diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/render/dom/events/event_manager.js b/modules/angular2/src/render/dom/events/event_manager.js
index 408086d98f..424c3e3728 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/src/render/dom/events/event_manager.js
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/render/dom/events/event_manager.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class EventManagerPlugin {
 
   // We are assuming here that all plugins support bubbled and non-bubbled events.
   // That is equivalent to having supporting $event.target
-  // The bubbling flag (currently ^) is stripped before calling the supports and 
+  // The bubbling flag (currently ^) is stripped before calling the supports and
   // addEventListener methods.
   supports(eventName: string): boolean {
     return false;
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/checkbox/checkbox.js b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/checkbox/checkbox.js
index 5477095dd5..82fe116ac5 100644
--- a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/checkbox/checkbox.js
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/checkbox/checkbox.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class MdCheckbox {
   /** Setter for tabindex */
   tabindex: number;
 
-  constructor(@Attribute('tabindex') tabindex: string) {
+  constructor(@Attribute('tabindex') tabindex: String) {
     this.role = 'checkbox';
     this.checked = false;
     this.tabindex = isPresent(tabindex) ? NumberWrapper.parseInt(tabindex, 10) : 0;
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.html b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d291f7a3e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.html
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<style>
+  .md-dialog {
+    position: absolute;
+    z-index: 80;
+
+    /** Center the dialog. */
+    top: 50%;
+    left: 50%;
+    transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
+
+    width: 300px;
+    height: 300px;
+
+    background-color: white;
+    border: 1px solid black;
+    box-shadow: 0 4px 4px;;
+
+    padding: 20px;
+  }
+
+  .md-backdrop {
+    position: absolute;
+    top:0 ;
+    left: 0;
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
+  }
+</style>
+
+<md-dialog-content></md-dialog-content>
+<div tabindex="0" (focus)="wrapFocus()"></div>
+
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.js b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..10d27b144f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
@@ -0,0 +1,265 @@
+import {DynamicComponentLoader, ElementRef, ComponentRef, onDestroy} from 'angular2/angular2';
+import {bind, Injector} from 'angular2/di';
+import {ObservableWrapper, Promise, PromiseWrapper} from 'angular2/src/facade/async';
+import {isPresent, Type} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
+import {DOM} from 'angular2/src/dom/dom_adapter';
+import {MouseEvent, KeyboardEvent} from 'angular2/src/facade/browser';
+import {KEY_ESC} from 'angular2_material/src/core/constants'
+
+// TODO(radokirov): Once the application is transpiled by TS instead of Traceur,
+// add those imports back into 'angular2/angular2';
+import {Component, Directive} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
+import {Parent} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/visibility';
+import {View} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/view';
+
+
+// TODO(jelbourn): Opener of dialog can control where it is rendered.
+// TODO(jelbourn): body scrolling is disabled while dialog is open.
+// TODO(jelbourn): Don't manually construct and configure a DOM element. See #1402
+// TODO(jelbourn): Wrap focus from end of dialog back to the start. Blocked on #1251
+// TODO(jelbourn): Focus the dialog element when it is opened.
+// TODO(jelbourn): Real dialog styles.
+// TODO(jelbourn): Pre-built `alert` and `confirm` dialogs.
+// TODO(jelbourn): Animate dialog out of / into opening element.
+
+
+/**
+ * Service for opening modal dialogs.
+ */
+export class MdDialog {
+  componentLoader: DynamicComponentLoader;
+
+  constructor(loader: DynamicComponentLoader) {
+    this.componentLoader = loader;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Opens a modal dialog.
+   * @param type The component to open.
+   * @param elementRef The logical location into which the component will be opened.
+   * @returns Promise for a reference to the dialog.
+   */
+  open(
+      type: Type,
+      elementRef: ElementRef,
+      parentInjector: Injector,
+      options: MdDialogConfig = null): Promise<MdDialogRef> {
+    var config = isPresent(options) ? options : new MdDialogConfig();
+
+    // TODO(jelbourn): Don't use direct DOM access. Need abstraction to create an element
+    // directly on the document body (also needed for web workers stuff).
