diff --git a/docs/content/guide/component.ngdoc b/docs/content/guide/component.ngdoc
index 55e22d137d6..f2aaec04423 100644
--- a/docs/content/guide/component.ngdoc
+++ b/docs/content/guide/component.ngdoc
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ of the component. The following hook methods can be implemented:
     this element). This is a good place to put initialization code for your controller.
   * `$onChanges(changesObj)` - Called whenever one-way bindings are updated. The `changesObj` is a hash whose keys
     are the names of the bound properties that have changed, and the values are an object of the form
-    `{ currentValue: ..., previousValue: ... }`. Use this hook to trigger updates within a component such as
+    `{ currentValue, previousValue, isFirstChange() }`. Use this hook to trigger updates within a component such as
     cloning the bound value to prevent accidental mutation of the outer value.
   * `$onDestroy()` - Called on a controller when its containing scope is destroyed. Use this hook for releasing
     external resources, watches and event handlers.
diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index 9d444ddb7bf..74cd3259ca4 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -298,8 +298,8 @@
  *   this element). This is a good place to put initialization code for your controller.
  * * `$onChanges(changesObj)` - Called whenever one-way (`<`) or interpolation (`@`) bindings are updated. The
  *   `changesObj` is a hash whose keys are the names of the bound properties that have changed, and the values are an
- *   object of the form `{ currentValue: ..., previousValue: ... }`. Use this hook to trigger updates within a component
- *   such as cloning the bound value to prevent accidental mutation of the outer value.
+ *   object of the form `{ currentValue, previousValue, isFirstChange() }`. Use this hook to trigger updates within a
+ *   component such as cloning the bound value to prevent accidental mutation of the outer value.
  * * `$onDestroy()` - Called on a controller when its containing scope is destroyed. Use this hook for releasing
  *   external resources, watches and event handlers. Note that components have their `$onDestroy()` hooks called in
  *   the same order as the `$scope.$broadcast` events are triggered, which is top down. This means that parent
@@ -846,6 +846,9 @@
 
 var $compileMinErr = minErr('$compile');
 
+function UNINITIALIZED_VALUE() {}
+var _UNINITIALIZED_VALUE = new UNINITIALIZED_VALUE();
+
 /**
  * @ngdoc provider
  * @name $compileProvider
@@ -3115,6 +3118,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
               // the value to boolean rather than a string, so we special case this situation
               destination[scopeName] = lastValue;
             }
+            recordChanges(scopeName, destination[scopeName], _UNINITIALIZED_VALUE);
             break;
 
           case '=':
@@ -3170,6 +3174,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
             parentGet = $parse(attrs[attrName]);
 
             destination[scopeName] = parentGet(scope);
+            recordChanges(scopeName, destination[scopeName], _UNINITIALIZED_VALUE);
 
             removeWatch = scope.$watch(parentGet, function parentValueWatchAction(newParentValue) {
               var oldValue = destination[scopeName];
@@ -3211,7 +3216,7 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
             previousValue = changes[key].previousValue;
           }
           // Store this change
-          changes[key] = {previousValue: previousValue, currentValue: currentValue};
+          changes[key] = new SimpleChange(previousValue, currentValue);
         }
       }
 
@@ -3230,6 +3235,13 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
   }];
 }
 
+function SimpleChange(previous, current) {
+  this.previousValue = previous;
+  this.currentValue = current;
+}
+SimpleChange.prototype.isFirstChange = function() { return this.previousValue === _UNINITIALIZED_VALUE; };
+
+
 var PREFIX_REGEXP = /^((?:x|data)[\:\-_])/i;
 /**
  * Converts all accepted directives format into proper directive name.
diff --git a/test/ng/compileSpec.js b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
index a9fd0069e66..4f37dc345ec 100755
--- a/test/ng/compileSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/compileSpec.js
@@ -3676,8 +3676,9 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           // Now we should have a single changes entry in the log
           expect(log).toEqual([
             {
-              prop1: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 42},
-              prop2: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 84}
+              prop1: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 42}),
+              prop2: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 84}),
+              attr: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: ''})
             }
           ]);
 
@@ -3689,8 +3690,8 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           // Now we should have a single changes entry in the log
           expect(log).toEqual([
             {
-              prop1: {previousValue: 42, currentValue: 17},
-              prop2: {previousValue: 84, currentValue: 34}
+              prop1: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: 42, currentValue: 17}),
+              prop2: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: 84, currentValue: 34})
             }
           ]);
 
@@ -3707,7 +3708,7 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           // onChanges should not have been called
           expect(log).toEqual([
             {
-              attr: {previousValue: '', currentValue: '22'}
+              attr: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: '', currentValue: '22'})
             }
           ]);
         });
@@ -3739,7 +3740,7 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           // Update val to trigger the onChanges
           $rootScope.$apply('a = 42');
           // Now the change should have the real previous value (undefined), not the intermediate one (42)
-          expect(log).toEqual([{prop: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 126}}]);
+          expect(log).toEqual([{prop: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 126})}]);
 
           // Clear the log
           log = [];
@@ -3747,7 +3748,46 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           // Update val to trigger the onChanges
           $rootScope.$apply('a = 7');
           // Now the change should have the real previous value (126), not the intermediate one, (91)
-          expect(log).toEqual([{ prop: {previousValue: 126, currentValue: 21}}]);
+          expect(log).toEqual([{prop: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: 126, currentValue: 21})}]);
+        });
+      });
+
+
+      it('should trigger an initial onChanges call for each binding with the `isFirstChange()` returning true', function() {
+        var log = [];
+        function TestController() { }
+        TestController.prototype.$onChanges = function(change) { log.push(change); };
+
+        angular.module('my', [])
+          .component('c1', {
+            controller: TestController,
+            bindings: { 'prop': '<', attr: '@' }
+          });
+
+        module('my');
+        inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
+          element = $compile('<c1 prop="a" attr="{{a}}"></c1>')($rootScope);
+          expect(log).toEqual([]);
+          $rootScope.$apply('a = 7');
+          expect(log).toEqual([
+            {
+              prop: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 7}),
+              attr: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: '7'})
+            }
+          ]);
+          expect(log[0].prop.isFirstChange()).toEqual(true);
+          expect(log[0].attr.isFirstChange()).toEqual(true);
+
+          log = [];
+          $rootScope.$apply('a = 9');
+          expect(log).toEqual([
+            {
+              prop: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: 7, currentValue: 9}),
+              attr: jasmine.objectContaining({previousValue: '7', currentValue: '9'})
+            }
+          ]);
+          expect(log[0].prop.isFirstChange()).toEqual(false);
+          expect(log[0].attr.isFirstChange()).toEqual(false);
         });
       });
 
@@ -3786,8 +3826,8 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           $rootScope.$apply('val1 = 42; val2 = 17');
 
           expect(log).toEqual([
-            ['TestController1', {prop: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 42}}],
-            ['TestController2', {prop: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 17}}]
+            ['TestController1', {prop: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 42})}],
+            ['TestController2', {prop: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 17})}]
           ]);
           // A single apply should only trigger three turns of the digest loop
           expect(watchCount).toEqual(3);
@@ -3831,8 +3871,9 @@ describe('$compile', function() {
           $rootScope.$apply('a = 42');
 
           expect(log).toEqual([
-            ['OuterController', {prop1: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 42}}],
-            ['InnerController', {prop2: {previousValue: undefined, currentValue: 72}}]
+            ['OuterController', {prop1: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 42})}],
+            ['InnerController', {prop2: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: undefined})}],
+            ['InnerController', {prop2: jasmine.objectContaining({currentValue: 72})}]
           ]);
         });
       });