diff --git a/src/modal/modal.js b/src/modal/modal.js
index d17377b826..1435087f11 100644
--- a/src/modal/modal.js
+++ b/src/modal/modal.js
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.modal', ['ui.bootstrap.transition'])
               modalScope.$close = modalInstance.close;
               modalScope.$dismiss = modalInstance.dismiss;
 
-              var ctrlLocals = {};
+              var ctrlInstance, ctrlLocals = {};
               var resolveIter = 1;
 
               //controllers
@@ -365,7 +365,10 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.modal', ['ui.bootstrap.transition'])
                   ctrlLocals[key] = tplAndVars[resolveIter++];
                 });
 
-                $controller(modalOptions.controllerAs ? modalOptions.controller + ' as ' + modalOptions.controllerAs : modalOptions.controller, ctrlLocals);
+                ctrlInstance = $controller(modalOptions.controller, ctrlLocals);
+                if (modalOptions.controller) {
+                  modalScope[modalOptions.controllerAs] = ctrlInstance;
+                }
               }
 
               $modalStack.open(modalInstance, {
diff --git a/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js b/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
index 3a9d33c1f4..d556b21f19 100644
--- a/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
+++ b/src/modal/test/modal.spec.js
@@ -313,6 +313,14 @@ describe('$modal', function () {
         open({template: '<div>{{test.fromCtrl}} {{test.isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: 'TestCtrl', controllerAs: 'test'});
         expect($document).toHaveModalOpenWithContent('Content from ctrl true', 'div');
       });
+
+      it('should allow defining in-place controller-as controllers', function () {
+        open({template: '<div>{{test.fromCtrl}} {{test.isModalInstance}}</div>', controller: function($modalInstance) {
+          this.fromCtrl = 'Content from ctrl';
+          this.isModalInstance = angular.isObject($modalInstance) && angular.isFunction($modalInstance.close);
+        }, controllerAs: 'test'});
+        expect($document).toHaveModalOpenWithContent('Content from ctrl true', 'div');
+      });
     });
 
     describe('resolve', function () {