diff --git a/src/ngRoute/route.js b/src/ngRoute/route.js
index 4ead323e8baf..8dcb2bd718de 100644
--- a/src/ngRoute/route.js
+++ b/src/ngRoute/route.js
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 /* global shallowCopy: false */
 
-// There are necessary for `shallowCopy()` (included via `src/shallowCopy.js`).
+// `isArray` and `isObject` are necessary for `shallowCopy()` (included via `src/shallowCopy.js`).
 // They are initialized inside the `$RouteProvider`, to ensure `window.angular` is available.
 var isArray;
 var isObject;
+var isDefined;
 
 /**
  * @ngdoc module
@@ -22,10 +23,17 @@ var isObject;
  *
  * <div doc-module-components="ngRoute"></div>
  */
- /* global -ngRouteModule */
-var ngRouteModule = angular.module('ngRoute', ['ng']).
-                        provider('$route', $RouteProvider),
-    $routeMinErr = angular.$$minErr('ngRoute');
+/* global -ngRouteModule */
+var ngRouteModule = angular.
+  module('ngRoute', []).
+  provider('$route', $RouteProvider).
+  // Ensure `$route` will be instantiated in time to capture the initial `$locationChangeSuccess`
+  // event (unless explicitly disabled). This is necessary in case `ngView` is included in an
+  // asynchronously loaded template.
+  run(instantiateRoute);
+var $routeMinErr = angular.$$minErr('ngRoute');
+var isEagerInstantiationEnabled;
+
 
 /**
  * @ngdoc provider
@@ -44,6 +52,7 @@ var ngRouteModule = angular.module('ngRoute', ['ng']).
 function $RouteProvider() {
   isArray = angular.isArray;
   isObject = angular.isObject;
+  isDefined = angular.isDefined;
 
   function inherit(parent, extra) {
     return angular.extend(Object.create(parent), extra);
@@ -287,6 +296,47 @@ function $RouteProvider() {
     return this;
   };
 
+  /**
+   * @ngdoc method
+   * @name $routeProvider#eagerInstantiationEnabled
+   * @kind function
+   *
+   * @description
+   * Call this method as a setter to enable/disable eager instantiation of the
+   * {@link ngRoute.$route $route} service upon application bootstrap. You can also call it as a
+   * getter (i.e. without any arguments) to get the current value of the
+   * `eagerInstantiationEnabled` flag.
+   *
+   * Instantiating `$route` early is necessary for capturing the initial
+   * {@link ng.$location#$locationChangeStart $locationChangeStart} event and navigating to the
+   * appropriate route. Usually, `$route` is instantiated in time by the
+   * {@link ngRoute.ngView ngView} directive. Yet, in cases where `ngView` is included in an
+   * asynchronously loaded template (e.g. in another directive's template), the directive factory
+   * might not be called soon enough for `$route` to be instantiated _before_ the initial
+   * `$locationChangeSuccess` event is fired. Eager instantiation ensures that `$route` is always
+   * instantiated in time, regardless of when `ngView` will be loaded.
+   *
+   * The default value is true.
+   *
+   * **Note**:<br />
+   * You may want to disable the default behavior when unit-testing modules that depend on
+   * `ngRoute`, in order to avoid an unexpected request for the default route's template.
+   *
+   * @param {boolean=} enabled - If provided, update the internal `eagerInstantiationEnabled` flag.
+   *
+   * @returns {*} The current value of the `eagerInstantiationEnabled` flag if used as a getter or
+   *     itself (for chaining) if used as a setter.
+   */
+  isEagerInstantiationEnabled = true;
+  this.eagerInstantiationEnabled = function eagerInstantiationEnabled(enabled) {
+    if (isDefined(enabled)) {
+      isEagerInstantiationEnabled = enabled;
+      return this;
+    }
+
+    return isEagerInstantiationEnabled;
+  };
+
 
   this.$get = ['$rootScope',
                '$location',
@@ -791,3 +841,11 @@ function $RouteProvider() {
     }
   }];
 }
+
+instantiateRoute.$inject = ['$injector'];
+function instantiateRoute($injector) {
+  if (isEagerInstantiationEnabled) {
+    // Instantiate `$route`
+    $injector.get('$route');
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js b/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
index daab5f26c987..66d2653108ce 100644
--- a/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngRoute/directive/ngViewSpec.js
@@ -1027,3 +1027,34 @@ describe('ngView animations', function() {
     ));
   });
 });
+
+describe('ngView in async template', function() {
+  beforeEach(module('ngRoute'));
+  beforeEach(module(function($compileProvider, $provide, $routeProvider) {
+    $compileProvider.directive('asyncView', function() {
+      return {templateUrl: 'async-view.html'};
+    });
+
+    $provide.decorator('$templateRequest', function($timeout) {
+      return function() {
+        return $timeout(angular.identity, 500, false, '<ng-view></ng-view>');
+      };
+    });
+
+    $routeProvider.when('/', {template: 'Hello, world!'});
+  }));
+
+
+  it('should work correctly upon initial page load',
+    // Injecting `$location` here is necessary, so that it gets instantiated early
+    inject(function($compile, $location, $rootScope, $timeout) {
+      var elem = $compile('<async-view></async-view>')($rootScope);
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      $timeout.flush(500);
+
+      expect(elem.text()).toBe('Hello, world!');
+
+      dealoc(elem);
+    })
+  );
+});
diff --git a/test/ngRoute/routeSpec.js b/test/ngRoute/routeSpec.js
index 1d6037a84f9d..5a0780f5efbf 100644
--- a/test/ngRoute/routeSpec.js
+++ b/test/ngRoute/routeSpec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,58 @@
 'use strict';
 
+describe('$routeProvider', function() {
+  var $routeProvider;
+
+  beforeEach(module('ngRoute'));
+  beforeEach(module(function(_$routeProvider_) {
+    $routeProvider = _$routeProvider_;
+    $routeProvider.when('/foo', {template: 'Hello, world!'});
+  }));
+
+
+  it('should support enabling/disabling automatic instantiation upon initial load',
+    inject(function() {
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled(true)).toBe($routeProvider);
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled()).toBe(true);
+
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled(false)).toBe($routeProvider);
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled()).toBe(false);
+
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled(true)).toBe($routeProvider);
+      expect($routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled()).toBe(true);
+    })
+  );
+
+
+  it('should automatically instantiate `$route` upon initial load', function() {
+    inject(function($location, $rootScope) {
+      $location.path('/foo');
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+    });
+
+    inject(function($route) {
+      expect($route.current).toBeDefined();
+    });
+  });
+
+
+  it('should not automatically instantiate `$route` if disabled', function() {
+    module(function($routeProvider) {
+      $routeProvider.eagerInstantiationEnabled(false);
+    });
+
+    inject(function($location, $rootScope) {
+      $location.path('/foo');
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+    });
+
+    inject(function($route) {
+      expect($route.current).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+
 describe('$route', function() {
   var $httpBackend,
       element;