diff --git a/src/ngAnimate/animateQueue.js b/src/ngAnimate/animateQueue.js
index 0fdadd508609..e024c831cf3c 100644
--- a/src/ngAnimate/animateQueue.js
+++ b/src/ngAnimate/animateQueue.js
@@ -586,6 +586,7 @@ var $$AnimateQueueProvider = ['$animateProvider', function($animateProvider) {
             parentHost = parentElement.data(NG_ANIMATE_PIN_DATA);
             if (parentHost) {
               parentElement = parentHost;
+              rootElementDetected = true;
             }
           }
         }
diff --git a/src/ngAnimate/shared.js b/src/ngAnimate/shared.js
index 501e5bd0d015..308258ec78c0 100644
--- a/src/ngAnimate/shared.js
+++ b/src/ngAnimate/shared.js
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ var isPromiseLike = function(p) {
   return p && p.then ? true : false;
 };
 
+var ngMinErr = angular.$$minErr('ng');
 function assertArg(arg, name, reason) {
   if (!arg) {
     throw ngMinErr('areq', "Argument '{0}' is {1}", (name || '?'), (reason || "required"));
diff --git a/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js b/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
index cdc91a59312d..dc665ead5398 100644
--- a/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngAnimate/animateSpec.js
@@ -1431,29 +1431,64 @@ describe("animations", function() {
       });
     }));
 
-    it('should allow an element to pinned elsewhere and still be available in animations',
-      inject(function($animate, $compile, $document, $rootElement, $rootScope) {
-
-      var innerParent = jqLite('<div></div>');
-      jqLite($document[0].body).append(innerParent);
-      innerParent.append($rootElement);
+    it('should throw if the arguments are not elements',
+      inject(function($animate, $compile, $document, $rootScope, $rootElement) {
 
       var element = jqLite('<div></div>');
-      jqLite($document[0].body).append(element);
 
-      $animate.addClass(element, 'red');
-      $rootScope.$digest();
-      expect(capturedAnimation).toBeFalsy();
+      expect(function() {
+        $animate.pin(element);
+      }).toThrowMinErr('ng', 'areq', 'Argument \'parentElement\' is not an element');
 
-      $animate.pin(element, $rootElement);
-
-      $animate.addClass(element, 'blue');
-      $rootScope.$digest();
-      expect(capturedAnimation).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(function() {
+        $animate.pin(null, $rootElement);
+      }).toThrowMinErr('ng', 'areq', 'Argument \'element\' is not an element');
 
       dealoc(element);
     }));
 
+
+    they('should animate an element inside a pinned element that is the $prop element',
+      ['same', 'parent', 'grandparent'],
+      function(elementRelation) {
+        inject(function($animate, $compile, $document, $rootElement, $rootScope) {
+
+        var pinElement, animateElement;
+
+        var innerParent = jqLite('<div></div>');
+        jqLite($document[0].body).append(innerParent);
+        innerParent.append($rootElement);
+
+        switch (elementRelation) {
+          case 'same':
+            pinElement = jqLite('<div id="animate"></div>');
+            break;
+          case 'parent':
+            pinElement = jqLite('<div><div id="animate"></div></div>');
+            break;
+          case 'grandparent':
+            pinElement = jqLite('<div><div><div id="animate"></div></div></div>');
+            break;
+        }
+
+        jqLite($document[0].body).append(pinElement);
+        animateElement = jqLite($document[0].getElementById('animate'));
+
+        $animate.addClass(animateElement, 'red');
+        $rootScope.$digest();
+        expect(capturedAnimation).toBeFalsy();
+
+        // Pin the element to the app root to enable animations
+        $animate.pin(pinElement, $rootElement);
+
+        $animate.addClass(animateElement, 'blue');
+        $rootScope.$digest();
+        expect(capturedAnimation).toBeTruthy();
+
+        dealoc(pinElement);
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should adhere to the disabled state of the hosted parent when an element is pinned',
       inject(function($animate, $compile, $document, $rootElement, $rootScope) {