diff --git a/src/directive/ngRepeat.js b/src/directive/ngRepeat.js
index efa271530df9..82f8b9c734c1 100644
--- a/src/directive/ngRepeat.js
+++ b/src/directive/ngRepeat.js
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ var ngRepeatDirective = ngDirective({
       }
       lhs = match[1];
       rhs = match[2];
-      match = lhs.match(/^([\$\w]+)|\(([\$\w]+)\s*,\s*([\$\w]+)\)$/);
+      match = lhs.match(/^(?:([\$\w]+)|\(([\$\w]+)\s*,\s*([\$\w]+)\))$/);
       if (!match) {
         throw Error("'item' in 'item in collection' should be identifier or (key, value) but got '" +
-          keyValue + "'.");
+            lhs + "'.");
       }
       valueIdent = match[3] || match[1];
       keyIdent = match[2];
diff --git a/test/directive/ngRepeatSpec.js b/test/directive/ngRepeatSpec.js
index 8b6a5173bc68..85aa151140c7 100644
--- a/test/directive/ngRepeatSpec.js
+++ b/test/directive/ngRepeatSpec.js
@@ -64,12 +64,19 @@ describe('ng-repeat', function() {
   }));
 
 
-  it('should error on wrong parsing of ng-repeat', inject(function($rootScope, $compile, $log) {
+  it('should error on wrong parsing of ng-repeat', inject(function($rootScope, $compile) {
     expect(function() {
       element = $compile('<ul><li ng-repeat="i dont parse"></li></ul>')($rootScope);
     }).toThrow("Expected ng-repeat in form of '_item_ in _collection_' but got 'i dont parse'.");
+  }));
+
 
-    $log.error.logs.shift();
+  it("should throw error when left-hand-side of ng-repeat can't be parsed", inject(
+      function($rootScope, $compile) {
+    expect(function() {
+      element = $compile('<ul><li ng-repeat="i dont parse in foo"></li></ul>')($rootScope);
+    }).toThrow("'item' in 'item in collection' should be identifier or (key, value) but got " +
+               "'i dont parse'.");
   }));