diff --git a/src/ng/directive/select.js b/src/ng/directive/select.js
index b583546d653f..59b505323d91 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/select.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/select.js
@@ -519,11 +519,16 @@ var selectDirective = function() {
 
   function selectPreLink(scope, element, attr, ctrls) {
 
-      // if ngModel is not defined, we don't need to do anything
+      var selectCtrl = ctrls[0];
       var ngModelCtrl = ctrls[1];
-      if (!ngModelCtrl) return;
 
-      var selectCtrl = ctrls[0];
+      // if ngModel is not defined, we don't need to do anything but set the registerOption
+      // function to noop, so options don't get added internally
+      if (!ngModelCtrl) {
+        selectCtrl.registerOption = noop;
+        return;
+      }
+
 
       selectCtrl.ngModelCtrl = ngModelCtrl;
 
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/selectSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/selectSpec.js
index 9027aa657326..17f1a6b26f74 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/selectSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/selectSpec.js
@@ -136,6 +136,30 @@ describe('select', function() {
 
   });
 
+  it('should not add options to the select if ngModel is not present', inject(function($rootScope) {
+    var scope = $rootScope;
+    scope.d = 'd';
+    scope.e = 'e';
+    scope.f = 'f';
+
+    compile('<select>' +
+      '<option ng-value="\'a\'">alabel</option>' +
+      '<option value="b">blabel</option>' +
+      '<option >c</option>' +
+      '<option ng-value="d">dlabel</option>' +
+      '<option value="{{e}}">elabel</option>' +
+      '<option>{{f}}</option>' +
+    '</select>');
+
+    var selectCtrl = element.controller('select');
+
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('a')).toBe(false);
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('b')).toBe(false);
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('c')).toBe(false);
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('d')).toBe(false);
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('e')).toBe(false);
+    expect(selectCtrl.hasOption('f')).toBe(false);
+  }));
 
   describe('select-one', function() {