diff --git a/src/ngRoute/route.js b/src/ngRoute/route.js
index 4000f413ecf1..ef8ef0b3cc27 100644
--- a/src/ngRoute/route.js
+++ b/src/ngRoute/route.js
@@ -436,6 +436,29 @@ function $RouteProvider(){
           reload: function() {
             forceReload = true;
             $rootScope.$evalAsync(updateRoute);
+          },
+
+          /**
+           * @ngdoc method
+           * @name $route#parseRoute
+           * @return {Object} the matching route
+           *
+           * @description
+           * Finds the route that matches the provided path.
+           */
+          parseRoute: function(r) {
+            // Match a route
+            var params, match;
+            angular.forEach(routes, function(route, path) {
+              if (!match && (params = switchRouteMatcher(r, route))) {
+                match = inherit(route, {
+                  params: angular.extend({}, $location.search(), params),
+                  pathParams: params});
+                match.$$route = route;
+              }
+            });
+            // No route matched; fallback to "otherwise" route
+            return match || routes[null] && inherit(routes[null], {params: {}, pathParams:{}});
           }
         };
 
@@ -480,7 +503,7 @@ function $RouteProvider(){
     }
 
     function updateRoute() {
-      var next = parseRoute(),
+      var next = $route.parseRoute($location.path()),
           last = $route.current;
 
       if (next && last && next.$$route === last.$$route
@@ -554,25 +577,6 @@ function $RouteProvider(){
       }
     }
 
-
-    /**
-     * @returns {Object} the current active route, by matching it against the URL
-     */
-    function parseRoute() {
-      // Match a route
-      var params, match;
-      angular.forEach(routes, function(route, path) {
-        if (!match && (params = switchRouteMatcher($location.path(), route))) {
-          match = inherit(route, {
-            params: angular.extend({}, $location.search(), params),
-            pathParams: params});
-          match.$$route = route;
-        }
-      });
-      // No route matched; fallback to "otherwise" route
-      return match || routes[null] && inherit(routes[null], {params: {}, pathParams:{}});
-    }
-
     /**
      * @returns {string} interpolation of the redirect path with the parameters
      */