Having a directive for a template page makes ion-nav-back-button show up only every other time

Having a directive for a template page makes ion-nav-back-button show up only every other time.

From my side-menu app example based project, my ion-nav-back-button is showing up only every other time I change:

app.page1 -> click menu burger icon -> app.page1 -> app.page2

I placed breakpoints and looked at $ionicHistory.viewHistory() but I’m not sure what to make of the differences.

Here are those differences for the same page, reached in the same way, 2 times in a row, 1 not having a back button, and 1 having it:

Thanks for any help!

ANSWER! (so far) the directive should NOT contain the ion-view and ion-content directives.