diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
index 10d970097f02..781d68b423d1 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngOptions.js
@@ -448,10 +448,11 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$document', '$parse', function($compile,
       var removeEmptyOption = function() {
         if (!providedEmptyOption) {
           emptyOption.remove();
+        } else {
+          emptyOption.removeAttr('selected');
         }
       };
 
-
       var renderUnknownOption = function() {
         selectElement.prepend(unknownOption);
         selectElement.val('?');
@@ -467,8 +468,13 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$document', '$parse', function($compile,
       if (!multiple) {
 
         selectCtrl.writeValue = function writeNgOptionsValue(value) {
+          var selectedOption = options.selectValueMap[selectElement.val()];
           var option = options.getOptionFromViewValue(value);
 
+          // Make sure to remove the selected attribute from the previously selected option
+          // Otherwise, screen readers might get confused
+          if (selectedOption) selectedOption.element.removeAttribute('selected');
+
           if (option) {
             // Don't update the option when it is already selected.
             // For example, the browser will select the first option by default. In that case,
@@ -509,6 +515,7 @@ var ngOptionsDirective = ['$compile', '$document', '$parse', function($compile,
 
         // If we are using `track by` then we must watch the tracked value on the model
         // since ngModel only watches for object identity change
+        // FIXME: When a user selects an option, this watch will fire needlessly
         if (ngOptions.trackBy) {
           scope.$watch(
             function() { return ngOptions.getTrackByValue(ngModelCtrl.$viewValue); },
diff --git a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
index 8fb6a2a9fa3f..6eab57ff8fa3 100644
--- a/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/directive/ngOptionsSpec.js
@@ -120,6 +120,55 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
             return { pass: errors.length === 0, message: message };
           }
         };
+      },
+      toBeMarkedAsSelected: function() {
+        // Selected is special because the element property and attribute reflect each other's state.
+        // IE9 will wrongly report hasAttribute('selected') === true when the property is
+        // undefined or null, and the dev tools show that no attribute is set
+        return {
+          compare: function(actual) {
+            var errors = [];
+            if (actual.selected === null || typeof actual.selected === 'undefined' || actual.selected === false) {
+              errors.push('Expected option property "selected" to be truthy');
+            }
+
+            if (msie !== 9 && actual.hasAttribute('selected') === false) {
+              errors.push('Expected option to have attribute "selected"');
+            }
+
+            var message = function() {
+              return errors.join('\n');
+            };
+
+            var result = {
+              pass: errors.length === 0,
+              message: message()
+            };
+
+            return result;
+          },
+          negativeCompare: function(actual) {
+            var errors = [];
+            if (actual.selected) {
+              errors.push('Expected option property "selected" to be falsy');
+            }
+
+            if (msie !== 9 && actual.hasAttribute('selected')) {
+              errors.push('Expected option not to have attribute "selected"');
+            }
+
+            var message = function() {
+              return errors.join('\n');
+            };
+
+            var result = {
+              pass: errors.length === 0,
+              message: message()
+            };
+
+            return result;
+          }
+        };
       }
     });
   });
@@ -744,6 +793,41 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
   });
 
 
+  it('should remove the "selected" attribute from the previous option when the model changes', function() {
+    scope.values = [{id: 10, label: 'ten'}, {id:20, label: 'twenty'}];
+
+    createSelect({
+      'ng-model': 'selected',
+      'ng-options': 'item.label for item in values'
+    }, true);
+
+    var options = element.find('option');
+    expect(options[0]).toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[1]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[2]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+
+    scope.selected = scope.values[0];
+    scope.$digest();
+
+    expect(options[0]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[1]).toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[2]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+
+    scope.selected = scope.values[1];
+    scope.$digest();
+
+    expect(options[0]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[1]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[2]).toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+
+    scope.selected = 'no match';
+    scope.$digest();
+
+    expect(options[0]).toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[1]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    expect(options[2]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+  });
+
   describe('disableWhen expression', function() {
 
     describe('on single select', function() {
@@ -1395,6 +1479,26 @@ describe('ngOptions', function() {
         });
       }).not.toThrow();
     });
+
+    it('should remove the "selected" attribute when the model changes', function() {
+      createSelect({
+        'ng-model': 'selected',
+        'ng-options': 'item.label for item in arr track by item.id'
+      });
+
+      var options = element.find('option');
+      browserTrigger(options[2], 'click');
+
+      expect(scope.selected).toEqual(scope.arr[1]);
+
+      scope.selected = {};
+      scope.$digest();
+
+      expect(options[0]).toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+      expect(options[2]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+      expect(options[2]).not.toBeMarkedAsSelected();
+    });
+
   });