diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
index e4196924deaa..dab1cfeb3cf7 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import {
 } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {NgModule, Component, Directive, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef, Injector} from '@angular/core';
+import {Location} from '@angular/common';
+import {SpyLocation} from '@angular/common/testing';
 import {MdDialogModule} from './index';
 import {MdDialog} from './dialog';
 import {OverlayContainer} from '../core';
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ describe('MdDialog', () => {
 
   let testViewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef;
   let viewContainerFixture: ComponentFixture<ComponentWithChildViewContainer>;
+  let mockLocation: SpyLocation;
 
   beforeEach(async(() => {
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
@@ -30,15 +33,17 @@ describe('MdDialog', () => {
         {provide: OverlayContainer, useFactory: () => {
           overlayContainerElement = document.createElement('div');
           return {getContainerElement: () => overlayContainerElement};
-        }}
+        }},
+        {provide: Location, useClass: SpyLocation}
       ],
     });
 
     TestBed.compileComponents();
   }));
 
-  beforeEach(inject([MdDialog], (d: MdDialog) => {
+  beforeEach(inject([MdDialog, Location], (d: MdDialog, l: Location) => {
     dialog = d;
+    mockLocation = l as SpyLocation;
   }));
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -271,6 +276,28 @@ describe('MdDialog', () => {
     expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it('should close all open dialogs when the user goes forwards/backwards in history', () => {
+    dialog.open(PizzaMsg);
+    dialog.open(PizzaMsg);
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(2);
+
+    mockLocation.simulateUrlPop('');
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('should close all open dialogs when the location hash changes', () => {
+    dialog.open(PizzaMsg);
+    dialog.open(PizzaMsg);
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(2);
+
+    mockLocation.simulateHashChange('');
+
+    expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   describe('disableClose option', () => {
     it('should prevent closing via clicks on the backdrop', () => {
       dialog.open(PizzaMsg, {
diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.ts
index 93e48cd6b2fc..017d5a38cafc 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {Injector, ComponentRef, Injectable, Optional, SkipSelf} from '@angular/core';
+import {Location} from '@angular/common';
 import {Observable} from 'rxjs/Observable';
 import {Subject} from 'rxjs/Subject';
 
@@ -49,7 +50,14 @@ export class MdDialog {
   constructor(
       private _overlay: Overlay,
       private _injector: Injector,
-      @Optional() @SkipSelf() private _parentDialog: MdDialog) { }
+      private _location: Location,
+      @Optional() @SkipSelf() private _parentDialog: MdDialog) {
+
+    // Close all of the dialogs when the user goes forwards/backwards in history or when the
+    // location hash changes. Note that this usually doesn't include clicking on links (unless
+    // the user is using the `HashLocationStrategy`).
+    _location.subscribe(() => this.closeAll());
+  }
 
   /**
    * Opens a modal dialog containing the given component.
@@ -77,12 +85,14 @@ export class MdDialog {
   closeAll(): void {
     let i = this._openDialogs.length;
 
-    while (i--) {
-      // The `_openDialogs` property isn't updated after close until the rxjs subscription
-      // runs on the next microtask, in addition to modifying the array as we're going
-      // through it. We loop through all of them and call close without assuming that
-      // they'll be removed from the list instantaneously.
-      this._openDialogs[i].close();
+    if (i > 0) {
+      while (i--) {
+        // The `_openDialogs` property isn't updated after close until the rxjs subscription
+        // runs on the next microtask, in addition to modifying the array as we're going
+        // through it. We loop through all of them and call close without assuming that
+        // they'll be removed from the list instantaneously.
+        this._openDialogs[i].close();
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -127,7 +137,7 @@ export class MdDialog {
       config?: MdDialogConfig): MdDialogRef<T> {
     // Create a reference to the dialog we're creating in order to give the user a handle
     // to modify and close it.
-    let dialogRef = <MdDialogRef<T>> new MdDialogRef(overlayRef);
+    let dialogRef = new MdDialogRef(overlayRef) as MdDialogRef<T>;
 
     if (!dialogContainer.dialogConfig.disableClose) {
       // When the dialog backdrop is clicked, we want to close it.
diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/index.ts b/src/lib/dialog/index.ts
index e14bc904b78b..bc2e0cbfe0d4 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {NgModule, ModuleWithProviders} from '@angular/core';
+import {CommonModule} from '@angular/common';
 import {
   OverlayModule,
   PortalModule,
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import {
 
 @NgModule({
   imports: [
+    CommonModule,
     OverlayModule,
     PortalModule,
     A11yModule,