diff --git a/lib/core_dom/directive.dart b/lib/core_dom/directive.dart
index ec846f7ca..125db2e66 100644
--- a/lib/core_dom/directive.dart
+++ b/lib/core_dom/directive.dart
@@ -57,7 +57,10 @@ class NodeAttrs {
       if (_mustacheAttrs[attrName].isComputed) notifyFn(this[attrName]);
       _mustacheAttrs[attrName].notifyFn(true);
     } else {
-      notifyFn(this[attrName]);
+      if (element.attributes.containsKey(attrName)) {
+        var value = element.attributes[attrName];
+        notifyFn(this[attrName]);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/core_dom/element_binder.dart b/lib/core_dom/element_binder.dart
index 79be68c1c..56f019667 100644
--- a/lib/core_dom/element_binder.dart
+++ b/lib/core_dom/element_binder.dart
@@ -124,10 +124,9 @@ class ElementBinder {
     dstPathFn.assign(controller, _parser(expression).bind(scope.context, ScopeLocals.wrapper));
   }
 
-
-  void _createAttrMappings(directive, scope, List<MappingParts> mappings, nodeAttrs, formatters,
+  void _createAttrMappings(directive, scope, DirectiveRef ref, nodeAttrs, formatters,
                            tasks) {
-    mappings.forEach((MappingParts p) {
+    ref.mappings.forEach((MappingParts p) {
       var attrName = p.attrName;
       var dstExpression = p.dstExpression;
 
@@ -154,6 +153,10 @@ class ElementBinder {
       switch (p.mode) {
         case '@': // string
           var taskId = tasks.registerTask();
+          if (ref.element is dom.Element &&
+              !(ref.element as dom.Element).attributes.containsKey(attrName)) {
+            tasks.completeTask(taskId);
+          }
           nodeAttrs.observe(attrName, (value) {
             dstPathFn.assign(directive, value);
             tasks.completeTask(taskId);
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ class ElementBinder {
 
         if (ref.mappings.isNotEmpty) {
           if (nodeAttrs == null) nodeAttrs = new _AnchorAttrs(ref);
-          _createAttrMappings(directive, scope, ref.mappings, nodeAttrs, formatters, tasks);
+          _createAttrMappings(directive, scope, ref, nodeAttrs, formatters, tasks);
         }
 
         if (directive is AttachAware) {
diff --git a/lib/directive/ng_model.dart b/lib/directive/ng_model.dart
index 4571ee8f3..d670fb09b 100644
--- a/lib/directive/ng_model.dart
+++ b/lib/directive/ng_model.dart
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class NgModel extends NgControl implements AttachAware {
 
   void attach() {
     watchCollection = false;
+    _parentControl.addControl(this);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -127,7 +128,6 @@ class NgModel extends NgControl implements AttachAware {
   String get name => _name;
   void set name(value) {
     _name = value;
-    _parentControl.addControl(this);
   }
 
   // TODO(misko): could we get rid of watch collection, and just always watch the collection?
diff --git a/lib/directive/ng_model_select.dart b/lib/directive/ng_model_select.dart
index 1e8e6e047..5e84135df 100644
--- a/lib/directive/ng_model_select.dart
+++ b/lib/directive/ng_model_select.dart
@@ -40,17 +40,25 @@ class InputSelect implements AttachAware {
   }
 
   attach() {
+    var singleSelectMode = () {
+      _model.watchCollection = false;
+      _mode = new _SingleSelectMode(expando, _selectElement, _model, _nullOption, _unknownOption);
+      _mode.onModelChange(_model.viewValue);
+    };
+
+    var multiSelectMode = () {
+      _model.watchCollection = true;
+      _mode = new _MultipleSelectionMode(expando, _selectElement, _model);
+      _mode.onModelChange(_model.viewValue);
+    };
+
+    if (!_selectElement.attributes.containsKey('multiple')) {
+      singleSelectMode();
+    }
     _attrs.observe('multiple', (value) {
       _mode.destroy();
-      if (value == null) {
-        _model.watchCollection = false;
-        _mode = new _SingleSelectMode(expando, _selectElement, _model,
-            _nullOption, _unknownOption);
-      } else {
-        _model.watchCollection = true;
-        _mode = new _MultipleSelectionMode(expando, _selectElement, _model);
-      }
-      _mode.onModelChange(_model.viewValue);
+      if (value == null || value == '') multiSelectMode();
+      else singleSelectMode();
     });
 
