diff --git a/src/features/cellnav/js/cellnav.js b/src/features/cellnav/js/cellnav.js
index c954ffe189..3a6caa871c 100644
--- a/src/features/cellnav/js/cellnav.js
+++ b/src/features/cellnav/js/cellnav.js
@@ -622,6 +622,7 @@
         priority: -150,
         require: '^uiGrid',
         scope: false,
+        controller: function () {},
         compile: function () {
           return {
             pre: function ($scope, $elm, $attrs, uiGridCtrl) {
@@ -696,15 +697,17 @@
       return {
         replace: true,
         priority: -99999, //this needs to run very last
-        require: ['^uiGrid', 'uiGridRenderContainer'],
+        require: ['^uiGrid', 'uiGridRenderContainer', '?^uiGridCellnav'],
         scope: false,
         compile: function () {
           return {
-            pre: function ($scope, $elm, $attrs, uiGridCtrl) {
-            },
             post: function ($scope, $elm, $attrs, controllers) {
               var uiGridCtrl = controllers[0],
-                  renderContainerCtrl = controllers[1];
+                  renderContainerCtrl = controllers[1],
+                  cellNavController = controllers[2];
+
+              // Skip attaching cell-nav specific logic if the directive is not attached above us
+              if (!cellNavController) { return; }
 
               var containerId = renderContainerCtrl.containerId;
 
@@ -765,9 +768,15 @@
       return {
         priority: -150, // run after default uiGridCell directive and ui.grid.edit uiGridCell
         restrict: 'A',
-        require: '^uiGrid',
+        require: ['^uiGrid', '?^uiGridCellnav'],
         scope: false,
-        link: function ($scope, $elm, $attrs, uiGridCtrl) {
+        link: function ($scope, $elm, $attrs, controllers) {
+          var uiGridCtrl = controllers[0],
+              cellNavController = controllers[1];
+
+          // Skip attaching cell-nav specific logic if the directive is not attached above us
+          if (!cellNavController) { return; }
+
           if (!$scope.col.colDef.allowCellFocus) {
             return;
           }
diff --git a/src/features/cellnav/test/uiGridCellNavDirective.spec.js b/src/features/cellnav/test/uiGridCellNavDirective.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7183a1968
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/cellnav/test/uiGridCellNavDirective.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+describe('ui.grid.cellNav directive', function () {
+  var $scope, $compile, elm, uiGridConstants;
+
+  beforeEach(module('ui.grid.cellNav'));
+
+  beforeEach(inject(function (_$rootScope_, _$compile_, _uiGridConstants_) {
+    $scope = _$rootScope_;
+    $compile = _$compile_;
+    uiGridConstants = _uiGridConstants_;
+
+    $scope.gridOpts = {
+      data: [{ name: 'Bob' }]
+    };
+  }));
+
+  it('should not throw exceptions when scrolling when a grid does NOT have the ui-grid-cellNav directive', function () {
+    elm = angular.element('<div ui-grid="gridOpts"></div>');
+
+    $compile(elm)($scope);
+    $scope.$digest();
+
+    expect(function () {
+      $scope.$broadcast(uiGridConstants.events.GRID_SCROLL, {});
+    }).not.toThrow();
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file