diff --git a/src/ng/http.js b/src/ng/http.js
index 9017fe85..1fdc615f 100644
--- a/src/ng/http.js
+++ b/src/ng/http.js
@@ -143,6 +143,34 @@ function $HttpProvider() {
     xsrfHeaderName: 'X-XSRF-TOKEN'
   };
 
+  var useApplyAsync = false;
+  /**
+   * @ngdoc method
+   * @name $httpProvider#useApplyAsync
+   * @description
+   *
+   * Configure $http service to combine processing of multiple http responses received at around
+   * the same time via {@link ng.$rootScope#applyAsync $rootScope.$applyAsync}. This can result in
+   * significant performance improvement for bigger applications that make many HTTP requests
+   * concurrently (common during application bootstrap).
+   *
+   * Defaults to false. If no value is specifed, returns the current configured value.
+   *
+   * @param {boolean=} value If true, when requests are loaded, they will schedule a deferred
+   *    "apply" on the next tick, giving time for subsequent requests in a roughly ~10ms window
+   *    to load and share the same digest cycle.
+   *
+   * @returns {boolean|Object} If a value is specified, returns the $httpProvider for chaining.
+   *    otherwise, returns the current configured value.
+   **/
+  this.useApplyAsync = function(value) {
+    if (isDefined(value)) {
+      useApplyAsync = !!value;
+      return this;
+    }
+    return useApplyAsync;
+  };
+
   /**
    * Are ordered by request, i.e. they are applied in the same order as the
    * array, on request, but reverse order, on response.
@@ -949,8 +977,16 @@ function $HttpProvider() {
           }
         }
 
-        resolvePromise(response, status, headersString, statusText);
-        if (!$rootScope.$$phase) $rootScope.$apply();
+        function resolveHttpPromise() {
+          resolvePromise(response, status, headersString, statusText);
+        }
+
+        if (useApplyAsync) {
+          $rootScope.$applyAsync(resolveHttpPromise);
+        } else {
+          resolveHttpPromise();
+          if (!$rootScope.$$phase) $rootScope.$apply();
+        }
       }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js b/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
index ba979053..073dadc0 100644
--- a/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
+++ b/src/ngMock/angular-mocks.js
@@ -1488,11 +1488,11 @@ function createHttpBackendMock($rootScope, $delegate, $browser) {
    *   all pending requests will be flushed. If there are no pending requests when the flush method
    *   is called an exception is thrown (as this typically a sign of programming error).
    */
-  $httpBackend.flush = function(count) {
-    $rootScope.$digest();
+  $httpBackend.flush = function(count, digest) {
+    if (digest !== false) $rootScope.$digest();
     if (!responses.length) throw new Error('No pending request to flush !');
 
-    if (angular.isDefined(count)) {
+    if (angular.isDefined(count) && count !== null) {
       while (count--) {
         if (!responses.length) throw new Error('No more pending request to flush !');
         responses.shift()();
@@ -1502,7 +1502,7 @@ function createHttpBackendMock($rootScope, $delegate, $browser) {
         responses.shift()();
       }
     }
-    $httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation();
+    $httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation(digest);
   };
 
 
@@ -1520,8 +1520,8 @@ function createHttpBackendMock($rootScope, $delegate, $browser) {
    *   afterEach($httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation);
    * ```
    */
-  $httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation = function() {
-    $rootScope.$digest();
+  $httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation = function(digest) {
+    if (digest !== false) $rootScope.$digest();
     if (expectations.length) {
       throw new Error('Unsatisfied requests: ' + expectations.join(', '));
     }
diff --git a/test/ng/httpSpec.js b/test/ng/httpSpec.js
index c1c33ffb..c2ad25f0 100644
--- a/test/ng/httpSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/httpSpec.js
@@ -1526,3 +1526,80 @@ describe('$http', function() {
     $httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation = noop;
   });
 });
+
+
+describe('$http with $applyAapply', function() {
+  var $http, $httpBackend, $rootScope, $browser, log;
+  beforeEach(module(function($httpProvider) {
+    $httpProvider.useApplyAsync(true);
+  }, provideLog));
+
+
+  beforeEach(inject(['$http', '$httpBackend', '$rootScope', '$browser', 'log', function(http, backend, scope, browser, logger) {
+    $http = http;
+    $httpBackend = backend;
+    $rootScope = scope;
+    $browser = browser;
+    spyOn($rootScope, '$apply').andCallThrough();
+    spyOn($rootScope, '$applyAsync').andCallThrough();
+    spyOn($rootScope, '$digest').andCallThrough();
+    spyOn($browser.defer, 'cancel').andCallThrough();
+    log = logger;
+  }]));
+
+
+  it('should schedule coalesced apply on response', function() {
+    var handler = jasmine.createSpy('handler');
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template1.html').respond(200, '<h1>Header!</h1>', {});
+    $http.get('/template1.html').then(handler);
+    // Ensure requests are sent
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+
+    $httpBackend.flush(null, false);
+    expect($rootScope.$applyAsync).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(handler).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    $browser.defer.flush();
+    expect(handler).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+
+  it('should combine multiple responses within short time frame into a single $apply', function() {
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template1.html').respond(200, '<h1>Header!</h1>', {});
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template2.html').respond(200, '<p>Body!</p>', {});
+
+    $http.get('/template1.html').then(log.fn('response 1'));
+    $http.get('/template2.html').then(log.fn('response 2'));
+    // Ensure requests are sent
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+
+    $httpBackend.flush(null, false);
+    expect(log).toEqual([]);
+
+    $browser.defer.flush();
+    expect(log).toEqual(['response 1', 'response 2']);
+  });
+
+
+  it('should handle pending responses immediately if a digest occurs on $rootScope', function() {
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template1.html').respond(200, '<h1>Header!</h1>', {});
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template2.html').respond(200, '<p>Body!</p>', {});
+    $httpBackend.expect('GET', '/template3.html').respond(200, '<p>Body!</p>', {});
+
+    $http.get('/template1.html').then(log.fn('response 1'));
+    $http.get('/template2.html').then(log.fn('response 2'));
+    $http.get('/template3.html').then(log.fn('response 3'));
+    // Ensure requests are sent
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+
+    // Intermediate $digest occurs before 3rd response is received, assert that pending responses
+    /// are handled
+    $httpBackend.flush(2);
+    expect(log).toEqual(['response 1', 'response 2']);
+
+    // Finally, third response is received, and a second coalesced $apply is started
+    $httpBackend.flush(null, false);
+    $browser.defer.flush();
+    expect(log).toEqual(['response 1', 'response 2', 'response 3']);
+  });
+});