     _selectElement.onChange.listen((event) => _mode.onViewChange(event));
diff --git a/lib/directive/ng_model_validators.dart b/lib/directive/ng_model_validators.dart
index b0537399f..4d0bd7a15 100644
--- a/lib/directive/ng_model_validators.dart
+++ b/lib/directive/ng_model_validators.dart
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ class NgModelMinLengthValidator implements NgValidator {
 
   NgModelMinLengthValidator(NgModel this._ngModel) {
     _ngModel.addValidator(this);
+    _minlength = 0;
   }
 
   bool isValid(modelValue) {
diff --git a/test/core_dom/directive_spec.dart b/test/core_dom/directive_spec.dart
index b80f5f4f6..5152c0717 100644
--- a/test/core_dom/directive_spec.dart
+++ b/test/core_dom/directive_spec.dart
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import '../_specs.dart';
 main() {
   describe('NodeAttrs', () {
     var element;
-    var nodeAttrs;
+    NodeAttrs nodeAttrs;
     TestBed _;
 
     beforeEach((TestBed tb) {
       _ = tb;
-      element = _.compile('<div foo="bar" foo-bar="baz" foo-bar-baz="foo"></div>');
+      element = _.compile('<div foo="bar" foo-bar="baz" foo-bar-baz="foo" cux></div>');
       nodeAttrs = new NodeAttrs(element);
     });
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ main() {
     it('should provide a forEach function to iterate over attributes', () {
       Map<String, String> attrMap = new Map();
       nodeAttrs.forEach((k, v) => attrMap[k] = v);
-      expect(attrMap).toEqual({'foo': 'bar', 'foo-bar': 'baz', 'foo-bar-baz': 'foo'});
+      expect(attrMap).toEqual({'foo': 'bar', 'foo-bar': 'baz', 'foo-bar-baz': 'foo', 'cux': ''});
     });
 
     it('should provide a contains method', () {
@@ -38,7 +38,34 @@ main() {
     });
 
     it('should return the attribute names', () {
-      expect(nodeAttrs.keys.toList()..sort()).toEqual(['foo', 'foo-bar', 'foo-bar-baz']);
+      expect(nodeAttrs.keys.toList()..sort()).toEqual(['cux', 'foo', 'foo-bar', 'foo-bar-baz']);
+    });
+
+    it('should not call function with argument set to null when observing a'
+        ' property', () {
+      var invoked;
+      nodeAttrs.observe("a", (arg) {
+        invoked = true;
+      });
+      expect(invoked).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+
+    it('should call function when argument is set when observing a property',
+        () {
+      var seenValue = '';
+      nodeAttrs.observe("foo", (arg) {
+        seenValue = arg;
+      });
+      expect(seenValue).toEqual('bar');
+    });
+
+    it('should call function with argument set to \'\' when observing a boolean attribute',
+        () {
+      var seenValue;
+      nodeAttrs.observe("cux", (arg) {
+        seenValue = arg;
+      });
+      expect(seenValue).toEqual('');
     });
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/directive/ng_form_spec.dart b/test/directive/ng_form_spec.dart
index 1821f217a..4e6839275 100644
--- a/test/directive/ng_form_spec.dart
+++ b/test/directive/ng_form_spec.dart
@@ -710,6 +710,8 @@ void main() {
         Probe probe = s.context['i'];
         var model = probe.directive(NgModel);
 
+        _.rootScope.apply();
+
         expect(s.eval('name')).toEqual('cool');
         expect(s.eval('myForm.name')).toEqual('myForm');
         expect(s.eval('myForm["name"]')).toBe(model);