diff --git a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
index 7d6f146ad7..efb58175b3 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
+++ b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.html
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
         <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Separated link</a></li>
       </ul>
     </div>
-    
+
     <!-- Single button using template-url -->
     <div class="btn-group" uib-dropdown>
       <button id="button-template-url" type="button" class="btn btn-primary" uib-dropdown-toggle ng-disabled="disabled">
@@ -86,6 +86,52 @@
         </ul>
     </div>
 
+    <hr>
+    <!-- AppendTo use case -->
+    <h4>append-to vs. append-to-body vs. inline example</h4>
+    <div id="dropdown-scrollable-container" style="height: 15em; overflow: auto;">
+      <div id="dropdown-long-content">
+        <div id="dropdown-hidden-container">
+          <div class="btn-group" uib-dropdown dropdown-append-to="appendToEl">
+            <button id="btn-append-to" type="button" class="btn btn-primary" uib-dropdown-toggle>
+              Dropdown in Container <span class="caret"></span>
+            </button>
+            <ul class="dropdown-menu" uib-dropdown-menu role="menu" aria-labelledby="btn-append-to">
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Another action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+              <li class="divider"></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Separated link</a></li>
+            </ul>
+          </div>
+          <div class="btn-group" uib-dropdown dropdown-append-to-body>
+            <button id="btn-append-to-to-body" type="button" class="btn btn-primary" uib-dropdown-toggle>
+              Dropdown on Body <span class="caret"></span>
+            </button>
+            <ul class="dropdown-menu" uib-dropdown-menu role="menu" aria-labelledby="btn-append-to-to-body">
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Another action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+              <li class="divider"></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Separated link</a></li>
+            </ul>
+          </div>
+          <div class="btn-group" uib-dropdown>
+            <button id="btn-append-to-single-button" type="button" class="btn btn-primary" uib-dropdown-toggle>
+              Inline Dropdown <span class="caret"></span>
+            </button>
+            <ul class="dropdown-menu" uib-dropdown-menu role="menu" aria-labelledby="btn-append-to-single-button">
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Another action</a></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+              <li class="divider"></li>
+              <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Separated link</a></li>
+            </ul>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+
     <script type="text/ng-template" id="dropdown.html">
         <ul class="uib-dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="button-template-url">
           <li role="menuitem"><a href="#">Action in Template</a></li>
diff --git a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.js b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.js
index 321d493e16..955746fae1 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/docs/demo.js
+++ b/src/dropdown/docs/demo.js
@@ -18,4 +18,6 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.demo').controller('DropdownCtrl', function ($scope,
     $event.stopPropagation();
     $scope.status.isopen = !$scope.status.isopen;
   };
+
+  $scope.appendToEl = angular.element(document.querySelector('#dropdown-long-content'));
 });
diff --git a/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md b/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
index b8571a175a..a9d7223b98 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/dropdown/docs/readme.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ There is also the `on-toggle(open)` optional expression fired when dropdown chan
 Add `dropdown-append-to-body` to the `uib-dropdown` element to append to the inner `dropdown-menu` to the body.
 This is useful when the dropdown button is inside a div with `overflow: hidden`, and the menu would otherwise be hidden.
 
+Pass an [angular.element](https://docs.angularjs.org/api/ng/function/angular.element) object as the `dropdown-append-to` attribute on the `dropdown` element to append the inner `dropdown-menu` to the passed in element. This is particularly useful when appending to the body element isn't possible, perhaps because the dropdown button is enclosed in a scrollable container. Explore the demo on the left to see this in action. Expand the three different dropdowns and try scrolling inside the containing element.
+
 Add `uib-keyboard-nav` to the `uib-dropdown` element to enable navigation of dropdown list elements with the arrow keys.
 
 By default the dropdown will automatically close if any of its elements is clicked, you can change this behavior by setting the `auto-close` option as follows:
diff --git a/src/dropdown/dropdown.js b/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
index a6d066182f..2b54e45026 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
+++ b/src/dropdown/dropdown.js
@@ -74,9 +74,10 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
     setIsOpen = angular.noop,
     toggleInvoker = $attrs.onToggle ? $parse($attrs.onToggle) : angular.noop,
     appendToBody = false,
-    keynavEnabled =false,
-    selectedOption = null;
-
+    appendTo = null,
+    keynavEnabled = false,
+    selectedOption = null,
+    body = $document.find('body');
 
   $element.addClass('dropdown');
 
@@ -90,11 +91,22 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
       });
     }
 
+    if (angular.isDefined($attrs.dropdownAppendTo)) {
+      var appendToEl = $parse($attrs.dropdownAppendTo)(scope);
+      if (appendToEl) {
+        appendTo = angular.element(appendToEl);
+      }
+    }
+
     appendToBody = angular.isDefined($attrs.dropdownAppendToBody);
     keynavEnabled = angular.isDefined($attrs.uibKeyboardNav);
 
-    if (appendToBody && self.dropdownMenu) {
-      $document.find('body').append(self.dropdownMenu);
+    if (appendToBody && !appendTo) {
+      appendTo = body;
+    }
+
+    if (appendTo && self.dropdownMenu) {
+      appendTo.append(self.dropdownMenu);
       $element.on('$destroy', function handleDestroyEvent() {
         self.dropdownMenu.remove();
       });
@@ -129,7 +141,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
   scope.focusDropdownEntry = function(keyCode) {
     var elems = self.dropdownMenu ? //If append to body is used.
       (angular.element(self.dropdownMenu).find('a')) :
-      (angular.element($element).find('ul').eq(0).find('a'));
+      ($element.find('ul').eq(0).find('a'));
 
     switch (keyCode) {
       case (40): {
@@ -166,14 +178,17 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
   };
 
   scope.$watch('isOpen', function(isOpen, wasOpen) {
-    if (appendToBody && self.dropdownMenu) {
-      var pos = $position.positionElements($element, self.dropdownMenu, 'bottom-left', true);
-      var css = {
+    if (appendTo && self.dropdownMenu) {
+      var pos = $position.positionElements($element, self.dropdownMenu, 'bottom-left', true),
+        css,
+        rightalign;
+
+      css = {
         top: pos.top + 'px',
         display: isOpen ? 'block' : 'none'
       };
 
