diff --git a/src/tabs/tabs.js b/src/tabs/tabs.js
index dbda75ca29..829a1ad23e 100644
--- a/src/tabs/tabs.js
+++ b/src/tabs/tabs.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /**
  * @ngdoc overview
  * @name ui.bootstrap.tabs
@@ -300,15 +299,18 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.tabs', [])
     require: '^tabset',
     templateUrl: 'template/tabs/tabset-titles.html',
     replace: true,
-    link: function(scope, elm, attrs, tabsetCtrl) {
-      if (!scope.$eval(attrs.tabsetTitles)) {
-        elm.remove();
-      } else {
-        //now that tabs location has been decided, transclude the tab titles in
-        tabsetCtrl.$transcludeFn(tabsetCtrl.$scope.$parent, function(node) {
-          elm.append(node);
-        });
-      }
+    link: function (scope, elm, attrs, tabsetCtrl) {
+      //tabsetCtrl.$scope could be null
+      attrs.$observe(tabsetCtrl.$scope, function () {
+        if (!scope.$eval(attrs.tabsetTitles)) {
+          elm.remove();
+        } else {
+          //now that tabs location has been decided, transclude the tab titles in
+          tabsetCtrl.$transcludeFn(tabsetCtrl.$scope.$parent, function (node) {
+            elm.append(node);
+          });
+        }
+      });
     }
   };
 });