diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index d231fb40..ba6e6306 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -591,8 +591,10 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide) {
           if (!node) {
             throw ngError(51, "Unterminated attribute, found '{0}' but no matching '{1}' found.", attrStart, attrEnd);
           }
-          if (node.hasAttribute(attrStart)) depth++;
-          if (node.hasAttribute(attrEnd)) depth--;
+          if (node.nodeType == 1 /** Element **/) {
+            if (node.hasAttribute(attrStart)) depth++;
+            if (node.hasAttribute(attrEnd)) depth--;
+          }
           nodes.push(node);
           node = node.nextSibling;
         } while (depth > 0);
diff --git a/test/ng/compileSpec.js b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
index 95b2ab72..99c0a6ad 100755
--- a/test/ng/compileSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
@@ -2747,6 +2747,19 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
     }));
 
 
+    it('should support grouping over text nodes', inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
+      $rootScope.show = false;
+      element = $compile(
+          '<div>' +
+              '<span ng-repeat-start="i in [1,2]">{{i}}A</span>' +
+              ':' + // Important: proves that we can iterate over non-elements
+              '<span ng-repeat-end>{{i}}B;</span>' +
+          '</div>')($rootScope);
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect(element.text()).toEqual('1A:1B;2A:2B;');
+    }));
+
+
     it('should group on $root compile function', inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
       $rootScope.show = false;
       element = $compile(