diff --git a/src/uiSelectChoicesDirective.js b/src/uiSelectChoicesDirective.js
index 41d24e31b..8a84faf8f 100644
--- a/src/uiSelectChoicesDirective.js
+++ b/src/uiSelectChoicesDirective.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 uis.directive('uiSelectChoices',
-  ['uiSelectConfig', 'uisRepeatParser', 'uiSelectMinErr', '$compile',
-  function(uiSelectConfig, RepeatParser, uiSelectMinErr, $compile) {
+  ['uiSelectConfig', 'uisRepeatParser', 'uiSelectMinErr', '$compile', '$window',
+  function(uiSelectConfig, RepeatParser, uiSelectMinErr, $compile, $window) {
 
   return {
     restrict: 'EA',
@@ -39,13 +39,19 @@ uis.directive('uiSelectChoices',
         }
 
         choices.attr('ng-repeat', RepeatParser.getNgRepeatExpression($select.parserResult.itemName, '$select.items', $select.parserResult.trackByExp, groupByExp))
-            .attr('ng-if', '$select.open') //Prevent unnecessary watches when dropdown is closed
-            .attr('ng-mouseenter', '$select.setActiveItem('+$select.parserResult.itemName +')')
-            .attr('ng-click', '$select.select(' + $select.parserResult.itemName + ',false,$event)');
+            .attr('ng-if', '$select.open'); //Prevent unnecessary watches when dropdown is closed
+        if ($window.document.addEventListener) {  //crude way to exclude IE8, specifically, which also cannot capture events
+          choices.attr('ng-mouseenter', '$select.setActiveItem('+$select.parserResult.itemName +')')
+              .attr('ng-click', '$select.select(' + $select.parserResult.itemName + ',false,$event)');
+        }
 
         var rowsInner = element.querySelectorAll('.ui-select-choices-row-inner');
         if (rowsInner.length !== 1) throw uiSelectMinErr('rows', "Expected 1 .ui-select-choices-row-inner but got '{0}'.", rowsInner.length);
         rowsInner.attr('uis-transclude-append', ''); //Adding uisTranscludeAppend directive to row element after choices element has ngRepeat
+        if (!$window.document.addEventListener) {  //crude way to target IE8, specifically, which also cannot capture events - so event bindings must be here
+          rowsInner.attr('ng-mouseenter', '$select.setActiveItem('+$select.parserResult.itemName +')')
+              .attr('ng-click', '$select.select(' + $select.parserResult.itemName + ',false,$event)');
+        }
 
         $compile(element, transcludeFn)(scope); //Passing current transcludeFn to be able to append elements correctly from uisTranscludeAppend