diff --git a/src/ngMessages/messages.js b/src/ngMessages/messages.js
index bbe87bba372a..f79baa18cb71 100644
--- a/src/ngMessages/messages.js
+++ b/src/ngMessages/messages.js
@@ -410,6 +410,13 @@ angular.module('ngMessages', [])
 
          $scope.$watchCollection($attrs.ngMessages || $attrs['for'], ctrl.render);
 
+         // If the element is destroyed, proactively destroy all the currently visible messages
+         $element.on('$destroy', function() {
+           forEach(messages, function(item) {
+             item.message.detach();
+           });
+         });
+
          this.reRender = function() {
            if (!renderLater) {
              renderLater = true;
@@ -444,6 +451,7 @@ angular.module('ngMessages', [])
          function findPreviousMessage(parent, comment) {
            var prevNode = comment;
            var parentLookup = [];
+
            while (prevNode && prevNode !== parent) {
              var prevKey = prevNode.$$ngMessageNode;
              if (prevKey && prevKey.length) {
@@ -455,8 +463,11 @@ angular.module('ngMessages', [])
              if (prevNode.childNodes.length && parentLookup.indexOf(prevNode) == -1) {
                parentLookup.push(prevNode);
                prevNode = prevNode.childNodes[prevNode.childNodes.length - 1];
+             } else if (prevNode.previousSibling) {
+               prevNode = prevNode.previousSibling;
              } else {
-               prevNode = prevNode.previousSibling || prevNode.parentNode;
+               prevNode = prevNode.parentNode;
+               parentLookup.push(prevNode);
              }
            }
          }
@@ -669,8 +680,8 @@ function ngMessageDirectiveFactory() {
                 // when we are destroying the node later.
                 var $$attachId = currentElement.$$attachId = ngMessagesCtrl.getAttachId();
 
-                // in the event that the parent element is destroyed
-                // by any other structural directive then it's time
+                // in the event that the element or a parent element is destroyed
+                // by another structural directive then it's time
                 // to deregister the message from the controller
                 currentElement.on('$destroy', function() {
                   if (currentElement && currentElement.$$attachId === $$attachId) {
diff --git a/test/ngMessages/messagesSpec.js b/test/ngMessages/messagesSpec.js
index 2a03c90075b2..5613844bf591 100644
--- a/test/ngMessages/messagesSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngMessages/messagesSpec.js
@@ -485,6 +485,126 @@ describe('ngMessages', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('ngMessage nested nested inside elements', function() {
+
+    it('should not crash or leak memory when the messages are transcluded, the first message is ' +
+      'visible, and ngMessages is removed by ngIf', function() {
+
+      module(function($compileProvider) {
+        $compileProvider.directive('messageWrap', function() {
+          return {
+            transclude: true,
+            scope: {
+              col: '=col'
+            },
+            template: '<div ng-messages="col"><ng-transclude></ng-transclude></div>'
+          };
+        });
+      });
+
+      inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
+
+        element = $compile('<div><div ng-if="show"><div message-wrap col="col">' +
+                           '        <div ng-message="a">A</div>' +
+                           '        <div ng-message="b">B</div>' +
+                           '</div></div></div>')($rootScope);
+
+        $rootScope.$apply(function() {
+          $rootScope.show = true;
+          $rootScope.col = {
+            a: true,
+            b: true
+          };
+        });
+
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(1);
+        expect(trim(element.text())).toEqual('A');
+
+        $rootScope.$apply('show = false');
+
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(0);
+      });
+    });
+
+
+    it('should not crash when the first of two nested messages is removed', function() {
+      inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
+
+        element = $compile(
+          '<div ng-messages="col">' +
+            '<div class="wrapper">' +
+              '<div remove-me ng-message="a">A</div>' +
+              '<div ng-message="b">B</div>' +
+            '</div>' +
+          '</div>'
+        )($rootScope);
+
+        $rootScope.$apply(function() {
+          $rootScope.col = {
+            a: true,
+            b: false
+          };
+        });
+
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(1);
+        expect(trim(element.text())).toEqual('A');
+
+        var ctrl = element.controller('ngMessages');
+        var deregisterSpy = spyOn(ctrl, 'deregister').and.callThrough();
+
+        var nodeA = element[0].querySelector('[ng-message="a"]');
+        jqLite(nodeA).remove();
+        $rootScope.$digest(); // The next digest triggers the error
+
+        // Make sure removing the element triggers the deregistration in ngMessages
+        expect(trim(deregisterSpy.calls.mostRecent().args[0].nodeValue)).toBe('ngMessage: a');
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(0);
+      });
+    });
+
+
+    it('should not crash, but show deeply nested messages correctly after a message ' +
+      'has been removed', function() {
+      inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
+
+        element = $compile(
+          '<div ng-messages="col" ng-messages-multiple>' +
+            '<div class="another-wrapper">' +
+              '<div ng-message="a">A</div>' +
+              '<div class="wrapper">' +
+                '<div ng-message="b">B</div>' +
+                '<div ng-message="c">C</div>' +
+              '</div>' +
+              '<div ng-message="d">D</div>' +
+            '</div>' +
+          '</div>'
+        )($rootScope);
+
+        $rootScope.$apply(function() {
+          $rootScope.col = {
+            a: true,
+            b: true
+          };
+        });
+
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(2);
+        expect(trim(element.text())).toEqual('AB');
+
+        var ctrl = element.controller('ngMessages');
+        var deregisterSpy = spyOn(ctrl, 'deregister').and.callThrough();
+
+        var nodeB = element[0].querySelector('[ng-message="b"]');
+        jqLite(nodeB).remove();
+        $rootScope.$digest(); // The next digest triggers the error
+
+        // Make sure removing the element triggers the deregistration in ngMessages
+        expect(trim(deregisterSpy.calls.mostRecent().args[0].nodeValue)).toBe('ngMessage: b');
+        expect(messageChildren(element).length).toBe(1);
+        expect(trim(element.text())).toEqual('A');
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('when including templates', function() {
     they('should work with a dynamic collection model which is managed by ngRepeat',
       {'<div ng-messages-include="...">': '<div ng-messages="item">' +
@@ -691,6 +811,37 @@ describe('ngMessages', function() {
       expect(trim(element.text())).toEqual("C");
     }));
 
+
+    it('should properly detect a previous message, even if it was registered later',
+      inject(function($compile, $rootScope, $templateCache) {
+        $templateCache.put('include.html', '<div ng-message="a">A</div>');
+        var html =
+            '<div ng-messages="items">' +
+              '<div ng-include="\'include.html\'"></div>' +
+              '<div ng-message="b">B</div>' +
+              '<div ng-message="c">C</div>' +
+            '</div>';
+
+        element = $compile(html)($rootScope);
+        $rootScope.$apply('items = {b: true, c: true}');
+
+        expect(element.text()).toBe('B');
+
+        var ctrl = element.controller('ngMessages');
+        var deregisterSpy = spyOn(ctrl, 'deregister').and.callThrough();
+
+        var nodeB = element[0].querySelector('[ng-message="b"]');
+        jqLite(nodeB).remove();
+
+        // Make sure removing the element triggers the deregistration in ngMessages
+        expect(trim(deregisterSpy.calls.mostRecent().args[0].nodeValue)).toBe('ngMessage: b');
+
+        $rootScope.$apply('items.a = true');
+
+        expect(element.text()).toBe('A');
+      })
+    );
+
   });
 
   describe('when multiple', function() {