diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngStyle.js b/src/ng/directive/ngStyle.js
index 844029904202..afb7a79d269d 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngStyle.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngStyle.js
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@
    </example>
  */
 var ngStyleDirective = ngDirective(function(scope, element, attr) {
-  scope.$watch(attr.ngStyle, function ngStyleWatchAction(newStyles, oldStyles) {
+  scope.$watchCollection(attr.ngStyle, function ngStyleWatchAction(newStyles, oldStyles) {
     if (oldStyles && (newStyles !== oldStyles)) {
       forEach(oldStyles, function(val, style) { element.css(style, '');});
     }
     if (newStyles) element.css(newStyles);
-  }, true);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/ngStyleSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/ngStyleSpec.js
index b708eb7a4d82..7a8cfb2cd75f 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/ngStyleSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/ngStyleSpec.js
@@ -23,6 +23,33 @@ describe('ngStyle', function() {
   }));
 
 
+  it('should not deep watch objects', inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
+    element = $compile('<div ng-style="{height: heightObj}"></div>')($rootScope);
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    expect(parseInt(element.css('height') + 0, 10)).toEqual(0); // height could be '' or '0px'
+    $rootScope.heightObj = {toString: function() { return '40px'; }};
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    expect(element.css('height')).toBe('40px');
+
+    element.css('height', '10px');
+    $rootScope.heightObj.otherProp = 123;
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    expect(element.css('height')).toBe('10px');
+  }));
+
+
+  it('should support binding for object literals', inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
+    element = $compile('<div ng-style="{height: heightStr}"></div>')($rootScope);
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    expect(parseInt(element.css('height') + 0, 10)).toEqual(0); // height could be '' or '0px'
+    $rootScope.$apply('heightStr = "40px"');
+    expect(element.css('height')).toBe('40px');
+
+    $rootScope.$apply('heightStr = "100px"');
+    expect(element.css('height')).toBe('100px');
+  }));
+
+
   it('should support lazy one-time binding for object literals', inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
     element = $compile('<div ng-style="::{height: heightStr}"></div>')($rootScope);
     $rootScope.$digest();