diff --git a/src/uiSelectController.js b/src/uiSelectController.js
index 7661da94b..eb536a1ec 100644
--- a/src/uiSelectController.js
+++ b/src/uiSelectController.js
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
  * put as much logic in the controller (instead of the link functions) as possible so it can be easily tested.
  */
 uis.controller('uiSelectCtrl',
-  ['$scope', '$element', '$timeout', '$filter', 'uisRepeatParser', 'uiSelectMinErr', 'uiSelectConfig', '$parse',
-  function($scope, $element, $timeout, $filter, RepeatParser, uiSelectMinErr, uiSelectConfig, $parse) {
+  ['$scope', '$element', '$timeout', '$filter', 'uisRepeatParser', 'uiSelectMinErr', 'uiSelectConfig', '$parse', '$injector',
+  function($scope, $element, $timeout, $filter, RepeatParser, uiSelectMinErr, uiSelectConfig, $parse, $injector) {
 
   var ctrl = this;
 
@@ -41,11 +41,21 @@ uis.controller('uiSelectCtrl',
   ctrl.clickTriggeredSelect = false;
   ctrl.$filter = $filter;
 
+  // Use $injector to check for $animate and store a reference to it
+  ctrl.$animate = (function () {
+    try {
+      return $injector.get('$animate');
+    } catch (err) {
+      // $animate does not exist
+      return null;
+    }
+  })();
+
   ctrl.searchInput = $element.querySelectorAll('input.ui-select-search');
   if (ctrl.searchInput.length !== 1) {
     throw uiSelectMinErr('searchInput', "Expected 1 input.ui-select-search but got '{0}'.", ctrl.searchInput.length);
   }
-  
+
   ctrl.isEmpty = function() {
     return angular.isUndefined(ctrl.selected) || ctrl.selected === null || ctrl.selected === '';
   };
@@ -90,14 +100,29 @@ uis.controller('uiSelectCtrl',
         ctrl.activeIndex = 0;
       }
 
-      // Give it time to appear before focus
-      $timeout(function() {
-        ctrl.search = initSearchValue || ctrl.search;
-        ctrl.searchInput[0].focus();
-        if(!ctrl.tagging.isActivated && ctrl.items.length > 1) {
-          _ensureHighlightVisible();
-        }
-      });
+      var container = $element.querySelectorAll('.ui-select-choices-content');
+      if (ctrl.$animate && ctrl.$animate.enabled(container[0])) {
+        ctrl.$animate.on('enter', container[0], function (elem, phase) {
+          if (phase === 'close') {
+            // Only focus input after the animation has finished
+            $timeout(function () {
+              ctrl.focusSearchInput(initSearchValue);
+            });
+          }
+        });
+      } else {
+        $timeout(function () {
+          ctrl.focusSearchInput(initSearchValue);
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  ctrl.focusSearchInput = function (initSearchValue) {
+    ctrl.search = initSearchValue || ctrl.search;
+    ctrl.searchInput[0].focus();
+    if(!ctrl.tagging.isActivated && ctrl.items.length > 1) {
+     _ensureHighlightVisible();
     }
   };
 
@@ -149,7 +174,7 @@ uis.controller('uiSelectCtrl',
     //If collection is an Object, convert it to Array
 
     var originalSource = ctrl.parserResult.source;
-    
+
     //When an object is used as source, we better create an array and use it as 'source'
     var createArrayFromObject = function(){
       var origSrc = originalSource($scope);
@@ -195,7 +220,7 @@ uis.controller('uiSelectCtrl',
         ctrl.items = [];
       } else {
         if (!angular.isArray(items)) {
-          throw uiSelectMinErr('items', "Expected an array but got '{0}'.", items);          
+          throw uiSelectMinErr('items', "Expected an array but got '{0}'.", items);
         } else {
           //Remove already selected items (ex: while searching)
           //TODO Should add a test