diff --git a/src/buttons/buttons.js b/src/buttons/buttons.js
index 7253b6a62a..ecec408dd5 100644
--- a/src/buttons/buttons.js
+++ b/src/buttons/buttons.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.buttons', [])
   };
 })
 
-.directive('btnCheckbox', function() {
+.directive('btnCheckbox', ['$document', function($document) {
   return {
     require: ['btnCheckbox', 'ngModel'],
     controller: 'ButtonsController',
@@ -79,6 +79,18 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.buttons', [])
           ngModelCtrl.$render();
         });
       });
+
+      //accessibility
+      element.on('keypress', function(e) {
+        if (attrs.disabled || e.which !== 32 || $document[0].activeElement !== element[0]) {
+          return;
+        }
+
+        scope.$apply(function() {
+          ngModelCtrl.$setViewValue(element.hasClass(buttonsCtrl.activeClass) ? getFalseValue() : getTrueValue());
+          ngModelCtrl.$render();
+        });
+      });
     }
   };
-});
+}]);
diff --git a/src/buttons/test/buttons.spec.js b/src/buttons/test/buttons.spec.js
index d8d152b2d5..9ac5d29c0b 100644
--- a/src/buttons/test/buttons.spec.js
+++ b/src/buttons/test/buttons.spec.js
@@ -74,6 +74,27 @@ describe('buttons', function() {
       expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
     });
 
+    it('should toggle custom model values on spacebar if focused', function() {
+      $scope.model = 0;
+      var btn = compileButton('<button ng-model="model" btn-checkbox btn-checkbox-true="1" btn-checkbox-false="0">click</button>', $scope);
+      $('body').append(btn);
+      var e = $.Event('keypress');
+      e.which = 32;
+
+      btn[0].focus();
+      btn.trigger(e);
+      $scope.$digest();
+      expect($scope.model).toEqual(1);
+      expect(btn).toHaveClass('active');
+
+      btn.trigger(e);
+      $scope.$digest();
+      expect($scope.model).toEqual(0);
+      expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
+
+      btn.remove();
+    });
+
     it('should monitor true / false value changes - issue 666', function() {
 
       $scope.model = 1;
@@ -95,6 +116,7 @@ describe('buttons', function() {
       $scope.model = 1;
       $scope.falseVal = 0;
       var btn = compileButton('<button disabled ng-model="model" btn-checkbox btn-checkbox-true="falseVal">click</button>', $scope);
+      $('body').append(btn);
 
       expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
       expect($scope.model).toEqual(1);
@@ -106,6 +128,19 @@ describe('buttons', function() {
       $scope.$digest();
       
       expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
+
+      btn[0].focus();
+      var e = $.Event('keypress');
+      e.which = 32;
+      btn.trigger(e);
+
+      expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
+
+      $scope.$digest();
+      
+      expect(btn).not.toHaveClass('active');
+
+      btn.remove();
     });
 
     describe('setting buttonConfig', function() {