diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
index 26f2f0cf1904..6ede818f68f0 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
@@ -401,6 +401,9 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
       // The emptyOption allows the application developer to provide their own custom "empty"
       // option when the viewValue does not match any of the option values.
       var emptyOption;
+      // The empty option might have a directive that dynamically adds / removes it
+      var dynamicEmptyOption;
+
       for (var i = 0, children = selectElement.children(), ii = children.length; i < ii; i++) {
         if (children[i].value === '') {
           emptyOption = children.eq(i);
@@ -550,6 +553,9 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
 
         // compile the element since there might be bindings in it
         $compile(emptyOption)(scope);
+        if (emptyOption[0].nodeType === NODE_TYPE_COMMENT) {
+          dynamicEmptyOption = true;
+        }
 
         // remove the class, which is added automatically because we recompile the element and it
         // becomes the compilation root
@@ -619,9 +625,15 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile, $parse) {
         var unknownOption_ = unknownOption && unknownOption[0];
 
         if (emptyOption_ || unknownOption_) {
-          while (current &&
-                (current === emptyOption_ ||
-                current === unknownOption_)) {
+
+          while (
+            current &&
+            (current === emptyOption_ ||
+            current === unknownOption_ ||
+            // When the empty option is dynamically added / removed, we cannot be sure that the
+            // emptyOption is the same as it was when it was extracted in the first place
+            dynamicEmptyOption && (current.nodeType === NODE_TYPE_COMMENT || current.value === ''))
+          ) {
             current = current.nextSibling;
           }
         }
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
index c5dac4b72914..c0ea84a408e1 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
@@ -2144,6 +2144,53 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
     });
 
 
+    it('should be possible to use ngIf in the blank option', function() {
+      var option;
+      createSingleSelect('<option ng-if="isBlank" value="">blank</option>');
+
+      scope.$apply(function() {
+        scope.values = [{name: 'A'}];
+        scope.isBlank = true;
+      });
+
+      expect(element.find('option').length).toBe(2);
+      option = element.find('option').eq(0);
+      expect(option.val()).toBe('');
+      expect(option.text()).toBe('blank');
+
+      scope.$apply(function() {
+        scope.isBlank = false;
+      });
+
+      expect(element.find('option').length).toBe(1);
+      option = element.find('option').eq(0);
+      expect(option.text()).toBe('A');
+    });
+
+
+    it('should be possible to use ngIf in the blank option when values are available upon linking',
+      function() {
+        var options;
+
+        scope.values = [{name: 'A'}];
+        createSingleSelect('<option ng-if="isBlank" value="">blank</option>');
+
+        scope.$apply('isBlank = true');
+
+        options = element.find('option');
+        expect(options.length).toBe(2);
+        expect(options.eq(0).val()).toBe('');
+        expect(options.eq(0).text()).toBe('blank');
+
+        scope.$apply('isBlank = false');
+
+        options = element.find('option');
+        expect(options.length).toBe(1);
+        expect(options.eq(0).text()).toBe('A');
+      }
+    );
+
+
     it('should not throw when a directive compiles the blank option before ngOptions is linked', function() {
       expect(function() {
         createSelect({