diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index 66677a3b5a80..5a8103d7f024 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
  * String of subset of `EACM` which restricts the directive to a specific directive
  * declaration style. If omitted, the default (attributes only) is used.
  *
- * * `E` - Element name: `<my-directive></my-directive>`
+ * * `E` - Element name (default): `<my-directive></my-directive>`
  * * `A` - Attribute (default): `<div my-directive="exp"></div>`
  * * `C` - Class: `<div class="my-directive: exp;"></div>`
  * * `M` - Comment: `<!-- directive: my-directive exp -->`
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
                 directive.index = index;
                 directive.name = directive.name || name;
                 directive.require = directive.require || (directive.controller && directive.name);
-                directive.restrict = directive.restrict || 'A';
+                directive.restrict = directive.restrict || 'EA';
                 directives.push(directive);
               } catch (e) {
                 $exceptionHandler(e);
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/attrs.js b/src/ng/directive/attrs.js
index 6b230a75150c..8047e35d0960 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/attrs.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/attrs.js
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ forEach(BOOLEAN_ATTR, function(propName, attrName) {
   var normalized = directiveNormalize('ng-' + attrName);
   ngAttributeAliasDirectives[normalized] = function() {
     return {
+      restrict: 'A',
       priority: 100,
       link: function(scope, element, attr) {
         scope.$watch(attr[normalized], function ngBooleanAttrWatchAction(value) {
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/input.js b/src/ng/directive/input.js
index fb3ee0577946..f1421da5a934 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/input.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/input.js
@@ -2150,6 +2150,7 @@ var NgModelController = ['$scope', '$exceptionHandler', '$attrs', '$element', '$
  */
 var ngModelDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: ['ngModel', '^?form', '^?ngModelOptions'],
     controller: NgModelController,
     link: {
@@ -2251,6 +2252,7 @@ var ngModelDirective = function() {
  * </example>
  */
 var ngChangeDirective = valueFn({
+  restrict: 'A',
   require: 'ngModel',
   link: function(scope, element, attr, ctrl) {
     ctrl.$viewChangeListeners.push(function() {
@@ -2262,6 +2264,7 @@ var ngChangeDirective = valueFn({
 
 var requiredDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: '?ngModel',
     link: function(scope, elm, attr, ctrl) {
       if (!ctrl) return;
@@ -2281,6 +2284,7 @@ var requiredDirective = function() {
 
 var patternDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: '?ngModel',
     link: function(scope, elm, attr, ctrl) {
       if (!ctrl) return;
@@ -2311,6 +2315,7 @@ var patternDirective = function() {
 
 var maxlengthDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: '?ngModel',
     link: function(scope, elm, attr, ctrl) {
       if (!ctrl) return;
@@ -2329,6 +2334,7 @@ var maxlengthDirective = function() {
 
 var minlengthDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: '?ngModel',
     link: function(scope, elm, attr, ctrl) {
       if (!ctrl) return;
@@ -2430,6 +2436,7 @@ var minlengthDirective = function() {
  */
 var ngListDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     require: 'ngModel',
     link: function(scope, element, attr, ctrl) {
       // We want to control whitespace trimming so we use this convoluted approach
@@ -2526,6 +2533,7 @@ var CONSTANT_VALUE_REGEXP = /^(true|false|\d+)$/;
  */
 var ngValueDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     priority: 100,
     compile: function(tpl, tplAttr) {
       if (CONSTANT_VALUE_REGEXP.test(tplAttr.ngValue)) {
@@ -2688,6 +2696,7 @@ var ngValueDirective = function() {
  */
 var ngModelOptionsDirective = function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     controller: ['$scope', '$attrs', function($scope, $attrs) {
       var that = this;
       this.$options = $scope.$eval($attrs.ngModelOptions);
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngBind.js b/src/ng/directive/ngBind.js
index 8c5a4dba0805..a0cf67665d9a 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngBind.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngBind.js
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ var ngBindTemplateDirective = ['$interpolate', function($interpolate) {
  */
 var ngBindHtmlDirective = ['$sce', '$parse', function($sce, $parse) {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     compile: function (tElement, tAttrs) {
       tElement.addClass('ng-binding');
 
