diff --git a/ng-sortable.js b/ng-sortable.js
index 5f41940..cbe1189 100644
--- a/ng-sortable.js
+++ b/ng-sortable.js
@@ -35,169 +35,174 @@
 		.constant('ngSortableConfig', {})
 		.directive('ngSortable', ['$parse', 'ngSortableConfig', function ($parse, ngSortableConfig) {
 			var removed,
-				nextSibling,
-				getSourceFactory = function getSourceFactory(el, scope) {
-					var ngRepeat = [].filter.call(el.childNodes, function (node) {
+				nextSibling;
+
+			// Export
+			return {
+				restrict: 'AC',
+				scope: { ngSortable: "=?" },
+				priority: 1001,
+				compile: function ($element, $attr) {
+
+					var ngRepeat = [].filter.call($element[0].childNodes, function (node) {
 						return (
-								(node.nodeType === 8) &&
-								(node.nodeValue.indexOf('ngRepeat:') !== -1)
+								(node.nodeType === 1) &&
+								(node.attributes['ng-repeat'])
 							);
 					})[0];
 
 					if (!ngRepeat) {
-						// Without ng-repeat
-						return function () {
-							return null;
-						};
+						return;
 					}
 
-					// tests: http://jsbin.com/kosubutilo/1/edit?js,output
-					ngRepeat = ngRepeat.nodeValue.match(/ngRepeat:\s*(?:\(.*?,\s*)?([^\s)]+)[\s)]+in\s+([^\s|]+)/);
+					var expression = ngRepeat.attributes['ng-repeat'].nodeValue;
+					var match = expression.match(/^\s*([\s\S]+?)\s+in\s+([\s\S]+?)(?:\s+as\s+([\s\S]+?))?(?:\s+track\s+by\s+([\s\S]+?))?\s*$/);
 
-					var itemsExpr = $parse(ngRepeat[2]);
+					if (!match) {
+						return;
+					}
 
-					return function () {
-						return itemsExpr(scope.$parent) || [];
-					};
-				};
+					var rhs = match[2];
 
+					return function postLink(scope, $el) {
+						var itemsExpr = $parse(rhs);
+						var getSource = function getSource() {
+							return itemsExpr(scope.$parent) || [];
+						};
 
-			// Export
-			return {
-				restrict: 'AC',
-				scope: { ngSortable: "=?" },
-				link: function (scope, $el) {
-					var el = $el[0],
-						options = angular.extend(scope.ngSortable || {}, ngSortableConfig),
-						watchers = [],
-						getSource = getSourceFactory(el, scope),
-						offDestroy,
-						sortable
-					;
-
-					el[expando] = getSource;
-
-					function _emitEvent(/**Event*/evt, /*Mixed*/item) {
-						var name = 'on' + evt.type.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + evt.type.substr(1);
-						var source = getSource();
-
-						/* jshint expr:true */
-						options[name] && options[name]({
-							model: item || source[evt.newIndex],
-							models: source,
-							oldIndex: evt.oldIndex,
-							newIndex: evt.newIndex,
-							originalEvent: evt
-						});
-					}
 
+						var el = $el[0],
+							options = angular.extend(scope.ngSortable || {}, ngSortableConfig),
+							watchers = [],
+							offDestroy,
+							sortable
+						;
 
-					function _sync(/**Event*/evt) {
-						var items = getSource();
+						el[expando] = getSource;
 
-						if (!items) {
-							// Without ng-repeat
-							return;
-						}
+						function _emitEvent(/**Event*/evt, /*Mixed*/item) {
+							var name = 'on' + evt.type.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + evt.type.substr(1);
+							var source = getSource();
 
-						var oldIndex = evt.oldIndex,
-							newIndex = evt.newIndex;
+							/* jshint expr:true */
+							options[name] && options[name]({
+								model: item || source[evt.newIndex],
+								models: source,
+								oldIndex: evt.oldIndex,
+								newIndex: evt.newIndex,
+								originalEvent: evt
+							});
+						}
 
-						if (el !== evt.from) {
-							var prevItems = evt.from[expando]();
 
-							removed = prevItems[oldIndex];
+						function _sync(/**Event*/evt) {
+							var items = getSource();
 
-							if (evt.clone) {
-								removed = angular.copy(removed);
-								prevItems.splice(Sortable.utils.index(evt.clone, sortable.options.draggable), 0, prevItems.splice(oldIndex, 1)[0]);
-								evt.from.removeChild(evt.clone);
-							}
-							else {
-								prevItems.splice(oldIndex, 1);
+							if (!items) {
+								// Without ng-repeat
+								return;
 							}
 
-							items.splice(newIndex, 0, removed);
+							var oldIndex = evt.oldIndex,
+								newIndex = evt.newIndex;
 
-							evt.from.insertBefore(evt.item, nextSibling); // revert element
-						}
-						else {
-							items.splice(newIndex, 0, items.splice(oldIndex, 1)[0]);
+							if (el !== evt.from) {
+								var prevItems = evt.from[expando]();
 
