diff --git a/src/Angular.js b/src/Angular.js
index a91bf04cf927..aeb5acd76cc4 100644
--- a/src/Angular.js
+++ b/src/Angular.js
@@ -463,12 +463,14 @@ function map(obj, iterator, context) {
  * @function
  *
  * @description
- * Determines the number of elements in an array or number of properties of an object.
+ * Determines the number of elements in an array, number of properties of an object or string
+ * length.
  *
  * Note: this function is used to augment the Object type in angular expressions. See
  * {@link angular.Object} for more info.
  *
- * @param {Object|Array} obj Object or array to inspect.
+ * @param {Object|Array|string} obj Object, array or string to inspect.
+ * @param {boolean} [ownPropsOnly=false] Count only "own" properties in an object
  * @returns {number} The size of `obj` or `0` if `obj` is neither an object or an array.
  *
  * @example
@@ -485,18 +487,21 @@ function map(obj, iterator, context) {
  *  </doc:scenario>
  * </doc:example>
  */
-function size(obj) {
+function size(obj, ownPropsOnly) {
   var size = 0, key;
-  if (obj) {
-    if (isNumber(obj.length)) {
-      return obj.length;
-    } else if (isObject(obj)){
-      for (key in obj)
+
+  if (isArray(obj) || isString(obj)) {
+    return obj.length;
+  } else if (isObject(obj)){
+    for (key in obj)
+      if (!ownPropsOnly || obj.hasOwnProperty(key))
         size++;
-    }
   }
+
   return size;
 }
+
+
 function includes(array, obj) {
   for ( var i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
     if (obj === array[i]) return true;
diff --git a/src/jqLite.js b/src/jqLite.js
index cda8ec7019a9..5c97043dbae3 100644
--- a/src/jqLite.js
+++ b/src/jqLite.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function JQLite(element) {
     div.innerHTML = '<div>&nbsp;</div>' + element; // IE insanity to make NoScope elements work!
     div.removeChild(div.firstChild); // remove the superfluous div
     JQLiteAddNodes(this, div.childNodes);
-    this.remove(); // detach the elements form the temporary DOM div.
+    this.remove(); // detach the elements from the temporary DOM div.
   } else {
     JQLiteAddNodes(this, element);
   }
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ function JQLiteAddNodes(root, elements) {
       ? elements
       : [ elements ];
     for(var i=0; i < elements.length; i++) {
-      if (elements[i].nodeType != 11)
-        root.push(elements[i]);
+      root.push(elements[i]);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/widgets.js b/src/widgets.js
index 91b0fcf24202..1137a265803f 100644
--- a/src/widgets.js
+++ b/src/widgets.js
@@ -913,19 +913,12 @@ angularWidget('@ng:repeat', function(expression, element){
           childCount = children.length,
           lastIterElement = iterStartElement,
           collection = this.$tryEval(rhs, iterStartElement),
-          is_array = isArray(collection),
-          collectionLength = 0,
+          collectionLength = size(collection, true),
+          fragment = (element[0].nodeName != 'OPTION') ? document.createDocumentFragment() : null,
+          addFragment,
           childScope,
           key;
 
-      if (is_array) {
-        collectionLength = collection.length;
-      } else {
-        for (key in collection)
-          if (collection.hasOwnProperty(key))
-            collectionLength++;
-      }
-
       for (key in collection) {
         if (collection.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
           if (index < childCount) {
@@ -934,6 +927,7 @@ angularWidget('@ng:repeat', function(expression, element){
             childScope[valueIdent] = collection[key];
             if (keyIdent) childScope[keyIdent] = key;
             lastIterElement = childScope.$element;
+            childScope.$eval();
           } else {
             // grow children
             childScope = createScope(currentScope);
@@ -946,14 +940,26 @@ angularWidget('@ng:repeat', function(expression, element){
             children.push(childScope);
             linker(childScope, function(clone){
               clone.attr('ng:repeat-index', index);
-              lastIterElement.after(clone);
-              lastIterElement = clone;
+
+              if (fragment) {
+                fragment.appendChild(clone[0]);
+                addFragment = true;
+              } else {
+                //temporarily preserve old way for option element
+                lastIterElement.after(clone);
+                lastIterElement = clone;
+              }
             });
           }
-          childScope.$eval();
           index ++;
         }
       }
+
+      //attach new nodes buffered in doc fragment
+      if (addFragment) {
+        lastIterElement.after(jqLite(fragment));
+      }
+
       // shrink children
       while(children.length > index) {
         children.pop().$element.remove();
diff --git a/test/AngularSpec.js b/test/AngularSpec.js
index f585ffb7d168..a8489a1b8544 100644
--- a/test/AngularSpec.js
+++ b/test/AngularSpec.js
@@ -110,6 +110,36 @@ describe('angular', function(){
     });
   });
 
+
+  describe('size', function() {
+    it('should return the number of items in an array', function() {
+      expect(size([])).toBe(0);
+      expect(size(['a', 'b', 'c'])).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should return the number of properties of an object', function() {
+      expect(size({})).toBe(0);
+      expect(size({a:1, b:'a', c:noop})).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should return the number of own properties of an object', function() {
+      var obj = inherit({protoProp: 'c', protoFn: noop}, {a:1, b:'a', c:noop});
+
+      expect(size(obj)).toBe(5);
+      expect(size(obj, true)).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should return the string length', function() {
+      expect(size('')).toBe(0);
+      expect(size('abc')).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should not rely on length property of an object to determine its size', function() {
+      expect(size({length:99})).toBe(1);
+    });
+  });
+
+
   describe('parseKeyValue', function() {
     it('should parse a string into key-value pairs', function() {
       expect(parseKeyValue('')).toEqual({});