diff --git a/src/stateDirectives.js b/src/stateDirectives.js
index 0a66185f0..e62bafe92 100644
--- a/src/stateDirectives.js
+++ b/src/stateDirectives.js
@@ -289,14 +289,20 @@ function $StateRefActiveDirective($state, $stateParams, $interpolate) {
   return  {
     restrict: "A",
     controller: ['$scope', '$element', '$attrs', '$timeout', function ($scope, $element, $attrs, $timeout) {
-      var states = [], activeClasses = {}, activeEqClass;
+      var states = [], activeClasses = {}, activeEqClass, uiSrefActive;
 
       // There probably isn't much point in $observing this
       // uiSrefActive and uiSrefActiveEq share the same directive object with some
       // slight difference in logic routing
       activeEqClass = $interpolate($attrs.uiSrefActiveEq || '', false)($scope);
 
-      var uiSrefActive = $scope.$eval($attrs.uiSrefActive) || $interpolate($attrs.uiSrefActive || '', false)($scope);
+      try {
+        uiSrefActive = $scope.$eval($attrs.uiSrefActive);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // Do nothing. uiSrefActive is not a valid expression.
+        // Fall back to using $interpolate below
+      }
+      uiSrefActive = uiSrefActive || $interpolate($attrs.uiSrefActive || '', false)($scope);
       if (isObject(uiSrefActive)) {
         forEach(uiSrefActive, function(stateOrName, activeClass) {
           if (isString(stateOrName)) {
diff --git a/test/stateDirectivesSpec.js b/test/stateDirectivesSpec.js
index 7af62ba99..a9c0f120f 100644
--- a/test/stateDirectivesSpec.js
+++ b/test/stateDirectivesSpec.js
@@ -635,6 +635,17 @@ describe('uiSrefActive', function() {
     expect(angular.element(template[0].querySelector('a')).attr('class')).toBe('active');
   }));
 
+  it('should allow multiple classes to be supplied', inject(function($rootScope, $q, $compile, $state) {
+    template = $compile('<div><a ui-sref="contacts.item({ id: 1 })" ui-sref-active="active also-active">Contacts</a></div>')($rootScope);
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    var a = angular.element(template[0].getElementsByTagName('a')[0]);
+
+    $state.transitionTo('contacts.item.edit', { id: 1 });
+    $q.flush();
+    timeoutFlush();
+    expect(a.attr('class')).toMatch(/active also-active/);
+  }));
+
   describe('ng-{class,style} interface', function() {
     it('should match on abstract states that are included by the current state', inject(function($rootScope, $compile, $state, $q) {
       el = $compile('<div ui-sref-active="{active: \'admin.*\'}"><a ui-sref-active="active" ui-sref="admin.roles">Roles</a></div>')($rootScope);