diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility.ts b/modules/angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility.ts
index d570fb3149..9d8e1cb298 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-import {CONST, CONST_EXPR} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
+import {CONST, CONST_EXPR, isBlank} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
 import {DependencyAnnotation} from 'angular2/src/di/annotations_impl';
 
 @CONST()
 export class Visibility extends DependencyAnnotation {
-  constructor(public depth: number, public crossComponentBoundaries: boolean) { super(); }
+  constructor(public depth: number, public crossComponentBoundaries: boolean,
+              public _includeSelf: boolean) {
+    super();
+  }
 
-  shouldIncludeSelf(): boolean { return this.depth === 0; }
+  get includeSelf(): boolean { return isBlank(this._includeSelf) ? false : this._includeSelf; }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ export class Visibility extends DependencyAnnotation {
  */
 @CONST()
 export class Self extends Visibility {
-  constructor() { super(0, false); }
+  constructor() { super(0, false, true); }
 }
 
 // make constants after switching to ts2dart
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ export var self = new Self();
  */
 @CONST()
 export class Parent extends Visibility {
-  constructor() { super(1, false); }
+  constructor({self}: {self?: boolean} = {}) { super(1, false, self); }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -159,7 +162,7 @@ export class Parent extends Visibility {
  */
 @CONST()
 export class Ancestor extends Visibility {
-  constructor() { super(999999, false); }
+  constructor({self}: {self?: boolean} = {}) { super(999999, false, self); }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -198,5 +201,5 @@ export class Ancestor extends Visibility {
  */
 @CONST()
 export class Unbounded extends Visibility {
-  constructor() { super(999999, true); }
+  constructor({self}: {self?: boolean} = {}) { super(999999, true, self); }
 }
diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/core/compiler/element_injector.ts b/modules/angular2/src/core/compiler/element_injector.ts
index 0acf9fd699..637dc09ecb 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/src/core/compiler/element_injector.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/core/compiler/element_injector.ts
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ export class ElementInjector extends TreeNode<ElementInjector> {
 
     var depth = visibility.depth;
 
-    if (!visibility.shouldIncludeSelf()) {
+    if (!visibility.includeSelf) {
       depth -= ei._proto.distanceToParent;
 
       if (isPresent(ei._parent)) {
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/core/compiler/element_injector_spec.ts b/modules/angular2/test/core/compiler/element_injector_spec.ts
index ce45074155..b062dd0341 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/test/core/compiler/element_injector_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/core/compiler/element_injector_spec.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ class NeedsDirectiveFromParent {
   constructor(@Parent() dependency: SimpleDirective) { this.dependency = dependency; }
 }
 
+@Injectable()
+class NeedsDirectiveFromParentOrSelf {
+  dependency: SimpleDirective;
+  constructor(@Parent({self:true}) dependency: SimpleDirective) { this.dependency = dependency; }
+}
+
 @Injectable()
 class NeedsDirectiveFromAncestor {
   dependency: SimpleDirective;
@@ -640,12 +646,21 @@ export function main() {
             expect(d.dependency).toBeAnInstanceOf(SimpleDirective);
           });
 
-          it("should not return parent's directives on self", () => {
+          it("should not return parent's directives on self by default", () => {
             expect(() => {
               injector(ListWrapper.concat([SimpleDirective, NeedsDirectiveFromParent], extraBindings));
             }).toThrowError(containsRegexp(`No provider for ${stringify(SimpleDirective) }`));
           });
 
+          it("should return parent's directives on self when explicitly specified", () => {
+            var inj = injector(ListWrapper.concat([SimpleDirective, NeedsDirectiveFromParentOrSelf], extraBindings));
+
+            var d = inj.get(NeedsDirectiveFromParentOrSelf);
+
+            expect(d).toBeAnInstanceOf(NeedsDirectiveFromParentOrSelf);
+            expect(d.dependency).toBeAnInstanceOf(SimpleDirective);
+          });
+
           it("should get directives from ancestor", () => {
             var child = parentChildInjectors(ListWrapper.concat([SimpleDirective], extraBindings),
                                              [NeedsDirectiveFromAncestor]);