diff --git a/src/ng/httpBackend.js b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
index 0a0e1f71680e..3c40c5d168be 100644
--- a/src/ng/httpBackend.js
+++ b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 'use strict';
 
+// We need to be able to detect IE8 so we can use the right AJAX method below
+var ie = (function(v, p, needle, undef) {
+  needle = p.getElementsByTagName('br');
+  while(
+    p.innerHTML = '<!--[if gt IE ' + (++v) + ']><br><![endif]-->',
+    needle[0]
+  );
+  return v > 4 ? v : undef;
+})(3, document.createElement('p'));
+
 var XHR = window.XMLHttpRequest || function() {
   /* global ActiveXObject */
   try { return new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP.6.0"); } catch (e1) {}
@@ -7,6 +17,15 @@ var XHR = window.XMLHttpRequest || function() {
   try { return new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); } catch (e3) {}
   throw minErr('$httpBackend')('noxhr', "This browser does not support XMLHttpRequest.");
 };
+// Fix for IE8's native XMLHttpRequest not supporting PATCH
+if (ie === 8) {
+  XHR = function (method) {
+    if (method === 'PATCH') {
+      return new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP');
+    }
+    return new window.XMLHttpRequest();
+  };
+}
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
index 8c843d2add07..a16e9e1d330c 100644
--- a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
@@ -75,6 +75,15 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
     expect(xhr.$$data).toBe(null);
   });
 
+  it('should use ActiveXObject for PATCH on IE8', function () {
+    xhr = new XHR('PATCH');
+    if (msie <= 8) {
+      expect(function() {xhr.toString();}).toThrow();
+    } else {
+      expect(xhr.toString()).toMatch(/\[object .+\]/);
+    }
+  });
+
   it('should normalize IE\'s 1223 status code into 204', function() {
     callback.andCallFake(function(status) {
       expect(status).toBe(204);