diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog-container.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog-container.ts
index 415c6d31c1bb..0b35ac20c151 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog-container.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog-container.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 import {BasePortalHost, ComponentPortal, PortalHostDirective, TemplatePortal} from '../core';
 import {MdDialogConfig} from './dialog-config';
 import {MdDialogRef} from './dialog-ref';
+import {MD_DIALOG_CONTENT_SELECTOR} from './dialog-content-directives';
 import {MdDialogContentAlreadyAttachedError} from './dialog-errors';
 import {FocusTrap} from '../core/a11y/focus-trap';
 import 'rxjs/add/operator/first';
@@ -61,6 +62,16 @@ export class MdDialogContainer extends BasePortalHost implements OnDestroy {
     }
 
     let attachResult = this._portalHost.attachComponentPortal(portal);
+    let componentElement = attachResult.location.nativeElement;
+
+    // Add a class that we can use for styling the root element.
+    this._renderer.setElementClass(componentElement, 'md-dialog-root', true);
+
+    // Add flexbox styling if the user is using the `md-dialog-content`.
+    if ('querySelector' in componentElement) {
+      this._renderer.setElementClass(componentElement, 'md-dialog-root-flex',
+          !!componentElement.querySelector(MD_DIALOG_CONTENT_SELECTOR));
+    }
 
     // If were to attempt to focus immediately, then the content of the dialog would not yet be
     // ready in instances where change detection has to run first. To deal with this, we simply
diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog-content-directives.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog-content-directives.ts
index 5f268182511b..65ae0186badc 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog-content-directives.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog-content-directives.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import {Directive, Input} from '@angular/core';
 import {MdDialogRef} from './dialog-ref';
 
+export const MD_DIALOG_CONTENT_SELECTOR = '[md-dialog-content], md-dialog-content' +
+    ', [mat-dialog-content], mat-dialog-content';
+
 
 /**
  * Button that will close the current dialog.
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ export class MdDialogTitle { }
  * Scrollable content container of a dialog.
  */
 @Directive({
-  selector: '[md-dialog-content], md-dialog-content, [mat-dialog-content], mat-dialog-content'
+  selector: MD_DIALOG_CONTENT_SELECTOR
 })
 export class MdDialogContent { }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.scss b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.scss
index b03cf9f85103..f04594297d46 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.scss
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.scss
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 $md-dialog-padding: 24px !default;
 $md-dialog-border-radius: 2px !default;
 $md-dialog-max-width: 80vw !default;
-$md-dialog-max-height: 65vh !default;
+$md-dialog-max-height: 80vh !default;
 
 md-dialog-container {
   @include md-elevation(24);
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ md-dialog-container {
   border-radius: $md-dialog-border-radius;
   box-sizing: border-box;
   overflow: auto;
-  max-width: $md-dialog-max-width;
 
   // The dialog container should completely fill its parent overlay element.
   width: 100%;
@@ -26,11 +25,20 @@ md-dialog-container {
   }
 }
 
+.md-dialog-root {
+  max-height: calc(#{$md-dialog-max-height} - #{$md-dialog-padding * 2});
+  max-width: $md-dialog-max-width;
+
+  &.md-dialog-root-flex {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-flow: column;
+  }
+}
+
 md-dialog-content, [md-dialog-content], mat-dialog-content, [mat-dialog-content] {
   display: block;
   margin: 0 $md-dialog-padding * -1;
   padding: 0 $md-dialog-padding;
-  max-height: $md-dialog-max-height;
   overflow: auto;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
index e4196924deaa..cf595ac3fe98 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
@@ -271,6 +271,23 @@ describe('MdDialog', () => {
     expect(overlayContainerElement.querySelectorAll('md-dialog-container').length).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it('should add a class for styling to the root element', () => {
+    dialog.open(PizzaMsg);
+
+    let pizzaMsgContainer = overlayContainerElement.querySelector('pizza-msg');
+
+    expect(pizzaMsgContainer.classList).toContain('md-dialog-root');
+    expect(pizzaMsgContainer.classList).not.toContain('md-dialog-root-flex');
+  });
+
+  it('should add an extra flexbox class to components that use md-dialog-content', () => {
+    dialog.open(ContentElementDialog);
+
+    let dialogContainer = overlayContainerElement.querySelector('content-element-dialog');
+
+    expect(dialogContainer.classList).toContain('md-dialog-root-flex');
+  });
+
   describe('disableClose option', () => {
     it('should prevent closing via clicks on the backdrop', () => {
       dialog.open(PizzaMsg, {
@@ -477,7 +494,10 @@ class ComponentWithChildViewContainer {
 }
 
 /** Simple component for testing ComponentPortal. */
-@Component({template: '<p>Pizza</p> <input> <button>Close</button>'})
+@Component({
+  template: '<p>Pizza</p> <input> <button>Close</button>',
+  selector: 'pizza-msg'
+})
 class PizzaMsg {
   constructor(public dialogRef: MdDialogRef<PizzaMsg>,
               public dialogInjector: Injector) {}
@@ -491,7 +511,8 @@ class PizzaMsg {
       <button md-dialog-close [aria-label]="closeButtonAriaLabel">Close</button>
       <div md-dialog-close>Should not close</div>
     </md-dialog-actions>
-  `
+  `,
+  selector: 'content-element-dialog'
 })
 class ContentElementDialog {
   closeButtonAriaLabel: string;