diff --git a/src/demo-app/datepicker/datepicker-demo.html b/src/demo-app/datepicker/datepicker-demo.html
index faee6d1cb911..0ba2e16746d8 100644
--- a/src/demo-app/datepicker/datepicker-demo.html
+++ b/src/demo-app/datepicker/datepicker-demo.html
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ <h1>Work in progress, not ready for use.</h1>
 <p>
   <button [mdDatepickerToggle]="dp3"></button>
   <md-input-container>
-    <input mdInput [mdDatepicker]="dp3" [(ngModel)]="date">
-    <md-datepicker #dp3 [touchUi]="touch" startAt="1/1/17" minDate="1/1/16" maxDate="1/1/18"
-                   [dateFilter]="dateFilter">
+    <input mdInput [mdDatepicker]="dp3" [(ngModel)]="date" min="1/1/16" max="1/1/18">
+    <md-datepicker #dp3 [touchUi]="touch" startAt="1/1/17" [dateFilter]="dateFilter">
     </md-datepicker>
   </md-input-container>
 </p>
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-input.ts b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-input.ts
index e4426b0567fd..9f6cc473db33 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-input.ts
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-input.ts
@@ -32,12 +32,15 @@ export const MD_DATEPICKER_VALUE_ACCESSOR: any = {
     '[attr.aria-expanded]': '_datepicker?.opened || "false"',
     '[attr.aria-haspopup]': 'true',
     '[attr.aria-owns]': '_datepicker?.id',
+    '[min]': '_min?.toNativeDate()',
+    '[max]': '_max?.toNativeDate()',
     '(input)': '_onChange($event.target.value)',
     '(blur)': '_onTouched()',
     '(keydown)': '_onKeydown($event)',
   }
 })
 export class MdDatepickerInput implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor, OnDestroy {
+  /** The datepicker that this input is associated with. */
   @Input()
   set mdDatepicker(value: MdDatepicker) {
     if (value) {
@@ -47,6 +50,10 @@ export class MdDatepickerInput implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor
   }
   _datepicker: MdDatepicker;
 
+  @Input()
+  set matDatepicker(value: MdDatepicker) { this.mdDatepicker = value; }
+
+  /** The value of the input. */
   @Input()
   get value(): SimpleDate {
     return this._value;
@@ -58,8 +65,17 @@ export class MdDatepickerInput implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor
   }
   private _value: SimpleDate;
 
+  /** The minimum valid date. */
   @Input()
-  set matDatepicker(value: MdDatepicker) { this.mdDatepicker = value; }
+  get min(): SimpleDate { return this._min; }
+  set min(value: SimpleDate) { this._min = this._locale.parseDate(value); }
+  private _min: SimpleDate;
+
+  /** The maximum valid date. */
+  @Input()
+  get max(): SimpleDate { return this._max; }
+  set max(value: SimpleDate) { this._max = this._locale.parseDate(value); }
+  private _max: SimpleDate;
 
   _onChange = (value: any) => {};
 
@@ -89,6 +105,10 @@ export class MdDatepickerInput implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets the element that the datepicker popup should be connected to.
+   * @return The element to connect the popup to.
+   */
   getPopupConnectionElementRef(): ElementRef {
     return this._mdInputContainer ? this._mdInputContainer.underlineRef : this._elementRef;
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.html b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.html
index bf5fffc2bbb3..68c4abcaf2a0 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.html
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.html
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
       [class.mat-datepicker-touch]="touchUi"
       [class.mat-datepicker-non-touch]="!touchUi"
       [startAt]="startAt"
-      [minDate]="minDate"
-      [maxDate]="maxDate"
+      [minDate]="_minDate"
+      [maxDate]="_maxDate"
       [dateFilter]="dateFilter"
       [(selected)]="_selected">
   </md-calendar>
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.spec.ts b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.spec.ts
index 116126ee27e2..03f91edb4ecf 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.spec.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ describe('MdDatepicker', () => {
       ],
       declarations: [
         DatepickerWithFormControl,
+        DatepickerWithMinAndMax,
         DatepickerWithNgModel,
         DatepickerWithStartAt,
         DatepickerWithToggle,
@@ -397,6 +398,28 @@ describe('MdDatepicker', () => {
           .toBe(true, 'popup should be attached to input-container underline');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('datepicker with min and max dates', () => {
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<DatepickerWithMinAndMax>;
+    let testComponent: DatepickerWithMinAndMax;
+
+    beforeEach(async(() => {
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(DatepickerWithMinAndMax);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      testComponent = fixture.componentInstance;
+    }));
+
+    afterEach(async(() => {
+      testComponent.datepicker.close();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+    }));
+
+    it('should use min and max dates specified by the input', () => {
+      expect(testComponent.datepicker._minDate).toEqual(new SimpleDate(2010, 0, 1));
+      expect(testComponent.datepicker._maxDate).toEqual(new SimpleDate(2020, 0, 1));
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 
@@ -487,3 +510,14 @@ class InputContainerDatepicker {
   @ViewChild('d') datepicker: MdDatepicker;
   @ViewChild(MdDatepickerInput) datepickerInput: MdDatepickerInput;
 }
+
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <input [mdDatepicker]="d" min="1/1/2010" max="1/1/2020">
+    <md-datepicker #d></md-datepicker>
+  `,
+})
+class DatepickerWithMinAndMax {
+  @ViewChild('d') datepicker: MdDatepicker;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
index ebb2664facd7..ec39254664ec 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
@@ -67,18 +67,6 @@ export class MdDatepicker implements OnDestroy {
   @Input()
   touchUi = false;
 
-  /** The minimum selectable date. */
-  @Input()
-  get minDate(): SimpleDate { return this._minDate; };
-  set minDate(date: SimpleDate) { this._minDate = this._locale.parseDate(date); }
-  private _minDate: SimpleDate;
-
-  /** The maximum selectable date. */
-  @Input()
-  get maxDate(): SimpleDate { return this._maxDate; };
-  set maxDate(date: SimpleDate) { this._maxDate = this._locale.parseDate(date); }
-  private _maxDate: SimpleDate;
-
   /** A function used to filter which dates are selectable. */
   @Input()
   dateFilter: (date: SimpleDate) => boolean;
@@ -101,6 +89,16 @@ export class MdDatepicker implements OnDestroy {
     this.close();
   }
 
+  /** The minimum selectable date. */
+  get _minDate(): SimpleDate {
+    return this._datepickerInput && this._datepickerInput.min;
+  }
+
+  /** The maximum selectable date. */
+  get _maxDate(): SimpleDate {
+    return this._datepickerInput && this._datepickerInput.max;
+  }
+
   /** The calendar template. */
   @ViewChild(TemplateRef) calendarTemplate: TemplateRef<any>;