diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index bb78452d5776..0969a670f13d 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -164,7 +164,9 @@
  *   value of `parentModel` on the parent scope. Any changes to `parentModel` will be reflected
  *   in `localModel` and any changes in `localModel` will reflect in `parentModel`. If the parent
  *   scope property doesn't exist, it will throw a NON_ASSIGNABLE_MODEL_EXPRESSION exception. You
- *   can avoid this behavior using `=?` or `=?attr` in order to flag the property as optional.
+ *   can avoid this behavior using `=?` or `=?attr` in order to flag the property as optional. If
+ *   you want to shallow watch for changes (i.e. $watchCollection instead of $watch) you can use
+ *   `=*` or `=*attr` (`=*?` or `=*?attr` if the property is optional).
  *
  * * `&` or `&attr` - provides a way to execute an expression in the context of the parent scope.
  *   If no `attr` name is specified then the attribute name is assumed to be the same as the
@@ -691,7 +693,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
   var EVENT_HANDLER_ATTR_REGEXP = /^(on[a-z]+|formaction)$/;
 
   function parseIsolateBindings(scope, directiveName) {
-    var LOCAL_REGEXP = /^\s*([@=&])(\??)\s*(\w*)\s*$/;
+    var LOCAL_REGEXP = /^\s*([@&]|=(\*?))(\??)\s*(\w*)\s*$/;
 
     var bindings = {};
 
@@ -706,9 +708,10 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
       }
 
       bindings[scopeName] = {
-        attrName: match[3] || scopeName,
-        mode: match[1],
-        optional: match[2] === '?'
+        mode: match[1][0],
+        collection: match[2] === '*',
+        optional: match[3] === '?',
+        attrName: match[4] || scopeName
       };
     });
 
@@ -1890,7 +1893,12 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
                   return lastValue = parentValue;
                 };
                 parentValueWatch.$stateful = true;
-                var unwatch = scope.$watch($parse(attrs[attrName], parentValueWatch), null, parentGet.literal);
+                var unwatch;
+                if (definition.collection) {
+                  unwatch = scope.$watchCollection(attrs[attrName], parentValueWatch);
+                } else {
+                  unwatch = scope.$watch($parse(attrs[attrName], parentValueWatch), null, parentGet.literal);
+                }
                 isolateScope.$on('$destroy', unwatch);
                 break;
 
diff --git a/test/ng/compileSpec.js b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
index d2ed91ef0422..0a25b1c72e55 100755
--- a/test/ng/compileSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
@@ -3065,6 +3065,8 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
             optref: '=?',
             optrefAlias: '=? optref',
             optreference: '=?',
+            colref: '=*',
+            colrefAlias: '=* colref',
             expr: '&',
             exprAlias: '&expr'
           },
@@ -3562,6 +3564,53 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
     });
 
 
+    describe('collection object reference', function () {
+      it('should update isolate scope when origin scope changes', inject(function () {
+        $rootScope.collection = [{
+          name: 'Gabriel',
+          value: 18
+        }, {
+          name: 'Tony',
+          value: 91
+        }];
+        $rootScope.query = "";
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+
+        compile('<div><span my-component colref="collection | filter:query">');
+
+        expect(componentScope.colref).toEqual($rootScope.collection);
+        expect(componentScope.colrefAlias).toEqual(componentScope.colref);
+
+        $rootScope.query = "Gab";
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+
+        expect(componentScope.colref).toEqual([$rootScope.collection[0]]);
+        expect(componentScope.colrefAlias).toEqual([$rootScope.collection[0]]);
+      }));
+
+      it('should update origin scope when isolate scope changes', inject(function () {
+        $rootScope.collection = [{
+          name: 'Gabriel',
+          value: 18
+        }, {
+          name: 'Tony',
+          value: 91
+        }];
+
+        compile('<div><span my-component colref="collection">');
+
+        var newItem = {
+          name: 'Pablo',
+          value: 10
+        };
+        componentScope.colref.push(newItem);
+        componentScope.$apply();
+
+        expect($rootScope.collection[2]).toEqual(newItem);
+      }));
+    });
+
+
     describe('executable expression', function() {
       it('should allow expression execution with locals', inject(function() {
         compile('<div><span my-component expr="count = count + offset">');