$route service should reload controllers only if hashPath changes

src/service/route.js

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  * @property {Array.<Object>} routes Array of all configured routes.
  *
  * @description
- * Watches `$location.hashPath` and tries to map the hash to an existing route
+ * Watches `$location.hash` and tries to map the hash to an existing route
  * definition. It is used for deep-linking URLs to controllers and views (HTML partials).
  *
  * The `$route` service is typically used in conjunction with {@link angular.widget.ng:view ng:view}
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ angularServiceInject('$route', function(location, $updateView) {
       matcher = switchRouteMatcher,
       parentScope = this,
       dirty = 0,
+      locationWatchProp = 'hash',
       $route = {
         routes: routes,
 
@@ -172,6 +173,20 @@ angularServiceInject('$route', function(location, $updateView) {
          */
         reload: function() {
           dirty++;
+        },
+
+        /**
+         * @workInProgress
+         * @ngdoc method
+         * @name angular.service.$route#watchHashPathOnly
+         * @methodOf angular.service.$route
+         *
+         * @description
+         * Causes `$route` service to be reload only if `$location.hashPath` changes. Other properties of
+         * {@link angular.service.$location $location service} won't trigger reloads.
+         */
+        watchHashPathOnly: function(hashPathOnly) {
+          locationWatchProp = hashPathOnly ? 'hashPath' : 'hash';
         }
       };
 
@@ -260,7 +275,7 @@ angularServiceInject('$route', function(location, $updateView) {
   }
 
 
-  this.$watch(function(){return dirty + location.hash;}, updateRoute);
+  this.$watch(function(){return dirty + location[locationWatchProp];}, updateRoute);
 
   return $route;
 }, ['$location', '$updateView']);

test/service/routeSpec.js

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ describe('$route', function() {
   });
 
 
-  it('should route and fire change event', function(){
+  it('should change route and fire change event', function(){
     var log = '',
         $location, $route;
 
@@ -52,6 +52,42 @@ describe('$route', function() {
   });
 
 
+  it('should not reload route when only hashSearch changes, but hashPath does not', function() {
+    var scope = angular.scope(),
+        $location = scope.$service('$location'),
+        $route = scope.$service('$route'),
+        log = [];
+
+    $route.when('/foo', {controller: FooCtrl});
+
+    function FooCtrl() {
+      log.push('foo');
+    }
+
+    expect(log).toEqual([]);
+
+    //without watchHashPathOnly setting the route should always reload
+    $location.hashPath = '/foo';
+    scope.$eval();
+    $location.hashSearch.foo = 'bar';
+    scope.$eval();
+    expect(log).toEqual(['foo', 'foo']);
+
+    //reset log and change $route config
+    log = [];
+    $route.watchHashPathOnly(true);
+
+    //with watchHashPathOnly on, only hashPath changes should not trigger reload
+    $location.hashPath = '/foo';
+    scope.$eval();
+    expect(log).toEqual(['foo']);
+
+    $location.hashSearch.foo = 'bar';
+    scope.$eval();
+    expect(log).toEqual(['foo']);
+  });
+
+
   it('should return fn registered with onChange()', function() {
     var scope = angular.scope(),
         $route = scope.$service('$route'),