+    // Create a DOM node to serve as a physical host element for the dialog.
+    var dialogElement = DOM.createElement('div');
+    DOM.appendChild(DOM.query('body'), dialogElement);
+
+    // TODO(jelbourn): Use hostProperties binding to set these once #1539 is fixed.
+    // Configure properties on the host element.
+    DOM.addClass(dialogElement, 'md-dialog');
+    DOM.setAttribute(dialogElement, 'tabindex', '0');
+
+    // TODO(jelbourn): Do this with hostProperties (or another rendering abstraction) once ready.
+    if (isPresent(config.width)) {
+      DOM.setStyle(dialogElement, 'width', config.width);
+    }
+    if (isPresent(config.height)) {
+      DOM.setStyle(dialogElement, 'height', config.height);
+    }
+
+    // Create the dialogRef here so that it can be injected into the content component.
+    var dialogRef = new MdDialogRef();
+
+    var dialogRefBinding = bind(MdDialogRef).toValue(dialogRef);
+    var contentInjector = parentInjector.resolveAndCreateChild([dialogRefBinding]);
+
+    var backdropRefPromise = this._openBackdrop(elementRef, contentInjector);
+
+    // First, load the MdDialogContainer, into which the given component will be loaded.
+    return this.componentLoader.loadIntoNewLocation(
+        MdDialogContainer, elementRef, dialogElement).then(containerRef => {
+      dialogRef.containerRef = containerRef;
+
+      // Now load the given component into the MdDialogContainer.
+      return this.componentLoader.loadNextToExistingLocation(
+          type, containerRef.instance.contentRef, contentInjector).then(contentRef => {
+
+        // Wrap both component refs for the container and the content so that we can return
+        // the `instance` of the content but the dispose method of the container back to the
+        // opener.
+        dialogRef.contentRef = contentRef;
+        containerRef.instance.dialogRef = dialogRef;
+
+        backdropRefPromise.then(backdropRef => {
+          dialogRef.whenClosed.then((_) => {
+            backdropRef.dispose();
+          });
+        });
+
+        return dialogRef;
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  /** Loads the dialog backdrop (transparent overlay over the rest of the page). */
+  _openBackdrop(elementRef:ElementRef, injector: Injector): Promise<ComponentRef> {
+    var backdropElement = DOM.createElement('div');
+    DOM.addClass(backdropElement, 'md-backdrop');
+    DOM.appendChild(DOM.query('body'), backdropElement);
+
+    return this.componentLoader.loadIntoNewLocation(
+        MdBackdrop, elementRef, backdropElement, injector);
+  }
+
+  alert(message: string, okMessage: string): Promise {
+    throw "Not implemented";
+  }
+
+  confirm(message: string, okMessage: string, cancelMessage: string): Promise {
+    throw "Not implemented";
+  }
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Reference to an opened dialog.
+ */
+export class MdDialogRef {
+  // Reference to the MdDialogContainer component.
+  containerRef: ComponentRef;
+
+  // Reference to the Component loaded as the dialog content.
+  _contentRef: ComponentRef;
+
+  // Whether the dialog is closed.
+  isClosed: boolean;
+
+  // Deferred resolved when the dialog is closed. The promise for this deferred is publicly exposed.
+  whenClosedDeferred: any;
+
+  // Deferred resolved when the content ComponentRef is set. Only used internally.
+  contentRefDeferred: any;
+
+  constructor() {
+    this._contentRef = null;
+    this.containerRef = null;
+    this.isClosed = false;
+
+    this.contentRefDeferred = PromiseWrapper.completer();
+    this.whenClosedDeferred = PromiseWrapper.completer();
+  }
+
+  set contentRef(value: ComponentRef) {
+    this._contentRef = value;
+    this.contentRefDeferred.resolve(value);
+  }
+
+  /** Gets the component instance for the content of the dialog. */
+  get instance() {
+    if (isPresent(this._contentRef)) {
+      return this._contentRef.instance;
+    }
+
+    // The only time one could attempt to access this property before the value is set is if an access occurs during
+    // the constructor of the very instance they are trying to get (which is much more easily accessed as `this`).