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngController.js b/src/ng/directive/ngController.js
index eb4fc8bdd4ee..452f88f260c1 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngController.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngController.js
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@
  */
 var ngControllerDirective = [function() {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     scope: true,
     controller: '@',
     priority: 500
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngEventDirs.js b/src/ng/directive/ngEventDirs.js
index ed8ddd6ba167..4b1088c6d89f 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngEventDirs.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngEventDirs.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ forEach(
     var directiveName = directiveNormalize('ng-' + name);
     ngEventDirectives[directiveName] = ['$parse', function($parse) {
       return {
+        restrict: 'A',
         compile: function($element, attr) {
           var fn = $parse(attr[directiveName]);
           return function ngEventHandler(scope, element) {
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngRepeat.js b/src/ng/directive/ngRepeat.js
index 5807311a3769..2db6671ee6f8 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngRepeat.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngRepeat.js
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ var ngRepeatDirective = ['$parse', '$animate', function($parse, $animate) {
   var NG_REMOVED = '$$NG_REMOVED';
   var ngRepeatMinErr = minErr('ngRepeat');
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     multiElement: true,
     transclude: 'element',
     priority: 1000,
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/ngShowHide.js b/src/ng/directive/ngShowHide.js
index a327843bb23f..3513b78e40d2 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/ngShowHide.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/ngShowHide.js
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
  */
 var ngShowDirective = ['$animate', function($animate) {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     multiElement: true,
     link: function(scope, element, attr) {
       scope.$watch(attr.ngShow, function ngShowWatchAction(value){
@@ -311,6 +312,7 @@ var ngShowDirective = ['$animate', function($animate) {
  */
 var ngHideDirective = ['$animate', function($animate) {
   return {
+    restrict: 'A',
     multiElement: true,
     link: function(scope, element, attr) {
       scope.$watch(attr.ngHide, function ngHideWatchAction(value){
diff --git a/src/ng/directive/select.js b/src/ng/directive/select.js
index d9af96f91485..886aae20306a 100644
--- a/src/ng/directive/select.js
+++ b/src/ng/directive/select.js
@@ -135,7 +135,11 @@ var ngOptionsMinErr = minErr('ngOptions');
     </example>
  */
 
-var ngOptionsDirective = valueFn({ terminal: true });
+var ngOptionsDirective = valueFn({
+  restrict: 'A',
+  terminal: true
+});
+
 // jshint maxlen: false
 var selectDirective = ['$compile', '$parse', function($compile,   $parse) {
                          //000011111111110000000000022222222220000000000000000000003333333333000000000000004444444444444440000000005555555555555550000000666666666666666000000000000000777777777700000000000000000008888888888
diff --git a/test/ng/compileSpec.js b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
index aedff6e4d795..fb5dc525ded6 100755
--- a/test/ng/compileSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
@@ -255,14 +255,6 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
       }));
 
 
-      it('should allow directives in comments', inject(
-        function($compile, $rootScope, log) {
-          element = $compile('<div>0<!-- directive: log angular -->1</div>')($rootScope);
-          expect(log).toEqual('angular');
-        }
-      ));
-
-
       it('should receive scope, element, and attributes', function() {
         var injector;
         module(function() {
@@ -437,20 +429,21 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
 
       describe('restrict', function() {
 
-        it('should allow restriction of attributes', function() {
-          module(function() {
-            forEach({div:'E', attr:'A', clazz:'C', all:'EAC'}, function(restrict, name) {
-              directive(name, function(log) {
+        it('should allow restriction of availability', function () {
+          module(function () {
+            forEach({div: 'E', attr: 'A', clazz: 'C', comment: 'M', all: 'EACM'},
+                function (restrict, name) {
+              directive(name, function (log) {
                 return {
                   restrict: restrict,
-                  compile: valueFn(function(scope, element, attr) {
+                  compile: valueFn(function (scope, element, attr) {
                     log(name);
                   })
                 };
               });
             });
           });
-          inject(function($rootScope, $compile, log) {
+          inject(function ($rootScope, $compile, log) {
             dealoc($compile('<span div class="div"></span>')($rootScope));
             expect(log).toEqual('');
             log.reset();
@@ -459,7 +452,7 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
             expect(log).toEqual('div');
             log.reset();
 
-            dealoc($compile('<attr class=""attr"></attr>')($rootScope));
+            dealoc($compile('<attr class="attr"></attr>')($rootScope));
             expect(log).toEqual('');
             log.reset();
 
@@ -475,8 +468,38 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
             expect(log).toEqual('clazz');
             log.reset();
 
-            dealoc($compile('<all class="all" all></all>')($rootScope));
-            expect(log).toEqual('all; all; all');
+            dealoc($compile('<!-- directive: comment -->')($rootScope));
+            expect(log).toEqual('comment');
+            log.reset();
+
+            dealoc($compile('<all class="all" all><!-- directive: all --></all>')($rootScope));
+            expect(log).toEqual('all; all; all; all');
+          });
+        });
+
+
+        it('should use EA rule as the default', function () {
+          module(function () {
+            directive('defaultDir', function (log) {
+              return {
+                compile: function () {
+                  log('defaultDir');
+                }
+              };
+            });
+          });
+          inject(function ($rootScope, $compile, log) {
+            dealoc($compile('<span default-dir ></span>')($rootScope));
+            expect(log).toEqual('defaultDir');
+            log.reset();
+
+            dealoc($compile('<default-dir></default-dir>')($rootScope));
+            expect(log).toEqual('defaultDir');
+            log.reset();
+
+            dealoc($compile('<span class="default-dir"></span>')($rootScope));
+            expect(log).toEqual('');
+            log.reset();
           });
         });
       });