-							// move ng-repeat comment node to right position
-							if (nextSibling.nodeType === Node.COMMENT_NODE) {
-								evt.from.insertBefore(nextSibling, evt.item.nextSibling);
-							}
-						}
+								removed = prevItems[oldIndex];
 
-						scope.$apply();
-					}
+								if (evt.clone) {
+									removed = angular.copy(removed);
+									prevItems.splice(Sortable.utils.index(evt.clone, sortable.options.draggable), 0, prevItems.splice(oldIndex, 1)[0]);
+									evt.from.removeChild(evt.clone);
+								}
+								else {
+									prevItems.splice(oldIndex, 1);
+								}
 
-					function _destroy() {
-						offDestroy();
+								items.splice(newIndex, 0, removed);
 
-						angular.forEach(watchers, function (/** Function */unwatch) {
-							unwatch();
-						});
+								evt.from.insertBefore(evt.item, nextSibling); // revert element
+							}
+							else {
+								items.splice(newIndex, 0, items.splice(oldIndex, 1)[0]);
 
-						sortable.destroy();
+								// move ng-repeat comment node to right position
+								if (nextSibling.nodeType === Node.COMMENT_NODE) {
+									evt.from.insertBefore(nextSibling, evt.item.nextSibling);
+								}
+							}
 
-						el[expando] = null;
-						el = null;
-						watchers = null;
-						sortable = null;
-						nextSibling = null;
-					}
+							scope.$apply();
+						}
 
+						function _destroy() {
+							offDestroy();
 
-					// Initialization
-					sortable = Sortable.create(el, Object.keys(options).reduce(function (opts, name) {
-						opts[name] = opts[name] || options[name];
-						return opts;
-					}, {
-						onStart: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							nextSibling = evt.from === evt.item.parentNode ? evt.item.nextSibling : evt.clone.nextSibling;
-							_emitEvent(evt);
-							scope.$apply();
-						},
-						onEnd: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							_emitEvent(evt, removed);
-							scope.$apply();
-						},
-						onAdd: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							_sync(evt);
-							_emitEvent(evt, removed);
-							scope.$apply();
-						},
-						onUpdate: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							_sync(evt);
-							_emitEvent(evt);
-						},
-						onRemove: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							_emitEvent(evt, removed);
-						},
-						onSort: function (/**Event*/evt) {
-							_emitEvent(evt);
+							angular.forEach(watchers, function (/** Function */unwatch) {
+								unwatch();
+							});
+
+							sortable.destroy();
+
+							el[expando] = null;
+							el = null;
+							watchers = null;
+							sortable = null;
+							nextSibling = null;
 						}
-					}));
-
-					// Create watchers for `options`
-					angular.forEach([
-						'sort', 'disabled', 'draggable', 'handle', 'animation', 'group', 'ghostClass', 'filter',
-						'onStart', 'onEnd', 'onAdd', 'onUpdate', 'onRemove', 'onSort', 'onMove', 'onClone', 'setData'
-					], function (name) {
-						watchers.push(scope.$watch('ngSortable.' + name, function (value) {
-							if (value !== void 0) {
-								options[name] = value;
-
-								if (!/^on[A-Z]/.test(name)) {
-									sortable.option(name, value);
-								}
+
+
+						// Initialization
+						sortable = Sortable.create(el, Object.keys(options).reduce(function (opts, name) {
+							opts[name] = opts[name] || options[name];
+							return opts;
+						}, {
+							onStart: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								nextSibling = evt.from === evt.item.parentNode ? evt.item.nextSibling : evt.clone.nextSibling;
+								_emitEvent(evt);
+								scope.$apply();
+							},
+							onEnd: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								_emitEvent(evt, removed);
+								scope.$apply();
+							},
+							onAdd: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								_sync(evt);
+								_emitEvent(evt, removed);
+								scope.$apply();
+							},
+							onUpdate: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								_sync(evt);
+								_emitEvent(evt);
+							},
+							onRemove: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								_emitEvent(evt, removed);
+							},
+							onSort: function (/**Event*/evt) {
+								_emitEvent(evt);
 							}
 						}));
-					});
 
-					offDestroy = scope.$on('$destroy', _destroy);
+						// Create watchers for `options`
+						angular.forEach([
+							'sort', 'disabled', 'draggable', 'handle', 'animation', 'group', 'ghostClass', 'filter',
+							'onStart', 'onEnd', 'onAdd', 'onUpdate', 'onRemove', 'onSort', 'onMove', 'onClone', 'setData'
+						], function (name) {
+							watchers.push(scope.$watch('ngSortable.' + name, function (value) {
+								if (value !== void 0) {
+									options[name] = value;
+
+									if (!/^on[A-Z]/.test(name)) {
+										sortable.option(name, value);
+									}
+								}
+							}));
+						});
+
+						offDestroy = scope.$on('$destroy', _destroy);
+
+					}
 				}
 			};
 		}]);