diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/form_interface.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/form_interface.ts
index f59972e501..662120a488 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/form_interface.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/form_interface.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export interface Form {
   /**
    * Add a control to this form.
    */
-  addControl(dir: NgControl): FormControl;
+  addControl(dir: NgControl): void;
 
   /**
    * Remove a control from this form.
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_form.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_form.ts
index 7e864bf010..afa025285b 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_form.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_form.ts
@@ -116,16 +116,13 @@ export class NgForm extends ControlContainer implements Form {
 
   get controls(): {[key: string]: AbstractControl} { return this.form.controls; }
 
-  addControl(dir: NgModel): FormControl {
-    const ctrl = new FormControl();
+  addControl(dir: NgModel): void {
     PromiseWrapper.scheduleMicrotask(() => {
       const container = this._findContainer(dir.path);
-      dir._control = <FormControl>container.registerControl(dir.name, ctrl);
+      dir._control = <FormControl>container.registerControl(dir.name, dir.control);
       setUpControl(dir.control, dir);
       dir.control.updateValueAndValidity({emitEvent: false});
     });
-
-    return ctrl;
   }
 
   getControl(dir: NgModel): FormControl { return <FormControl>this.form.find(dir.path); }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_model.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_model.ts
index 6cfdc2bb9d..e11dbba4f7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_model.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/ng_model.ts
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ export const formControlBinding: any =
 export class NgModel extends NgControl implements OnChanges,
     OnDestroy {
   /** @internal */
-  _control: FormControl;
+  _control = new FormControl();
   /** @internal */
-  _added = false;
+  _registered = false;
   viewModel: any;
 
   @Input('ngModel') model: any;
   @Input() name: string;
-  @Input('ngModelOptions') options: {name?: string};
+  @Input('ngModelOptions') options: {name?: string, standalone?: boolean};
   @Output('ngModelChange') update = new EventEmitter();
 
   constructor(@Optional() @Host() private _parent: ControlContainer,
@@ -72,12 +72,11 @@ export class NgModel extends NgControl implements OnChanges,
               valueAccessors: ControlValueAccessor[]) {
                 super();
                 this.valueAccessor = selectValueAccessor(this, valueAccessors);
-                if (!this._parent) this._control = new FormControl();
               }
 
               ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges) {
                 this._checkName();
-                if (!this._added) this._addControl();
+                if (!this._registered) this._setUpControl();
 
                 if (isPropertyUpdated(changes, this.viewModel)) {
                   this._control.updateValue(this.model);
@@ -106,25 +105,32 @@ export class NgModel extends NgControl implements OnChanges,
                 ObservableWrapper.callEmit(this.update, newValue);
               }
 
-              private _addControl(): void {
-                this._control = this.formDirective ? this.formDirective.addControl(this) :
-                                                     this._addStandaloneControl();
-                this._added = true;
+              private _setUpControl(): void {
+                this._isStandalone() ? this._setUpStandalone() :
+                                       this.formDirective.addControl(this);
+                this._registered = true;
               }
 
-              private _addStandaloneControl(): FormControl {
+              private _isStandalone(): boolean {
+                return !this._parent || (this.options && this.options.standalone);
+              }
+
+              private _setUpStandalone(): void {
                 setUpControl(this._control, this);
                 this._control.updateValueAndValidity({emitEvent: false});
-                return this._control;
               }
 
               private _checkName() {
                 if (this.options && this.options.name) this.name = this.options.name;
 
