src/ng/compile.js

@@ -2115,13 +2115,17 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
       var nodeType = node.nodeType,
           attrsMap = attrs.$attr,
           match,
+          nodeName,
           className;
 
       switch (nodeType) {
         case NODE_TYPE_ELEMENT: /* Element */
+
+          nodeName = nodeName_(node);
+
           // use the node name: <directive>
           addDirective(directives,
-              directiveNormalize(nodeName_(node)), 'E', maxPriority, ignoreDirective);
+              directiveNormalize(nodeName), 'E', maxPriority, ignoreDirective);
 
           // iterate over the attributes
           for (var attr, name, nName, ngAttrName, value, isNgAttr, nAttrs = node.attributes,
@@ -2163,6 +2167,12 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
                           attrEndName);
           }
 
+          if (nodeName === 'input' && node.getAttribute('type') === 'hidden') {
+            // Hidden input elements can have strange behaviour when navigating back to the page
+            // This tells the browser not to try to cache and reinstate previous values
+            node.setAttribute('autocomplete', 'off');
+          }
+
           // use class as directive
           if (!cssClassDirectivesEnabled) break;
           className = node.className;

src/ng/directive/input.js

@@ -2002,16 +2002,13 @@ var inputDirective = ['$browser', '$sniffer', '$filter', '$parse',
   return {
     restrict: 'E',
     require: ['?ngModel'],
-    compile: function(tElement, tAttr) {
-      if (lowercase(tAttr.type) === 'hidden') tAttr.$set('autocomplete', 'off');
-      return {
-        pre: function(scope, element, attr, ctrls) {
-          if (ctrls[0]) {
-            (inputType[lowercase(attr.type)] || inputType.text)(scope, element, attr, ctrls[0], $sniffer,
-                                                                $browser, $filter, $parse);
-          }
+    link: {
+      pre: function(scope, element, attr, ctrls) {
+        if (ctrls[0]) {
+          (inputType[lowercase(attr.type)] || inputType.text)(scope, element, attr, ctrls[0], $sniffer,
+                                                              $browser, $filter, $parse);
         }
-      };
+      }
     }
   };
 }];