diff --git a/docs/content/error/$animate/nongcls.ngdoc b/docs/content/error/$animate/nongcls.ngdoc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b5774bb46627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/error/$animate/nongcls.ngdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+@ngdoc error
+@name $animate:nongcls
+@fullName `ng-animate` class not allowed
+@description
+
+This error occurs, when trying to set `$animateProvider.classNameFilter()` to a RegExp containing
+the reserved `ng-animate` class. Since `.ng-animate` will be added/removed by `$animate` itself,
+using it as part of the `classNameFilter` RegExp is not allowed.
diff --git a/src/ng/animate.js b/src/ng/animate.js
index 923126eed045..1f8054b5fade 100644
--- a/src/ng/animate.js
+++ b/src/ng/animate.js
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ var $$CoreAnimateQueueProvider = /** @this */ function() {
  */
 var $AnimateProvider = ['$provide', /** @this */ function($provide) {
   var provider = this;
+  var classNameFilter = null;
 
   this.$$registeredAnimations = Object.create(null);
 
@@ -247,15 +248,16 @@ var $AnimateProvider = ['$provide', /** @this */ function($provide) {
    */
   this.classNameFilter = function(expression) {
     if (arguments.length === 1) {
-      this.$$classNameFilter = (expression instanceof RegExp) ? expression : null;
-      if (this.$$classNameFilter) {
-        var reservedRegex = new RegExp('(\\s+|\\/)' + NG_ANIMATE_CLASSNAME + '(\\s+|\\/)');
-        if (reservedRegex.test(this.$$classNameFilter.toString())) {
-          throw $animateMinErr('nongcls','$animateProvider.classNameFilter(regex) prohibits accepting a regex value which matches/contains the "{0}" CSS class.', NG_ANIMATE_CLASSNAME);
+      classNameFilter = (expression instanceof RegExp) ? expression : null;
+      if (classNameFilter) {
+        var reservedRegex = new RegExp('[(\\s|\\/)]' + NG_ANIMATE_CLASSNAME + '[(\\s|\\/)]');
+        if (reservedRegex.test(classNameFilter.toString())) {
+          classNameFilter = null;
+          throw $animateMinErr('nongcls', '$animateProvider.classNameFilter(regex) prohibits accepting a regex value which matches/contains the "{0}" CSS class.', NG_ANIMATE_CLASSNAME);
         }
       }
     }
-    return this.$$classNameFilter;
+    return classNameFilter;
   };
 
   this.$get = ['$$animateQueue', function($$animateQueue) {
diff --git a/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js b/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
index e1f37c4e4462..dfa7fffbc2c5 100644
--- a/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
@@ -255,29 +255,41 @@ describe('animations', function() {
       });
     });
 
-    it('should throw a minErr if a regex value is used which partially contains or fully matches the `ng-animate` CSS class', function() {
+    it('should throw a minErr if a regex value is used which partially contains or fully matches the `ng-animate` CSS class',
       module(function($animateProvider) {
-        assertError(/ng-animate/, true);
-        assertError(/first ng-animate last/, true);
-        assertError(/ng-animate-special/, false);
-        assertError(/first ng-animate-special last/, false);
-        assertError(/first ng-animate ng-animate-special last/, true);
-
-        function assertError(regex, bool) {
-          var expectation = expect(function() {
+        expect(setFilter(/ng-animate/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+        expect(setFilter(/first ng-animate last/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+        expect(setFilter(/first ng-animate ng-animate-special last/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+        expect(setFilter(/(ng-animate)/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+        expect(setFilter(/(foo|ng-animate|bar)/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+        expect(setFilter(/(foo|)ng-animate(|bar)/)).toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls');
+
+        expect(setFilter(/ng-animater/)).not.toThrow();
+        expect(setFilter(/my-ng-animate/)).not.toThrow();
+        expect(setFilter(/first ng-animater last/)).not.toThrow();
+        expect(setFilter(/first my-ng-animate last/)).not.toThrow();
+
+        function setFilter(regex) {
+          return function() {
             $animateProvider.classNameFilter(regex);
-          });
+          };
+        }
+      })
+    );
 
-          var message = '$animateProvider.classNameFilter(regex) prohibits accepting a regex value which matches/contains the "ng-animate" CSS class.';
+    it('should clear the `classNameFilter` if a disallowed RegExp is passed',
+      module(function($animateProvider) {
+        var validRegex = /no-ng-animate/;
+        var invalidRegex = /no ng-animate/;
 
-          if (bool) {
-            expectation.toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls', message);
-          } else {
-            expectation.not.toThrowMinErr('$animate', 'nongcls', message);
-          }
-        }
-      });
-    });
+        $animateProvider.classNameFilter(validRegex);
+        expect($animateProvider.classNameFilter()).toEqual(validRegex);
+
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-empty
+        try { $animateProvider.classNameFilter(invalidRegex); } catch (err) {}
+        expect($animateProvider.classNameFilter()).toBeNull();
+      })
+    );
 
     it('should complete the leave DOM operation in case the classNameFilter fails', function() {
       module(function($animateProvider) {