diff --git a/src/state.js b/src/state.js
index 730e719f8..816d254e1 100644
--- a/src/state.js
+++ b/src/state.js
@@ -820,11 +820,33 @@ function $StateProvider(   $urlRouterProvider,   $urlMatcherFactory) {
      * });
      * </pre>
      *
+     * @param {string=|object=} state - A state name or a state object, which is the root of the resolves to be re-resolved.
+     * @example
+     * <pre>
+     * //assuming app application consists of 3 states: 'contacts', 'contacts.detail', 'contacts.detail.item' 
+     * //and current state is 'contacts.detail.item'
+     * var app angular.module('app', ['ui.router']);
+     *
+     * app.controller('ctrl', function ($scope, $state) {
+     *   $scope.reload = function(){
+     *     //will reload 'contact.detail' and 'contact.detail.item' states
+     *     $state.reload('contact.detail');
+     *   }
+     * });
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * `reload()` is just an alias for:
+     * <pre>
+     * $state.transitionTo($state.current, $stateParams, { 
+     *   reload: true, inherit: false, notify: true
+     * });
+     * </pre>
+
      * @returns {promise} A promise representing the state of the new transition. See
      * {@link ui.router.state.$state#methods_go $state.go}.
      */
-    $state.reload = function reload() {
-      return $state.transitionTo($state.current, $stateParams, { reload: true, inherit: false, notify: true });
+    $state.reload = function reload(state) {
+      return $state.transitionTo($state.current, $stateParams, { reload: state || true, inherit: false, notify: true});
     };
 
     /**
@@ -928,9 +950,11 @@ function $StateProvider(   $urlRouterProvider,   $urlMatcherFactory) {
      * - **`relative`** - {object=}, When transitioning with relative path (e.g '^'), 
      *    defines which state to be relative from.
      * - **`notify`** - {boolean=true}, If `true` will broadcast $stateChangeStart and $stateChangeSuccess events.
-     * - **`reload`** (v0.2.5) - {boolean=false}, If `true` will force transition even if the state or params 
+     * - **`reload`** (v0.2.5) - {boolean=false|string=|object=}, If `true` will force transition even if the state or params 
      *    have not changed, aka a reload of the same state. It differs from reloadOnSearch because you'd
      *    use this when you want to force a reload when *everything* is the same, including search params.
+     *    if String, then will reload the state with the name given in reload, and any children.
+     *    if Object, then a stateObj is expected, will reload the state found in stateObj, and any chhildren.
      *
      * @returns {promise} A promise representing the state of the new transition. See
      * {@link ui.router.state.$state#methods_go $state.go}.
@@ -975,6 +999,7 @@ function $StateProvider(   $urlRouterProvider,   $urlMatcherFactory) {
 
       // Starting from the root of the path, keep all levels that haven't changed
       var keep = 0, state = toPath[keep], locals = root.locals, toLocals = [];
+      var skipTriggerReloadCheck = false;
 
       if (!options.reload) {
         while (state && state === fromPath[keep] && state.ownParams.$$equals(toParams, fromParams)) {
@@ -982,6 +1007,23 @@ function $StateProvider(   $urlRouterProvider,   $urlMatcherFactory) {
           keep++;
           state = toPath[keep];
         }
+      } else if (isString(options.reload) || isObject(options.reload)) {
+        if (isObject(options.reload) && !options.reload.name) {
+          throw new Error('Invalid reload state object');
+        }
+        
+        var reloadState = options.reload === true ? fromPath[0] : findState(options.reload);
+        if (options.reload && !reloadState) {
+          throw new Error("No such reload state '" + (isString(options.reload) ? options.reload : options.reload.name) + "'");
+        }
+
+        skipTriggerReloadCheck = true;
+ 
+        while (state && state === fromPath[keep] && state !== reloadState) {
+          locals = toLocals[keep] = state.locals;
+          keep++;
+          state = toPath[keep];
+        }
       }
 
       // If we're going to the same state and all locals are kept, we've got nothing to do.
@@ -989,7 +1031,7 @@ function $StateProvider(   $urlRouterProvider,   $urlMatcherFactory) {
       // TODO: We may not want to bump 'transition' if we're called from a location change
       // that we've initiated ourselves, because we might accidentally abort a legitimate
       // transition initiated from code?
-      if (shouldTriggerReload(to, from, locals, options)) {
+      if (!skipTriggerReloadCheck && shouldTriggerReload(to, from, locals, options)) {
         if (to.self.reloadOnSearch !== false) $urlRouter.update();
         $state.transition = null;
         return $q.when($state.current);
diff --git a/test/stateSpec.js b/test/stateSpec.js
index 77c9373c6..d0d5f420b 100644
--- a/test/stateSpec.js
+++ b/test/stateSpec.js
@@ -113,7 +113,30 @@ describe('state', function () {
       // State param inheritance tests. param1 is inherited by sub1 & sub2;
       // param2 should not be transferred (unless explicitly set).
       .state('root', { url: '^/root?param1' })
-      .state('root.sub1', {url: '/1?param2' });
+      .state('root.sub1', {url: '/1?param2' })
+      .state('logA', {
+        url: "/logA",
+        template: "<div> <div ui-view/></div>",
+        controller: function() {log += "logA;"}
+      })
+      .state('logA.logB', {
+        url: "/logB",
+        views:{
+          '':{
+                template: "<div> <div ui-view/></div>",
+                controller: function() {log += "logB;"}
+          }
+        }
+      })
+      .state('logA.logB.logC', {
+        url: "/logC",
+        views:{
+          '':{
+                template: "<div> <div ui-view/></div>",
+                controller: function() {log += "logC;"}
+          }
+        }
+      })
     $stateProvider.state('root.sub2', {url: '/2?param2' });
 
     $provide.value('AppInjectable', AppInjectable);
@@ -531,6 +554,92 @@ describe('state', function () {
       $q.flush();
       expect(log).toBe('Success!controller;Success!controller;');
     }));
+
+    it('should invoke the controllers by state when given state name', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload('logA');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload('logA.logB');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logC;');
+    }));
+
+    it('should reload all states when passing false', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload(false);
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+    }));
+
+    it('should reload all states when passing true', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload(true);
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+    }));
+
+
+    it('should invoke the controllers by state when given stateObj', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      log = '';
+      $state.reload($state.current);
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logC;');
+    }));
+
+    it('should throw an exception for invalid reload state name', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      expect(function(){
+          $state.reload('logInvalid')}
+        ).toThrow("No such reload state 'logInvalid'");
+    }));
+
+    it('should throw an exception for invalid reload state object', inject(function ($state, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $compile) {
+      $compile('<div> <div ui-view/></div>')($rootScope);
+      $state.transitionTo('logA.logB.logC');
+      $q.flush();
+      expect(log).toBe('logA;logB;logC;');
+
+      expect(function(){
+          $state.reload({foo:'bar'})}
+        ).toThrow("Invalid reload state object");
+
+      expect(function(){
+          $state.reload({name:'invalidState'})}
+        ).toThrow("No such reload state 'invalidState'");
+    }));
   });
 
   describe('.is()', function () {
@@ -784,6 +893,9 @@ describe('state', function () {
         'home.item',
         'home.redirect',
         'json',
+        'logA',
+        'logA.logB',
+        'logA.logB.logC',
         'resolveFail',
         'resolveTimeout',
         'root',