up after the original
+            // `$rootElement`
+            // This is a false alarm, because `angular-mocks` would have cleaned up in a subsequent
+            // `afterEach` block
+            prevOriginalRootElement.removeData();
+          });
+        }
+      );
 
-          // Spy on `angular.element.cleanData()`, so the next test can verify
-          // that it has been called as necessary
-          prevCleanDataSpy = spyOn(angular.element, 'cleanData').andCallThrough();
 
-          return prevRootElement;
-        });
-      });
+      it('should clean up `$rootElement` (both original and decorated) after each test',
+        function() {
+          // One call is made by `testabilityPatch`'s `dealoc()`
+          // We want to verify the subsequent call, made by `angular-mocks`
+          expect(prevCleanDataSpy.callCount).toBe(2);
+
+          var cleanUpNodes = prevCleanDataSpy.calls[1].args[0];
+          expect(cleanUpNodes.length).toBe(2);
+          expect(cleanUpNodes[0]).toBe(prevOriginalRootElement[0]);
+          expect(cleanUpNodes[1]).toBe(prevRootElement[0]);
+        }
+      );
+    });
 
-      // Inject the `$rootElement` to ensure it has been created
-      inject(function($rootElement) {
-        expect($rootElement).toBe(prevRootElement);
-        expect(prevOriginalRootElement.injector()).toBeDefined();
-        expect(prevRootElement.injector()).toBeUndefined();
 
-        // If we don't clean up `prevOriginalRootElement`-related data now, `testabilityPatch` will
-        // complain about a memory leak, because it doesn't clean up after the original
-        // `$rootElement`
-        // This is a false alarm, because `angular-mocks` would have cleaned up in a subsequent
-        // `afterEach` block
-        prevOriginalRootElement.removeData();
+    describe('uninstantiated or falsy', function() {
+      it('should not break if `$rootElement` was never instantiated', function() {
+        // Just an empty test to verify that `angular-mocks` doesn't break,
+        // when trying to clean up `$rootElement`, if `$rootElement` was never injected in the test
+        // (and thus never instantiated/created)
+
+        // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
+        inject(function() {});
       });
-    });
 
 
-    it('should clean up `$rootElement` (both original and decorated) after each test', function() {
-      // One call is made by `testabilityPatch`'s `dealoc()`
-      // We want to verify the subsequent call, made by `angular-mocks`
-      expect(prevCleanDataSpy.callCount).toBe(2);
+      it('should not break if the decorated `$rootElement` is falsy (e.g. `null`)', function() {
+        module({$rootElement: null});
 
-      var cleanUpNodes = prevCleanDataSpy.calls[1].args[0];
-      expect(cleanUpNodes.length).toBe(2);
-      expect(cleanUpNodes[0]).toBe(prevOriginalRootElement[0]);
-      expect(cleanUpNodes[1]).toBe(prevRootElement[0]);
+        // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
+        inject(function() {});
+      });
     });
   });
 
 
-  describe('uninstantiated or falsy `$rootElement`', function() {
-    it('should not break if `$rootElement` was never instantiated', function() {
-      // Just an empty test to verify that `angular-mocks` doesn't break,
-      // when trying to clean up `$rootElement`, if `$rootElement` was never injected in the test
-      // (and thus never instantiated/created)
+  describe('`$rootScope`', function() {
+    describe('undecorated', function() {
+      var prevRootScope;
+      var prevDestroySpy;
 
-      // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
-      inject(function() {});
+
+      it('should set up spies for the next test to verify that `$rootScope` was cleaned up',
+        inject(function($rootScope) {
+          prevRootScope = $rootScope;
+          prevDestroySpy = spyOn($rootScope, '$destroy').andCallThrough();
+        })
+      );
+
+
+      it('should clean up `$rootScope` after each test', inject(function($rootScope) {
+        expect($rootScope).not.toBe(prevRootScope);
+        expect(prevDestroySpy).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+        expect(prevRootScope.$$destroyed).toBe(true);
+      }));
     });
 
 
-    it('should not break if the decorated `$rootElement` is falsy (e.g. `null`)', function() {
-      module(function($provide) {
-        $provide.value('$rootElement', null);
+    describe('falsy or without `$destroy()` method', function() {
+      it('should not break if `$rootScope` is falsy (e.g. `null`)', function() {
+        // Just an empty test to verify that `angular-mocks` doesn't break,
+        // when trying to clean up a mocked `$rootScope` set to `null`
+
+        module({$rootScope: null});
+
+        // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
+        inject(function() {});
       });
 
-      // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
-      inject(function() {});
+
+      it('should not break if `$rootScope.$destroy` is not a function', function() {
+        // Just an empty test to verify that `angular-mocks` doesn't break,
+        // when trying to clean up a mocked `$rootScope` without a `$destroy()` method
+
+        module({$rootScope: {}});
+
+        // Ensure the `$injector` is created - if there is no `$injector`, no clean-up takes places
+        inject(function() {});
+      });
     });
   });
 });