diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index a257c0b5f096..9e22776dbe65 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -2620,11 +2620,12 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
               for (var slotName in slots) {
                 if (slots[slotName]) {
                   // Only define a transclusion function if the slot was filled
-                  slots[slotName] = compilationGenerator(mightHaveMultipleTransclusionError, slots[slotName].childNodes, transcludeFn);
+                  var slotCompileNodes = jqLite(slots[slotName].childNodes);
+                  slots[slotName] = compilationGenerator(mightHaveMultipleTransclusionError, slotCompileNodes, transcludeFn);
                 }
               }
 
-              $template = $template.childNodes;
+              $template = jqLite($template.childNodes);
             }
 
             $compileNode.empty(); // clear contents