diff --git a/js/angular/directive/navButtons.js b/js/angular/directive/navButtons.js
index 6d6dcbee6bf..7bf7881ad6d 100644
--- a/js/angular/directive/navButtons.js
+++ b/js/angular/directive/navButtons.js
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ IonicModule
 
         //Append buttons to navbar
         ionic.requestAnimationFrame(function() {
-          $animate.enter(buttons, navElement);
+          //If the scope is destroyed before raf runs, be sure not to enter
+          if (!$scope.$$destroyed) {
+            $animate.enter(buttons, navElement);
+          }
         });
 
         //When our ion-nav-buttons container is destroyed,
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
index 8a76dbe4fc8..33bf86ebb07 100644
--- a/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
+++ b/test/unit/angular/directive/navBackButton.unit.js
@@ -1,15 +1,5 @@
 describe('ionNavBackButton directive', function() {
-  beforeEach(module('ionic', function($compileProvider) {
-    $compileProvider.directive('needsScroll', function() {
-      return {
-        //Test if the buttons are 'children of ionScroll' when compiled
-        require: '^$ionicScroll',
-        link: function(scope, element, attrs, ctrl) {
-          element.data('scrollCtrl', ctrl);
-        }
-      };
-    });
-  }));
+  beforeEach(module('ionic'));
 
   function setup(attr, content) {
     var el;
@@ -24,27 +14,6 @@ describe('ionNavBackButton directive', function() {
     return el;
   }
 
-  it('ionNavButtons should compile buttons with same scope & access the same data on compile', inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
-    var el = $compile('<div>' +
-     '<ion-nav-bar></ion-nav-bar>' +
-     '<ion-view>' +
-       '<ion-content>' +
-         '<ion-nav-buttons side="left">' +
-           '<button needs-scroll>Hello!</button>' +
-         '</ion-nav-buttons>' +
-       '</ion-content>' +
-     '</ion-view>' +
-    '</div>')($rootScope.$new());
-    $rootScope.$apply();
-    expect(el.find('ion-content').children().scope())
-      .toBe(el.find('.left-buttons button').scope());
-
-    //Test if the button was compiled able to access the parents of ion-nav-buttons
-    var scrollCtrl = el.find('ion-content').controller('$ionicScroll');
-    expect(scrollCtrl).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(el.find('button[needs-scroll]').data('scrollCtrl')).toBe(scrollCtrl);
-  }));
-
   it('should error without a parent ionNavBar', inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
     expect(function() {
       $compile('<ion-nav-back-button>')($rootScope);
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/directive/navButtons.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/directive/navButtons.unit.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..62bb714a8a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/angular/directive/navButtons.unit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+ddescribe('ionNavButtons directive', function() {
+
+  beforeEach(module('ionic', function($compileProvider) {
+    $compileProvider.directive('needsScroll', function() {
+      return {
+        //Test if the buttons are 'children of ionScroll' when compiled
+        require: '^$ionicScroll',
+        link: function(scope, element, attrs, ctrl) {
+          element.data('scrollCtrl', ctrl);
+        }
+      };
+    });
+  }));
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    ionic.requestAnimationFrame = function(cb) { cb(); };
+  });
+
+  function setup(side, tpl) {
+    var el;
+    inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
+      el = $compile('<div>' +
+       '<ion-nav-bar></ion-nav-bar>' +
+       '<ion-view>' +
+         '<ion-content>' +
+           '<ion-nav-buttons side="'+(side)+'">' +
+             (tpl || '') + 
+           '</ion-nav-buttons>' +
+         '</ion-content>' +
+       '</ion-view>' +
+      '</div>')($rootScope.$new());
+      $rootScope.$apply();
+    });
+    return el;
+  }
+
+  it('should add buttons to left side by default', function() {
+    var el = setup(null, '<button id="my-btn">');
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.right-buttons #my-btn')).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+  it('should add buttons to left side', function() {
+    var el = setup('left', '<button id="my-btn">');
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.right-buttons #my-btn')).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+  it('should add buttons to right side', function() {
+    var el = setup('right', '<button id="my-btn">');
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.right-buttons #my-btn')).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it('should remove buttons on content destroy', function() {
+    var el = setup('', '<button id="my-btn">');
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeTruthy();
+    el.find('ion-nav-buttons').scope().$destroy();
+    el.scope().$apply();
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+  it('should compile buttons with same scope & access the same data on compile', function() { 
+    var el = setup('left', '<button needs-scroll>Hello!</button>');
+    expect(jqLite(el[0].querySelector('ion-content')).children().scope().$id)
+      .toBe(jqLite(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons button')).scope().$id);
+
+    //Test if the button was compiled able to access the parents of ion-nav-buttons
+    var scrollCtrl = el.find('ion-content').controller('$ionicScroll');
+    expect(scrollCtrl).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(el.find('button[needs-scroll]').data('scrollCtrl')).toBe(scrollCtrl);
+  });
+
+  it('should not enter if button is destroyed before raf', function() {
+    var rafCb;
+    ionic.requestAnimationFrame = function(cb) { rafCb = cb; };
+    var el = setup('left', '<button id="my-btn">');
+    el.find('ion-content').scope().$destroy();
+    el.scope().$apply();
+    rafCb();
+    expect(el[0].querySelector('.left-buttons #my-btn')).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+});