-                if (this._parent && !this.name) {
+                if (!this._isStandalone() && !this.name) {
                   throw new BaseException(
-                      `Name attribute must be set if ngModel is used within a form.
-                      Example: <input [(ngModel)]="person.firstName" name="first">`);
+                      `If ngModel is used within a form tag, either the name attribute must be set
+                      or the form control must be defined as 'standalone' in ngModelOptions.
+
+                      Example 1: <input [(ngModel)]="person.firstName" name="first">
+                      Example 2: <input [(ngModel)]="person.firstName" [ngModelOptions]="{standalone: true}">
+                   `);
                 }
               }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_directive.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_directive.ts
index 95f359e23b..a22284dcac 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_directive.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/src/directives/reactive_directives/form_group_directive.ts
@@ -144,12 +144,11 @@ export class FormGroupDirective extends ControlContainer implements Form,
 
   get path(): string[] { return []; }
 
-  addControl(dir: NgControl): FormControl {
+  addControl(dir: NgControl): void {
     const ctrl: any = this.form.find(dir.path);
     setUpControl(ctrl, dir);
     ctrl.updateValueAndValidity({emitEvent: false});
     this.directives.push(dir);
-    return ctrl;
   }
 
   getControl(dir: NgControl): FormControl { return <FormControl>this.form.find(dir.path); }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/test/directives_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/test/directives_spec.ts
index 2454c1cb47..5d70b81e6b 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/test/directives_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/test/directives_spec.ts
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ export function main() {
         personControlGroupDir = new NgModelGroup(form, [], []);
         personControlGroupDir.name = 'person';
 
-        loginControlDir = new FormControlName(personControlGroupDir, null, null, [defaultAccessor]);
+        loginControlDir = new NgModel(personControlGroupDir, null, null, [defaultAccessor]);
         loginControlDir.name = 'login';
         loginControlDir.valueAccessor = new DummyControlValueAccessor();
       });
diff --git a/modules/@angular/forms/test/integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/forms/test/integration_spec.ts
index 2cf928dffb..9d72aa4af2 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/forms/test/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/forms/test/integration_spec.ts
@@ -1371,7 +1371,7 @@ export function main() {
          })));
 
 
-      it('should throw if ngModel has a parent form but no name attr',
+      it('should throw if ngModel has a parent form but no name attr or standalone label',
          inject(
              [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
              (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
@@ -1384,11 +1384,29 @@ export function main() {
                    .createAsync(MyComp8)
                    .then((fixture) => {
                      expect(() => fixture.detectChanges())
-                         .toThrowError(new RegExp(`Name attribute must be set`));
+                         .toThrowError(new RegExp(`name attribute must be set`));
                      async.done();
                    });
              }));
 
+      it('should not throw if ngModel has a parent form, no name attr, and a standalone label',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+             (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+               const t = `<form>
+                  <input [(ngModel)]="name" [ngModelOptions]="{standalone: true}">
+                </form>`;
+
+               tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t)
+                   .overrideProviders(MyComp8, providerArr)
+                   .createAsync(MyComp8)
+                   .then((fixture) => {
+                     expect(() => fixture.detectChanges()).not.toThrow();
+                     async.done();
+                   });
+             }));
+
+
       it('should override name attribute with ngModelOptions name if provided',
          fakeAsync(inject([TestComponentBuilder], (tcb: TestComponentBuilder) => {
            const t = `
@@ -1407,6 +1425,29 @@ export function main() {
            expect(form.value).toEqual({two: 'some data'});
          })));
 
+      it('should not register standalone ngModels with parent form',
+         fakeAsync(inject([TestComponentBuilder], (tcb: TestComponentBuilder) => {
+           const t = `
+            <form>
+              <input name="one" [(ngModel)]="data">
+              <input [(ngModel)]="list" [ngModelOptions]="{standalone: true}">
+            </form>
+            `;
+
+           const fixture = tcb.overrideTemplate(MyComp8, t).createFakeAsync(MyComp8);
+           tick();
+           fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.data = 'some data';
+           fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.list = 'should not show';
+           fixture.detectChanges();
+           const form = fixture.debugElement.children[0].injector.get(NgForm);
+           const inputs = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('input'));
+
+           tick();
+           expect(form.value).toEqual({one: 'some data'});
+           expect(inputs[1].nativeElement.value).toEqual('should not show');
+         })));
+
+
       it('should support <type=radio>',
          fakeAsync(inject([TestComponentBuilder], (tcb: TestComponentBuilder) => {
            const t = `<form>