diff --git a/modules/angular1_router/src/module_template.js b/modules/angular1_router/src/module_template.js
index 6712ca77c8..43415af4d5 100644
--- a/modules/angular1_router/src/module_template.js
+++ b/modules/angular1_router/src/module_template.js
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 
 angular.module('ngComponentRouter').
     value('$route', null). // can be overloaded with ngRouteShim
-    factory('$router', ['$q', '$location', '$$directiveIntrospector', '$browser', '$rootScope', '$injector', routerFactory]);
+    // Because Angular 1 has no notion of a root component, we use an object with unique identity
+    // to represent this. Can be overloaded with a component name
+    value('$routerRootComponent', new Object()).
+    factory('$router', ['$q', '$location', '$$directiveIntrospector', '$browser', '$rootScope', '$injector', '$routerRootComponent', routerFactory]);
 
-function routerFactory($q, $location, $$directiveIntrospector, $browser, $rootScope, $injector) {
+function routerFactory($q, $location, $$directiveIntrospector, $browser, $rootScope, $injector, $routerRootComponent) {
 
   // When this file is processed, the line below is replaced with
   // the contents of `../lib/facades.es5`.
@@ -42,12 +45,7 @@ function routerFactory($q, $location, $$directiveIntrospector, $browser, $rootSc
   var RouteRegistry = exports.RouteRegistry;
   var RootRouter = exports.RootRouter;
 
-
-  // Because Angular 1 has no notion of a root component, we use an object with unique identity
-  // to represent this.
-  var ROOT_COMPONENT_OBJECT = new Object();
-
-  var registry = new RouteRegistry(ROOT_COMPONENT_OBJECT);
+  var registry = new RouteRegistry($routerRootComponent);
   var location = new Location();
 
   $$directiveIntrospector(function (name, factory) {
@@ -58,7 +56,7 @@ function routerFactory($q, $location, $$directiveIntrospector, $browser, $rootSc
     }
   });
 
-  var router = new RootRouter(registry, location, ROOT_COMPONENT_OBJECT);
+  var router = new RootRouter(registry, location, $routerRootComponent);
   $rootScope.$watch(function () { return $location.path(); }, function (path) {
     if (router.lastNavigationAttempt !== path) {
       router.navigateByUrl(path);
diff --git a/modules/angular1_router/test/integration/router_spec.js b/modules/angular1_router/test/integration/router_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c302c21cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular1_router/test/integration/router_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+'use strict';
+
+describe('router', function () {
+
+  var elt,
+      $compile,
+      $rootScope,
+      $router,
+      $compileProvider;
+
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    module('ng');
+    module('ngComponentRouter');
+    module(function($provide) {
+      $provide.value('$routerRootComponent', 'app');
+    });
+    module(function (_$compileProvider_) {
+      $compileProvider = _$compileProvider_;
+    });
+
+    inject(function (_$compile_, _$rootScope_, _$router_) {
+      $compile = _$compile_;
+      $rootScope = _$rootScope_;
+      $router = _$router_;
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should work with a provided root component', inject(function($location) {
+    registerComponent('homeCmp', {
+      template: 'Home'
+    });
+
+    registerComponent('app', {
+      template: '<div ng-outlet></div>',
+      $routeConfig: [
+        { path: '/', component: 'homeCmp' }
+      ]
+    });
+
+    compile('<app></app>');
+
+    $location.path('/');
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    expect(elt.text()).toBe('Home');
+  }));
+
+  function registerComponent(name, options) {
+    var controller = options.controller || function () {};
+
+    ['$onActivate', '$onDeactivate', '$onReuse', '$canReuse', '$canDeactivate'].forEach(function (hookName) {
+      if (options[hookName]) {
+        controller.prototype[hookName] = options[hookName];
+      }
+    });
+
+    function factory() {
+      return {
+        template: options.template || '',
+        controllerAs: name,
+        controller: controller
+      };
+    }
+
+    if (options.$canActivate) {
+      factory.$canActivate = options.$canActivate;
+    }
+    if (options.$routeConfig) {
+      factory.$routeConfig = options.$routeConfig;
+    }
+
+    $compileProvider.directive(name, factory);
+  }
+
+  function compile(template) {
+    elt = $compile('<div>' + template + '</div>')($rootScope);
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    return elt;
+  }
+});