diff --git a/dist/angular-selectize.js b/dist/angular-selectize.js
index a009975..eb41aa0 100755
--- a/dist/angular-selectize.js
+++ b/dist/angular-selectize.js
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ angular.module('selectize', []).value('selectizeConfig', {}).directive("selectiz
       scope.config = scope.config || {};
 
       var isEmpty = function(val) {
-        return val === undefined || val === null || !val.length; //support checking empty arrays
+        return val === undefined || val === null || val.length === 0; // support checking empty arrays / strings
       };
 
       var toggle = function(disabled) {
         disabled ? selectize.disable() : selectize.enable();
-      }
+      };
 
       var validate = function() {
         var isInvalid = (scope.ngRequired() || attrs.required || settings.required) && isEmpty(scope.ngModel);
@@ -30,18 +30,26 @@ angular.module('selectize', []).value('selectizeConfig', {}).directive("selectiz
       };
 
       var setSelectizeOptions = function(curr, prev) {
-        angular.forEach(prev, function(opt){
-          if(curr.indexOf(opt) === -1){
+        if (!curr)
+          return;
+        if (scope._noUpdate) { // Internal changes to scope.options, eschew the watch mechanism
+          scope._noUpdate = false;
+          return;
+        }
+        scope._skipRemove = true;
+        angular.forEach(prev, function(opt) {
+          if (curr.indexOf(opt) === -1) {
             var value = opt[settings.valueField];
             selectize.removeOption(value, true);
           }
         });
-
-        selectize.addOption(curr, true);
-
-        selectize.refreshOptions(false); // updates results if user has entered a query
-        setSelectizeValue();
-      }
+        scope._skipRemove = false;
+        angular.forEach(curr, function(opt) {
+          selectize.registerOption(opt);
+        });
+        selectize.lastQuery = undefined; // Hack because of a Selectize bug...
+        selectize.refreshOptions(false); // Update the content of the drop-down
+      };
 
       var setSelectizeValue = function() {
         validate();
@@ -52,30 +60,77 @@ angular.module('selectize', []).value('selectizeConfig', {}).directive("selectiz
         selectize.$control.toggleClass('ng-pristine', modelCtrl.$pristine);
 
         if (!angular.equals(selectize.items, scope.ngModel)) {
-          selectize.setValue(scope.ngModel, true);
+          if (scope.config.create && angular.isArray(scope.ngModel)) {
+            scope._silentChanges = true; // addOption / createItem has no silent option!
+            selectize.clear(true);
+            // Items might be in model but not in options: we create them in both, as user options
+            for (var i = 0; i < scope.ngModel.length; i++) {
+              var item = scope.ngModel[i];
+              var found = false;
+              for (var j = 0; j < scope.options.length; j++) {
+                if (scope.options[j][settings.valueField] === item) {
+                  found = true;
+                  break;
+                }
+              }
+              if (found) { // Existing option, just add it to the item list
+                selectize.addItem(item, true);
+              } else { // Not a known option, create it along with the item
+                selectize.createItem(item, false);
+              }
+            }
+            scope._silentChanges = false;
+            settings.onChange(scope.ngModel);
+          } else {
+            selectize.setValue(scope.ngModel, true);
+          }
         }
-      }
+      };
 
       settings.onChange = function(value) {
-        var value = angular.copy(selectize.items);
-        if (settings.maxItems == 1) {
-          value = value[0]
+        if (scope._silentChanges)
+          return; // Avoid intermediary updates and side effects
+        var items = angular.copy(selectize.items);
+        if (settings.maxItems === 1) {
+          items = items[0];
         }
-        modelCtrl.$setViewValue( value );
+        modelCtrl.$setViewValue(items);
 
         if (scope.config.onChange) {
           scope.config.onChange.apply(this, arguments);
         }
       };
 
+      // User entered a new tag.
       settings.onOptionAdd = function(value, data) {
-        if( scope.options.indexOf(data) === -1 ) {
+        if (scope.options.indexOf(data) === -1) {
+          scope._noUpdate = true;
           scope.options.push(data);
+        }
+        if (scope.config.onOptionAdd) {
+          scope.config.onOptionAdd.apply(this, arguments);
+        }
+      };
 
-          if (scope.config.onOptionAdd) {
-            scope.config.onOptionAdd.apply(this, arguments);
+      // User removed a tag they entered, or we called removeOption().
+      // Note: it is not called if persist is true.
+      settings.onOptionRemove = function(value) {
+        if (scope._skipRemove)
+          return;
+        var idx = -1;
+        for (var i = 0; i < scope.options.length; i++) {
+          if (scope.options[i][scope.config.valueField] === value) {
+            idx = i;
+            break;
           }
         }
+        if (idx !== -1) {
+          scope._noUpdate = true;
+          scope.options.splice(idx, 1);
+        }
+        if (scope.config.onOptionRemove) {
+          scope.config.onOptionRemove.apply(this, arguments);
+        }
       };
 
       settings.onInitialize = function() {
@@ -90,7 +145,7 @@ angular.module('selectize', []).value('selectizeConfig', {}).directive("selectiz
         }
 
         scope.$watchCollection('options', setSelectizeOptions);
-        scope.$watch('ngModel', setSelectizeValue);
+        scope.$watchCollection('ngModel', setSelectizeValue);
         scope.$watch('ngDisabled', toggle);
       };