diff --git a/src/progressbar/progressbar.js b/src/progressbar/progressbar.js
index 8e983c6c3c..77f103b881 100644
--- a/src/progressbar/progressbar.js
+++ b/src/progressbar/progressbar.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.progressbar', [])
       animate = angular.isDefined($attrs.animate) ? $scope.$parent.$eval($attrs.animate) : progressConfig.animate;
 
   this.bars = [];
-  $scope.max = angular.isDefined($scope.max) ? $scope.max : progressConfig.max;
+  $scope.max = getMaxOrDefault();
 
   this.addBar = function(bar, element, attrs) {
     if (!animate) {
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.progressbar', [])
 
     this.bars.push(bar);
 
-    bar.max = $scope.max;
+    bar.max = getMaxOrDefault();
     bar.title = attrs && angular.isDefined(attrs.title) ? attrs.title : 'progressbar';
 
     bar.$watch('value', function(value) {
@@ -50,12 +50,17 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.progressbar', [])
     });
   };
 
-  $scope.$watch('max', function(max) {
+  //$attrs.$observe('maxParam', function(maxParam) {
+  $scope.$watch('maxParam', function(maxParam) {
     self.bars.forEach(function(bar) {
-      bar.max = $scope.max;
+      bar.max = getMaxOrDefault();
       bar.recalculatePercentage();
     });
   });
+
+  function getMaxOrDefault () {
+    return angular.isDefined($scope.maxParam) ? $scope.maxParam : progressConfig.max;
+  }
 }])
 
 .directive('uibProgress', function() {
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.progressbar', [])
     controller: 'UibProgressController',
     require: 'uibProgress',
     scope: {
-      max: '=?'
+      maxParam: '=?max'
     },
     templateUrl: 'uib/template/progressbar/progress.html'
   };
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.progressbar', [])
     controller: 'UibProgressController',
     scope: {
       value: '=',
-      max: '=?',
+      maxParam: '=?max',
       type: '@'
     },
     templateUrl: 'uib/template/progressbar/progressbar.html',
diff --git a/src/progressbar/test/progressbar.spec.js b/src/progressbar/test/progressbar.spec.js
index 16ae8212e6..e7fa4a8500 100644
--- a/src/progressbar/test/progressbar.spec.js
+++ b/src/progressbar/test/progressbar.spec.js
@@ -133,6 +133,30 @@ describe('progressbar directive', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('"max" attribute using object', function() {
+    beforeEach(inject(function() {
+      element = $compile('<uib-progressbar max="settings.max" animate="false" value="settings.value">{{settings.value}}/{{settings.max}}</uib-progressbar>')($rootScope);
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+    }));
+
+    it('should not modify outside object', function() {
+      if (typeof $rootScope.settings === 'object') {
+        // angular set's up the nested object therefore we have to check like this to avoid test crash
+        expect($rootScope.settings.max).toBeUndefined();
+      }
+      expect($rootScope.settings).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(getBar(0).attr('aria-valuemax')).toBe('100');
+      $rootScope.settings = {
+        max: 300,
+        value: 40
+      };
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect($rootScope.settings.max).toBe(300);
+      expect(getBar(0).attr('aria-valuemax')).toBe('300');
+    });
+  });
+
+
   describe('"type" attribute', function() {
     beforeEach(inject(function() {
       $rootScope.type = 'success';