+    throw "Cannot access dialog component instance *from* that component's constructor.";
+  }
+
+
+  /** Gets a promise that is resolved when the dialog is closed. */
+  get whenClosed(): Promise {
+    return this.whenClosedDeferred.promise;
+  }
+
+  /** Closes the dialog. This operation is asynchronous. */
+  close(result: any = null) {
+    this.contentRefDeferred.promise.then((_) => {
+      if (!this.isClosed) {
+        this.isClosed = true;
+        this.containerRef.dispose();
+        this.whenClosedDeferred.resolve(result);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+/** Confiuration for a dialog to be opened. */
+export class MdDialogConfig {
+  width: string;
+  height: string;
+
+  constructor() {
+    // Default configuration.
+    this.width = null;
+    this.height = null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Container for user-provided dialog content.
+ */
+@Component({
+  selector: 'md-dialog-container',
+  hostListeners: {
+    'body:^keydown': 'documentKeypress($event)'
+  }
+})
+@View({
+  templateUrl: 'angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog.html',
+  directives: [MdDialogContent]
+})
+class MdDialogContainer {
+  // Ref to the dialog content. Used by the DynamicComponentLoader to load the dialog content.
+  contentRef: ElementRef;
+
+  // Ref to the open dialog. Used to close the dialog based on certain events.
+  dialogRef: MdDialogRef;
+
+  constructor() {
+    this.contentRef = null;
+    this.dialogRef = null;
+  }
+
+  wrapFocus() {
+    // Return the focus to the host element. Blocked on #1251.
+  }
+
+  documentKeypress(event: KeyboardEvent) {
+    if (event.keyCode == KEY_ESC) {
+      this.dialogRef.close();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+
+/** Component for the dialog "backdrop", a transparent overlay over the rest of the page. */
+@Component({
+  selector: 'md-backdrop',
+  hostListeners: {
+    'click': 'onClick()'
+  }
+})
+@View({template: ''})
+class MdBackdrop {
+  dialogRef: MdDialogRef;
+
+  constructor(dialogRef: MdDialogRef) {
+    this.dialogRef = dialogRef;
+  }
+
+  onClick() {
+    // TODO(jelbourn): Use MdDialogConfig to capture option for whether dialog should close on
+    // clicking outside.
+    this.dialogRef.close();
+  }
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Simple decorator used only to communicate an ElementRef to the parent MdDialogContainer as the location
+ * for where the dialog content will be loaded.
+ */
+@Directive({selector: 'md-dialog-content'})
+class MdDialogContent {
+  constructor(@Parent() dialogContainer: MdDialogContainer, elementRef: ElementRef) {
+    dialogContainer.contentRef = elementRef;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/progress-linear/progress_linear.js b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/progress-linear/progress_linear.js
index c032a518e8..4601e0c170 100644
--- a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/progress-linear/progress_linear.js
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/progress-linear/progress_linear.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export class MdProgressLinear {
   ariaValuemin: string;
   ariaValuemax: string;
 
-  constructor(@Attribute('md-mode') mode: string) {
+  constructor(@Attribute('md-mode') mode: String) {
     this.primaryBarTransform = '';
     this.secondaryBarTransform = '';
 
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/switcher/switch.js b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/switcher/switch.js
index 78297995d4..6898fb0f1b 100644
--- a/modules/angular2_material/src/components/switcher/switch.js
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/components/switcher/switch.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export class MdSwitch {
   tabindex: number;
   role: string;
 
-  constructor(@Attribute('tabindex') tabindex: string) {
+  constructor(@Attribute('tabindex') tabindex: String) {
     this.role = 'checkbox';
     this.checked = false;
     this.tabindex = isPresent(tabindex) ? NumberWrapper.parseInt(tabindex, 10) : 0;
diff --git a/modules/angular2_material/src/core/constants.js b/modules/angular2_material/src/core/constants.js
index 6b724f074b..3ae5d38978 100644
--- a/modules/angular2_material/src/core/constants.js
+++ b/modules/angular2_material/src/core/constants.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // TODO: switch to proper enums when we support them.