-      var rightalign = self.dropdownMenu.hasClass('dropdown-menu-right');
+      rightalign = self.dropdownMenu.hasClass('dropdown-menu-right');
       if (!rightalign) {
         css.left = pos.left + 'px';
         css.right = 'auto';
@@ -182,10 +197,26 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
         css.right = (window.innerWidth - (pos.left + $element.prop('offsetWidth'))) + 'px';
       }
 
+      // Need to adjust our positioning to be relative to the appendTo container
+      // if it's not the body element
+      if (!appendToBody) {
+        var appendOffset = $position.offset(appendTo);
+
+        css.top = pos.top - appendOffset.top + 'px';
+
+        if (!rightalign) {
+          css.left = pos.left - appendOffset.left + 'px';
+        } else {
+          css.right = (window.innerWidth - (pos.left  - appendOffset.left + $element.prop('offsetWidth'))) + 'px';
+        }
+      }
+
       self.dropdownMenu.css(css);
     }
 
-    $animate[isOpen ? 'addClass' : 'removeClass']($element, openClass).then(function() {
+    var openContainer = appendTo ? appendTo : $element;
+
+    $animate[isOpen ? 'addClass' : 'removeClass'](openContainer, openClass).then(function() {
       if (angular.isDefined(isOpen) && isOpen !== wasOpen) {
         toggleInvoker($scope, { open: !!isOpen });
       }
@@ -285,7 +316,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.dropdown', ['ui.bootstrap.position'])
               if (!angular.isNumber(dropdownCtrl.selectedOption)) {
                 dropdownCtrl.selectedOption = 0;
               } else {
-                dropdownCtrl.selectedOption = dropdownCtrl.selectedOption === elems.length -1 ?
+                dropdownCtrl.selectedOption = dropdownCtrl.selectedOption === elems.length - 1 ?
                   dropdownCtrl.selectedOption : dropdownCtrl.selectedOption + 1;
               }
               break;
diff --git a/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js b/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
index 357a33677c..06ba9322ca 100644
--- a/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
+++ b/src/dropdown/test/dropdown.spec.js
@@ -232,6 +232,49 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('`dropdown-append-to`', function() {
+    var initialPage;
+
+    function dropdown() {
+      return $compile('<li uib-dropdown dropdown-append-to="appendTo"><a href uib-dropdown-toggle></a><ul class="dropdown-menu" uib-dropdown-menu id="dropdown-menu"><li><a href>Hello On Container</a></li></ul></li>')($rootScope);
+    }
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      $document.find('body').append(angular.element('<div id="dropdown-container"></div>'));
+
+      $rootScope.appendTo = $document.find('#dropdown-container');
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+
+      element = dropdown();
+      $document.find('body').append(element);
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+      // Cleanup the extra elements we appended
+      $document.find('#dropdown-container').remove();
+    });
+
+    it('appends to container', function() {
+      expect($document.find('#dropdown-menu').parent()[0].id).toBe('dropdown-container');
+    });
+
+    it('toggles open class on container', function() {
+      var container = $document.find('#dropdown-container');
+
+      expect(container.hasClass('open')).toBe(false);
+      element.find('[uib-dropdown-toggle]').click();
+      expect(container.hasClass('open')).toBe(true);
+      element.find('[uib-dropdown-toggle]').click();
+      expect(container.hasClass('open')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('removes the menu when the dropdown is removed', function() {
+      element.remove();
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect($document.find('#dropdown-menu').length).toEqual(0);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('integration with $location URL rewriting', function() {
     function dropdown() {
       // Simulate URL rewriting behavior
@@ -437,11 +480,12 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       it('should work with dropdown-append-to-body', function() {
         element = $compile('<li uib-dropdown dropdown-append-to-body auto-close="outsideClick"><a href uib-dropdown-toggle></a><ul class="uib-dropdown-menu" id="dropdown-menu"><li><a href>Hello On Body</a></li></ul></li>')($rootScope);
         clickDropdownToggle();
-        expect(element.hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
-        $document.find('#dropdown-menu').find('li').eq(0).trigger('click');
-        expect(element.hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
+        var dropdownMenu = $document.find('#dropdown-menu');
+        expect(dropdownMenu.parent().hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
+        dropdownMenu.find('li').eq(0).trigger('click');
+        expect(dropdownMenu.parent().hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
         $document.click();
-        expect(element.hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(false);
+        expect(dropdownMenu.parent().hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(false);
       });
     });
 
@@ -667,7 +711,9 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
 
       triggerKeyDown(element, 40);
 
-      expect(element.hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
+      var dropdownMenu = $document.find('#dropdown-menu');
+
+      expect(dropdownMenu.parent().hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
       var focusEl = $document.find('ul').eq(0).find('a');
       expect(isFocused(focusEl)).toBe(true);
     });
@@ -677,7 +723,9 @@ describe('dropdownToggle', function() {
       triggerKeyDown(element, 40);
       triggerKeyDown(element, 40);
 
-      expect(element.hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
+      var dropdownMenu = $document.find('#dropdown-menu');
+
+      expect(dropdownMenu.parent().hasClass(dropdownConfig.openClass)).toBe(true);
       var elem1 = $document.find('ul');
       var elem2 = elem1.find('a');
       var focusEl = $document.find('ul').eq(0).find('a').eq(1);