diff --git a/src/.jshintrc b/src/.jshintrc
index 9bf993719bf0..e833bcf065d2 100644
--- a/src/.jshintrc
+++ b/src/.jshintrc
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@
     "NODE_TYPE_DOCUMENT": false,
     "NODE_TYPE_DOCUMENT_FRAGMENT": false,
 
+    "httpResponseTransform": false,
+
     /* filters.js */
     "getFirstThursdayOfYear": false,
 
diff --git a/src/ng/http.js b/src/ng/http.js
index 0ae6d0ef1b81..a04d468bb3cc 100644
--- a/src/ng/http.js
+++ b/src/ng/http.js
@@ -1,5 +1,24 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var APPLICATION_JSON = 'application/json';
+var CONTENT_TYPE_APPLICATION_JSON = {'Content-Type': APPLICATION_JSON + ';charset=utf-8'};
+var JSON_START = /^\s*(\[|\{[^\{])/;
+var JSON_END = /[\}\]]\s*$/;
+var JSON_PROTECTION_PREFIX = /^\)\]\}',?\n/;
+
+function httpResponseTransform(data, headers) {
+  if (isString(data)) {
+    // strip json vulnerability protection prefix
+    data = data.replace(JSON_PROTECTION_PREFIX, '');
+    var contentType = headers('Content-Type');
+    if ((contentType && contentType.indexOf(APPLICATION_JSON) === 0) ||
+        (JSON_START.test(data) && JSON_END.test(data))) {
+      data = fromJson(data);
+    }
+  }
+  return data;
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse headers into key value object
  *
@@ -86,12 +105,6 @@ function isSuccess(status) {
  * Use `$httpProvider` to change the default behavior of the {@link ng.$http $http} service.
  * */
 function $HttpProvider() {
-  var JSON_START = /^\s*(\[|\{[^\{])/,
-      JSON_END = /[\}\]]\s*$/,
-      PROTECTION_PREFIX = /^\)\]\}',?\n/,
-      APPLICATION_JSON = 'application/json',
-      CONTENT_TYPE_APPLICATION_JSON = {'Content-Type': APPLICATION_JSON + ';charset=utf-8'};
-
   /**
    * @ngdoc property
    * @name $httpProvider#defaults
@@ -115,18 +128,7 @@ function $HttpProvider() {
    **/
   var defaults = this.defaults = {
     // transform incoming response data
-    transformResponse: [function defaultHttpResponseTransform(data, headers) {
-      if (isString(data)) {
-        // strip json vulnerability protection prefix
-        data = data.replace(PROTECTION_PREFIX, '');
-        var contentType = headers('Content-Type');
-        if ((contentType && contentType.indexOf(APPLICATION_JSON) === 0) ||
-            (JSON_START.test(data) && JSON_END.test(data))) {
-          data = fromJson(data);
-        }
-      }
-      return data;
-    }],
+    transformResponse: [httpResponseTransform],
 
     // transform outgoing request data
     transformRequest: [function(d) {
diff --git a/src/ng/templateRequest.js b/src/ng/templateRequest.js
index 7155718e89a4..475dae4b07f8 100644
--- a/src/ng/templateRequest.js
+++ b/src/ng/templateRequest.js
@@ -25,7 +25,23 @@ function $TemplateRequestProvider() {
       var self = handleRequestFn;
       self.totalPendingRequests++;
 
-      return $http.get(tpl, { cache : $templateCache })
+      var transformResponse = $http.defaults && $http.defaults.transformResponse;
+      var idx;
+
+      if (isArray(transformResponse) &&
+          (idx = transformResponse.indexOf(httpResponseTransform)) >= 0) {
+        transformResponse = copy(transformResponse, []);
+        transformResponse.splice(idx, 1);
+      } else if (transformResponse === httpResponseTransform) {
+        transformResponse = null;
+      }
+
+      var httpOptions = {
+        cache: $templateCache,
+        transformResponse: transformResponse
+      };
+
+      return $http.get(tpl, httpOptions)
         .then(function(response) {
           var html = response.data;
           if(!html || html.length === 0) {
diff --git a/test/ng/templateRequestSpec.js b/test/ng/templateRequestSpec.js
index efc6a182116c..dbb36a4161bc 100644
--- a/test/ng/templateRequestSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/templateRequestSpec.js
@@ -86,4 +86,48 @@ describe('$templateRequest', function() {
     expect($templateRequest.totalPendingRequests).toBe(0);
   }));
 
+  it('should not try to parse a response as JSON',
+    inject(function($templateRequest, $httpBackend) {
+      var spy = jasmine.createSpy('success');
+      $httpBackend.expectGET('a.html').respond('{{text}}', {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+      });
+      $templateRequest('a.html').then(spy);
+      $httpBackend.flush();
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledOnceWith('{{text}}');
+  }));
+
+  it('should use custom response transformers (array)', function() {
+    module(function($httpProvider) {
+      $httpProvider.defaults.transformResponse.push(function(data) {
+        return data + '!!';
+      });
+    });
+    inject(function($templateRequest, $httpBackend) {
+      var spy = jasmine.createSpy('success');
+      $httpBackend.expectGET('a.html').respond('{{text}}', {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+      });
+      $templateRequest('a.html').then(spy);
+      $httpBackend.flush();
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledOnceWith('{{text}}!!');
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should use custom response transformers (function)', function() {
+    module(function($httpProvider) {
+      $httpProvider.defaults.transformResponse = function(data) {
+        return data + '!!';
+      };
+    });
+    inject(function($templateRequest, $httpBackend) {
+      var spy = jasmine.createSpy('success');
+      $httpBackend.expectGET('a.html').respond('{{text}}', {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+      });
+      $templateRequest('a.html').then(spy);
+      $httpBackend.flush();
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledOnceWith('{{text}}!!');
+    });
+  });
 });