diff --git a/src/ui/public/directives/__tests__/config.js b/src/ui/public/directives/__tests__/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ba587e6d3ae9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/directives/__tests__/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+var ngMock = require('ngMock');
+var $ = require('jquery');
+var assign = require('lodash').assign;
+var expect = require('expect.js');
+
+describe('Config Directive', function () {
+
+  var build = function () {};
+
+  beforeEach(ngMock.module('kibana', function ($compileProvider) {
+    var renderCount = 0;
+    $compileProvider.directive('renderCounter', function () {
+      return {
+        link: function ($scope, $el) {
+          $el.html(++renderCount);
+        }
+      };
+    });
+  }));
+
+  beforeEach(ngMock.inject(function ($compile, $rootScope) {
+
+    build = function (attrs, scopeVars) {
+      var $el = $('<config>').attr(attrs);
+      var $scope = $rootScope.$new();
+      assign($scope, scopeVars || {});
+      $compile($el)($scope);
+      $scope.$digest();
+      return $el;
+    };
+
+  }));
+
+  it('renders it\'s config template', function () {
+    var $config = build({ 'config-template': '"<uniqel></uniqel>"' });
+    expect($config.find('uniqel').size()).to.be(1);
+  });
+
+  it('exposes an object a config object using it\'s name', function () {
+    var $config = build(
+      {
+        'config-template': '"<uniqel>{{ controller.name }}</uniqel>"',
+        'config-object': 'controller',
+      },
+      {
+        controller: {
+          name: 'foobar'
+        }
+      }
+    );
+
+    expect($config.find('uniqel').text()).to.be('foobar');
+  });
+
+  it('only renders the config-template once', function () {
+    var $config = build({ 'config-template': '"<div render-counter></div>"' });
+    expect($config.find('[render-counter]').text()).to.be('1');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/public/directives/config.js b/src/ui/public/directives/config.js
index edbf1f13ed5b..a8f69b28ca5e 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/directives/config.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/directives/config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 define(function (require) {
   var _ = require('lodash');
+  require('ui/watch_multi');
   var ConfigTemplate = require('ui/ConfigTemplate');
   var angular = require('angular');
   var module = require('ui/modules').get('kibana');
@@ -39,7 +40,10 @@ define(function (require) {
           }
         };
 
-        var render = function (newTemplate, oldTemplate) {
+        $scope.$watchMulti([
+          'configSubmit',
+          'configTemplate.current || configTemplate'
+        ], function () {
           var tmpl = $scope.configTemplate;
           if (tmpl instanceof ConfigTemplate) {
             tmpl = tmpl.toString();
@@ -62,10 +66,7 @@ define(function (require) {
           }
 
           element.html(html);
-        };
-
-        $scope.$watch('configSubmit', render);
-        $scope.$watch('configTemplate.current || configTemplate', render);
+        });
 
 
         $scope.close = function () {