diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/content/umbvariantcontenteditors.directive.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/content/umbvariantcontenteditors.directive.js
index a3a212a603..1987c897f0 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/content/umbvariantcontenteditors.directive.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/content/umbvariantcontenteditors.directive.js
@@ -194,7 +194,9 @@
                 return a.alias === "umbContent";
             });
 
-            contentApp.viewModel = _.omit(variant, 'apps');
+            //The view model for the content app is simply the index of the variant being edited
+            var variantIndex = vm.content.variants.indexOf(variant);
+            contentApp.viewModel = variantIndex;
 
             // make sure the same app it set to active in the new variant
             if(activeAppAlias) {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/infiniteeditors/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/infiniteeditors/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
index 5b5de1b393..002b617f84 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/infiniteeditors/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/infiniteeditors/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ angular.module("umbraco").controller("Umbraco.Editors.TreePickerController",
             var foundIndex = 0;
 
             if ($scope.model.selection.length > 0) {
-                for (i = 0; $scope.model.selection.length > i; i++) {
+                for (var i = 0; $scope.model.selection.length > i; i++) {
                     var selectedItem = $scope.model.selection[i];
                     if (selectedItem.id === item.id) {
                         found = true;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/overlays/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/overlays/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
index fa7a797125..827b2ad4e0 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/overlays/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/common/overlays/treepicker/treepicker.controller.js
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ angular.module("umbraco").controller("Umbraco.Overlays.TreePickerController",
             var foundIndex = 0;
 
             if ($scope.model.selection.length > 0) {
-                for (i = 0; $scope.model.selection.length > i; i++) {
+                for (var i = 0; $scope.model.selection.length > i; i++) {
                     var selectedItem = $scope.model.selection[i];
                     if (selectedItem.id === item.id) {
                         found = true;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/apps/content/content.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/apps/content/content.controller.js
index 7d3f10fab4..2bde680bf4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/apps/content/content.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/apps/content/content.controller.js
@@ -3,33 +3,39 @@
 
     function ContentAppContentController($scope, $timeout, serverValidationManager) {
 
+        //the contentApp's viewModel is actually the index of the variant being edited, not the variant itself.
+        //if we make the viewModel the variant itself, we end up with a circular reference in the models which isn't ideal
+        // (i.e. variant.apps[contentApp].viewModel = variant)
+        //so instead since we already have access to the content, we can just get the variant directly by the index.
+
         var vm = this;
         vm.loading = true;
 
         function onInit() {
-            vm.content = $scope.model.viewModel;
+            //get the variant by index (see notes above)
+            vm.content = $scope.content.variants[$scope.model.viewModel];
             serverValidationManager.notify();
             vm.loading = false;
+
+            //if this variant has a culture/language assigned, then we need to watch it since it will change
+            //if the language drop down changes and we need to re-init
+            if (vm.content.language) {
+                $scope.$watch(function () {
+                    return vm.content.language.culture;
+                }, function (newVal, oldVal) {
+                    if (newVal !== oldVal) {
+                        vm.loading = true;
+
+                        //TODO: Can we minimize the flicker?
+                        $timeout(function () {
+                            onInit();
+                        }, 100);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
         }
 
         onInit();
-
-        //if this variant has a culture/language assigned, then we need to watch it since it will change
-        //if the language drop down changes and we need to re-init
-        if ($scope.model.viewModel.language) {
-            $scope.$watch(function () {
-                return $scope.model.viewModel.language.culture;
-            }, function (newVal, oldVal) {
-                if (newVal !== oldVal) {
-                    vm.loading = true;
-
-                    //TODO: Can we minimize the flicker?
-                    $timeout(function () {
-                        onInit();
-                    }, 100);
-                }
-            });
-        }
     }
 
     angular.module("umbraco").controller("Umbraco.Editors.Content.Apps.ContentController", ContentAppContentController);
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/save.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/save.controller.js
index 4a9e7d2dca..a99da13811 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/save.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/save.controller.js
@@ -22,12 +22,8 @@
             //determine a variant is 'dirty' (meaning it will show up as save-able) if it's
             // * the active one
             // * it's editor is in a $dirty state
-            // * it's umbContent app viewModel (if any) is in a $dirty state
             // * it is in NotCreated state
-            var contentApp = _.find(variant.apps, function(app) {
-                return app.alias === "umbContent";
-            });
-            return (variant.active || variant.isDirty || (contentApp && contentApp.viewModel && contentApp.viewModel.isDirty));
+            return (variant.active || variant.isDirty);
         }
 
         function pristineVariantFilter(variant) {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/media/edit.html b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/media/edit.html
index a9afde36ac..2dfc8c967e 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/media/edit.html
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/media/edit.html
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
             <umb-editor-container>
                 <div class="umb-editor-sub-views" ng-if="!page.loading">
                     <div id="sub-view-{{$index}}" ng-repeat="app in content.apps track by app.alias">
-                        <umb-editor-sub-view model="app" content="content" />
+                        <umb-editor-sub-view model="app" content="content"  />
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </umb-editor-container>