 
 // Key codes
+export const KEY_ESC = 27;
 export const KEY_SPACE = 32;
 export const KEY_UP = 38;
 export const KEY_DOWN = 40;
diff --git a/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/demo_app.html b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/demo_app.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb47ad1ef9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/demo_app.html
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<div>
+  <h2>Dialog demo</h2>
+
+  <button type="button" (click)="open()" [disabled]="!!dialogRef">
+    Open a dialog
+  </button>
+
+  <button type="button" (click)="close()" [disabled]="!dialogRef">
+    Close the dialog
+  </button>
+
+  <p>
+    Last result: {{lastResult}}
+  </p>
+
+  <hr>
+
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+  <p> Here are some paragaphs to make the page scrollable</p>
+
+</div>
diff --git a/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.html b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cfff28f660
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head lang="en">
+  <meta charset="UTF-8">
+  <title>ng-material dialog demo</title>
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=RobotoDraft:400,500,700,400italic">
+  <style>
+    * {
+      font-family: RobotoDraft, Roboto;
+    }
+  </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+$SCRIPTS$
+  <demo-app>Loading...</demo-app>
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.js b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45cf6d1f8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/examples/src/material/dialog/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import {bootstrap, ElementRef, ComponentRef} from 'angular2/angular2';
+import {MdDialog, MdDialogRef, MdDialogConfig} from 'angular2_material/src/components/dialog/dialog'
+import {UrlResolver} from 'angular2/src/services/url_resolver';
+import {commonDemoSetup, DemoUrlResolver} from '../demo_common';
+import {bind, Injector} from 'angular2/di';
+import {isPresent} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
+
+// TODO(radokirov): Once the application is transpiled by TS instead of Traceur,
+// add those imports back into 'angular2/angular2';
+import {Component, Directive} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/annotations';
+import {View} from 'angular2/src/core/annotations_impl/view';
+
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'demo-app',
+  injectables: [MdDialog]
+})
+@View({
+  templateUrl: './demo_app.html',
+  directives: []
+})
+class DemoApp {
+  dialog: MdDialog;
+  elementRef: ElementRef;
+  dialogRef: MdDialogRef;
+  dialogConfig: MdDialogConfig;
+  injector: Injector;
+  lastResult: string;
+
+  constructor(mdDialog: MdDialog, elementRef: ElementRef, injector: Injector) {
+    this.dialog = mdDialog;
+    this.elementRef = elementRef;
+    this.dialogConfig = new MdDialogConfig();
+    this.injector = injector;
+
+    this.dialogConfig.width = '60%';
+    this.dialogConfig.height = '60%';
+    this.lastResult = '';
+  }
+
+  open() {
+    if (isPresent(this.dialogRef)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.dialog.open(SimpleDialogComponent,
+        this.elementRef, this.injector, this.dialogConfig).then(ref => {
+      this.dialogRef = ref;
+      ref.instance.numCoconuts = 777;
+
+      ref.whenClosed.then(result => {
+        this.dialogRef = null;
+        this.lastResult = result;
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  close() {
+    this.dialogRef.close();
+  }
+}
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'simple-dialog',
+  properties: {'numCoconuts': 'numCoconuts'}
+})
+@View({
+  template: `
+    <h2>This is the dialog content</h2>
+    <p>There are {{numCoconuts}} coconuts.</p>
+    <p>Return: <input (input)="updateValue($event)"></p>
+    <button type="button" (click)="done()">Done</button>
+  `
+})
+class SimpleDialogComponent {
+  numCoconuts: number;
+  dialogRef: MdDialogRef;
+  toReturn: string;
+
+  constructor(dialogRef: MdDialogRef) {
+    this.numCoconuts = 0;
+    this.dialogRef = dialogRef;
+    this.toReturn = '';
+  }
+
+  updateValue(event) {
+    this.toReturn = event.target.value;
+  }
+
+  done() {
+    this.dialogRef.close(this.toReturn);
+  }
+}
+
+
+export function main() {
+  commonDemoSetup();
+  bootstrap(DemoApp, [
+    bind(UrlResolver).toValue(new DemoUrlResolver())
+  ]);
+}
+
+