diff --git a/src/ng/httpBackend.js b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
index 63b0745658da..ba4585959e7f 100644
--- a/src/ng/httpBackend.js
+++ b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
@@ -49,16 +49,13 @@ function createHttpBackend($browser, createXhr, $browserDefer, callbacks, rawDoc
       var callbackId = '_' + (callbacks.counter++).toString(36);
       callbacks[callbackId] = function(data) {
         callbacks[callbackId].data = data;
+        callbacks[callbackId].called = true;
       };
 
       var jsonpDone = jsonpReq(url.replace('JSON_CALLBACK', 'angular.callbacks.' + callbackId),
-          function() {
-        if (callbacks[callbackId].data) {
-          completeRequest(callback, 200, callbacks[callbackId].data);
-        } else {
-          completeRequest(callback, status || -2);
-        }
-        callbacks[callbackId] = angular.noop;
+          callbackId, function(status, text) {
+        completeRequest(callback, status, callbacks[callbackId].data, "", text);
+        callbacks[callbackId] = noop;
       });
     } else {
 
@@ -160,33 +157,51 @@ function createHttpBackend($browser, createXhr, $browserDefer, callbacks, rawDoc
     }
   };
 
-  function jsonpReq(url, done) {
+  function jsonpReq(url, callbackId, done) {
     // we can't use jQuery/jqLite here because jQuery does crazy shit with script elements, e.g.:
     // - fetches local scripts via XHR and evals them
     // - adds and immediately removes script elements from the document
-    var script = rawDocument.createElement('script'),
-        doneWrapper = function() {
-          script.onreadystatechange = script.onload = script.onerror = null;
-          rawDocument.body.removeChild(script);
-          if (done) done();
-        };
-
-    script.type = 'text/javascript';
+    var script = rawDocument.createElement('script'), callback = null;
+    script.type = "text/javascript";
     script.src = url;
+    script.async = true;
+
+    callback = function(event) {
+      removeEventListenerFn(script, "load", callback);
+      removeEventListenerFn(script, "error", callback);
+      rawDocument.body.removeChild(script);
+      script = null;
+      var status = -1;
+      var text = "unknown";
+
+      if (event) {
+        if (event.type === "load" && !callbacks[callbackId].called) {
+          event = { type: "error" };
+        }
+        text = event.type;
+        status = event.type === "error" ? 404 : 200;
+      }
+
+      if (done) {
+        done(status, text);
+      }
+    };
+
+    addEventListenerFn(script, "load", callback);
+    addEventListenerFn(script, "error", callback);
 
-    if (msie && msie <= 8) {
+    if (msie <= 8) {
       script.onreadystatechange = function() {
-        if (/loaded|complete/.test(script.readyState)) {
-          doneWrapper();
+        if (isString(script.readyState) && /loaded|complete/.test(script.readyState)) {
+          script.onreadystatechange = null;
+          callback({
+            type: 'load'
+          });
         }
       };
-    } else {
-      script.onload = script.onerror = function() {
-        doneWrapper();
-      };
     }
 
     rawDocument.body.appendChild(script);
-    return doneWrapper;
+    return callback;
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
index a549b6a894a3..46cefea719fa 100644
--- a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
@@ -39,7 +39,17 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
     fakeDocument = {
       $$scripts: [],
       createElement: jasmine.createSpy('createElement').andCallFake(function() {
-        return {};
+        // msie8 depends on modifying readyState for testing. This property is readonly,
+        // so it requires a fake object. For other browsers, we do need to make use of
+        // event listener registration/deregistration, so these stubs are needed.
+        if (msie <= 8) return {
+          attachEvent: noop,
+          detachEvent: noop,
+          addEventListener: noop,
+          removeEventListener: noop
+        };
+        // Return a proper script element...
+        return document.createElement(arguments[0]);
       }),
       body: {
         appendChild: jasmine.createSpy('body.appendChild').andCallFake(function(script) {
@@ -356,7 +366,7 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
         script.readyState = 'complete';
         script.onreadystatechange();
       } else {
-        script.onload();
+        browserTrigger(script, "load");
       }
 
       expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
@@ -372,12 +382,11 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
           callbackId = script.src.match(SCRIPT_URL)[2];
 
       callbacks[callbackId]('some-data');
-
       if (script.onreadystatechange) {
         script.readyState = 'complete';
         script.onreadystatechange();
       } else {
-        script.onload();
+        browserTrigger(script, "load");
       }
 
       expect(callbacks[callbackId]).toBe(angular.noop);
@@ -385,7 +394,7 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
     });
 
 
-    if(msie<=8) {
+    if (msie <= 8) {
 
       it('should attach onreadystatechange handler to the script object', function() {
         $backend('JSONP', 'http://example.org/path?cb=JSON_CALLBACK', null, noop);
@@ -400,42 +409,9 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
         expect(script.onreadystatechange).toBe(null);
       });
 
-    } else {
-
-      it('should attach onload and onerror handlers to the script object', function() {
-        $backend('JSONP', 'http://example.org/path?cb=JSON_CALLBACK', null, noop);
-
-        expect(fakeDocument.$$scripts[0].onload).toEqual(jasmine.any(Function));
-        expect(fakeDocument.$$scripts[0].onerror).toEqual(jasmine.any(Function));
-
-        var script = fakeDocument.$$scripts[0];
-        script.onload();
-
-        expect(script.onload).toBe(null);
-        expect(script.onerror).toBe(null);
-      });
 
     }
 
-    it('should call callback with status -2 when script fails to load', function() {
-      callback.andCallFake(function(status, response) {
-        expect(status).toBe(-2);
-        expect(response).toBeUndefined();
-      });
-
-      $backend('JSONP', 'http://example.org/path?cb=JSON_CALLBACK', null, callback);
-      expect(fakeDocument.$$scripts.length).toBe(1);
-
-      var script = fakeDocument.$$scripts.shift();
-      if (script.onreadystatechange) {
-        script.readyState = 'complete';
-        script.onreadystatechange();
-      } else {
-        script.onload();
-      }
-      expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
-    });
-
 
     it('should set url to current location if not specified or empty string', function() {
       $backend('JSONP', undefined, null, callback);