diff --git a/src/ng/browser.js b/src/ng/browser.js
index e87e5e184e93..b149ee66f4f3 100644
--- a/src/ng/browser.js
+++ b/src/ng/browser.js
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ function Browser(window, document, $log, $sniffer) {
     }
   }
 
+  function getHash(url) {
+    var index = url.indexOf('#');
+    return index === -1 ? '' : url.substr(index + 1);
+  }
+
   /**
    * @private
    * Note: this method is used only by scenario runner
@@ -173,8 +178,10 @@ function Browser(window, document, $log, $sniffer) {
         }
         if (replace) {
           location.replace(url);
-        } else {
+        } else if (!sameBase) {
           location.href = url;
+        } else {
+          location.hash = getHash(url);
         }
       }
       return self;
diff --git a/test/ng/browserSpecs.js b/test/ng/browserSpecs.js
index 62b0a80c5298..b6200cb2c296 100755
--- a/test/ng/browserSpecs.js
+++ b/test/ng/browserSpecs.js
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 'use strict';
 
-function MockWindow() {
+/* global getHash:true, stripHash:true */
+
+var historyEntriesLength;
+var sniffer = {};
+
+function MockWindow(options) {
+  if (typeof options !== 'object') {
+    options = {};
+  }
   var events = {};
   var timeouts = this.timeouts = [];
+  var locationHref = 'http://server/';
+  var mockWindow = this;
 
   this.setTimeout = function(fn) {
     return timeouts.push(fn) - 1;
@@ -35,10 +45,37 @@ function MockWindow() {
     });
   };
 
-  this.location = {
-    href: 'http://server/',
-    replace: noop
+  //IE8 hack. defineProperty doesn't work with POJS, just with certain DOM elements
+  this.location = document.createElement('div');
+  this.location.href = {};
+  this.location.hash = {};
+  this.location.replace = function(url) {
+    locationHref = url;
+    mockWindow.history.state = null;
   };
+  Object.defineProperty(this.location, 'href', {
+    enumerable: false,
+    configurable: true,
+    set: function(value) {
+      locationHref = value;
+      mockWindow.history.state = null;
+      historyEntriesLength++;
+    },
+    get: function() {
+      return locationHref;
+    }
+  });
+
+  Object.defineProperty(this.location, 'hash', {
+    enumerable: false,
+    configurable: true,
+    set: function(value) {
+      locationHref = stripHash(locationHref) + '#' + value;
+    },
+    get: function() {
+      return getHash(locationHref);
+    }
+  });
 
   this.history = {
     replaceState: noop,
@@ -89,7 +126,6 @@ describe('browser', function() {
                    warn: function() { logs.warn.push(slice.call(arguments)); },
                    info: function() { logs.info.push(slice.call(arguments)); },
                    error: function() { logs.error.push(slice.call(arguments)); }};
-
     browser = new Browser(fakeWindow, fakeDocument, fakeLog, sniffer);
   });
 
@@ -451,6 +487,17 @@ describe('browser', function() {
       expect(locationReplace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it("should retain the # character when the only change is clearing the hash fragment, to prevent page reload", function() {
+      sniffer.history = true;
+
+      browser.url('http://server/#123');
+      expect(fakeWindow.location.href).toEqual('http://server/#123');
+
+      browser.url('http://server/');
+      expect(fakeWindow.location.href).toEqual('http://server/#');
+
+    });
+
     it('should use location.replace when history.replaceState not available', function() {
       sniffer.history = false;
       browser.url('http://new.org', true);
@@ -462,6 +509,7 @@ describe('browser', function() {
       expect(fakeWindow.location.href).toEqual('http://server/');
     });
 
+
     it('should use location.replace and not use replaceState when the url only changed in the hash fragment to please IE10/11', function() {
       sniffer.history = true;
       browser.url('http://server/#123', true);
@@ -473,6 +521,7 @@ describe('browser', function() {
       expect(fakeWindow.location.href).toEqual('http://server/');
     });
 
+
     it('should return $browser to allow chaining', function() {
       expect(browser.url('http://any.com')).toBe(browser);
     });
@@ -835,7 +884,6 @@ describe('browser', function() {
         expect(browser.url()).toBe(newUrl);
         $rootScope.$digest();
         expect(browser.url()).toBe(newUrl);
-        expect(fakeWindow.location.href).toBe(current);
       });
     });