diff --git a/src/components/select/select.js b/src/components/select/select.js
index 05bf3090ab2..ded804f2c5a 100755
--- a/src/components/select/select.js
+++ b/src/components/select/select.js
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ function SelectDirective($mdSelect, $mdUtil, $mdTheming, $mdAria, $compile, $par
         inputCheckValue();
       };
 
+
       attr.$observe('placeholder', ngModelCtrl.$render);
 
 
@@ -386,6 +387,10 @@ function SelectDirective($mdSelect, $mdUtil, $mdTheming, $mdAria, $compile, $par
       if (!element[0].hasAttribute('id')) {
         ariaAttrs.id = 'select_' + $mdUtil.nextUid();
       }
+
+      var containerId = 'select_container_' + $mdUtil.nextUid();
+      selectContainer.attr('id', containerId);
+      ariaAttrs['aria-owns'] = containerId;
       element.attr(ariaAttrs);
 
       scope.$on('$destroy', function() {
@@ -419,6 +424,9 @@ function SelectDirective($mdSelect, $mdUtil, $mdTheming, $mdAria, $compile, $par
         }
         selectMenuCtrl = selectContainer.find('md-select-menu').controller('mdSelectMenu');
         selectMenuCtrl.init(ngModelCtrl, attr.ngModel);
+        element.on('$destroy', function() {
+          selectContainer.remove();
+        });
       }
 
       function handleKeypress(e) {
@@ -442,7 +450,7 @@ function SelectDirective($mdSelect, $mdUtil, $mdTheming, $mdAria, $compile, $par
         }
       }
 
-      function openSelect(e) {
+      function openSelect() {
         selectScope.isOpen = true;
         element.attr('aria-expanded', 'true');
 
@@ -452,8 +460,8 @@ function SelectDirective($mdSelect, $mdUtil, $mdTheming, $mdAria, $compile, $par
           skipCompile: true,
           element: selectContainer,
           target: element[0],
+          selectCtrl: mdSelectCtrl,
           preserveElement: true,
-          parent: element,
           hasBackdrop: true,
           loadingAsync: attr.mdOnOpen ? scope.$eval(attr.mdOnOpen) || true : false
         }).finally(function() {
@@ -1247,7 +1255,7 @@ function SelectProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
      * trigger the [optional] user-defined expression
      */
     function announceClosed(opts) {
-      var mdSelect = opts.selectEl.controller('mdSelect');
+      var mdSelect = opts.selectCtrl;
       if (mdSelect) {
         var menuController = opts.selectEl.controller('mdSelectMenu');
         mdSelect.setLabelText(menuController.selectedLabels());
@@ -1262,7 +1270,7 @@ function SelectProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
     function calculateMenuPositions(scope, element, opts) {
       var 
         containerNode = element[0],
-        targetNode = opts.target[0].children[1], // target the label
+        targetNode = opts.target[0].children[0], // target the label
         parentNode = $document[0].body,
         selectNode = opts.selectEl[0],
         contentNode = opts.contentEl[0],
@@ -1370,7 +1378,7 @@ function SelectProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
       } else {
         left = (targetRect.left + centeredRect.left - centeredRect.paddingLeft) + 2;
         top = Math.floor(targetRect.top + targetRect.height / 2 - centeredRect.height / 2 -
-            centeredRect.top + contentNode.scrollTop) + 5;
+            centeredRect.top + contentNode.scrollTop) + 4;
 
         transformOrigin = (centeredRect.left + targetRect.width / 2) + 'px ' +
           (centeredRect.top + centeredRect.height / 2 - contentNode.scrollTop) + 'px 0px';
diff --git a/src/components/select/select.spec.js b/src/components/select/select.spec.js
index e3f4e223a1b..9669fa6bc89 100755
--- a/src/components/select/select.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/select/select.spec.js
@@ -52,11 +52,19 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
     var select = setupSelect('ng-model="val", md-container-class="test"').find('md-select');
     openSelect(select);
 
-    var container = select[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container');
+    var container = $document[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container');
     expect(container).toBeTruthy();
     expect(container.classList.contains('test')).toBe(true);
   }));
 
+  it('sets aria-owns between the select and the container', function() {
+    var select = setupSelect('ng-model="val"').find('md-select');
+    var ownsId = select.attr('aria-owns'); 
+    expect(ownsId).toBeTruthy();
+    var containerId = select[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container').getAttribute('id');
+    expect(ownsId).toBe(containerId);
+  });
+
   it('calls md-on-close when the select menu closes', inject(function($document, $rootScope) {
     var called = false;
     $rootScope.onClose = function() {
@@ -89,6 +97,15 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
     expect(backdrop.length).toBe(0);
   }));
 
+  it('removes the menu container when the select is removed', inject(function($document) {
+    var select = setupSelect('ng-model="val"', [1]).find('md-select');
+    openSelect(select);
+
+    select.remove();
+
+    expect($document.find('md-select-menu').length).toBe(0);
+  }));
+
   it('should not trigger ng-change without a change when using trackBy', inject(function($rootScope) {
     var changed = false;
     $rootScope.onChange = function() { changed = true; };
@@ -402,7 +419,6 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
         clickOption(el, 1);
 
         expect(selectedOptions(el).length).toBe(1);
-        expect(el.find('md-option').eq(1).attr('selected')).toBe('selected');
         expect($rootScope.model).toBe(2);
       }));
 
@@ -758,33 +774,33 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
     }));
 
     describe('md-select', function() {
-      it('can be opened with a space key', inject(function($document) {
+      it('can be opened with a space key', function() {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someModel"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
         pressKey(el, 32);
         waitForSelectOpen();
         expectSelectOpen(el);
-      }));
+      });
 
-      it('can be opened with an enter key', inject(function($document) {
+      it('can be opened with an enter key', function() {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someModel"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
         pressKey(el, 13);
         waitForSelectOpen();
         expectSelectOpen(el);
-      }));
+      });
 
-      it('can be opened with the up key', inject(function($document) {
+      it('can be opened with the up key', function() {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someModel"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
         pressKey(el, 38);
         waitForSelectOpen();
         expectSelectOpen(el);
-      }));
+      });
 
-      it('can be opened with the down key', inject(function($document) {
+      it('can be opened with the down key', function() {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someModel"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
         pressKey(el, 40);
         waitForSelectOpen();
         expectSelectOpen(el);
-      }));
+      });
 
       it('supports typing an option name', inject(function($document, $rootScope) {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someModel"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
@@ -798,7 +814,7 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
         var el = setupSelect('ng-model="someVal"', [1, 2, 3]).find('md-select');
         openSelect(el);
         expectSelectOpen(el);
-        var selectMenu = el.find('md-select-menu');
+        var selectMenu = $document.find('md-select-menu');
         expect(selectMenu.length).toBe(1);
         pressKey(selectMenu, 27);
         waitForSelectClose();
@@ -845,7 +861,15 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
   }
 
   function selectedOptions(el) {
-    return angular.element(el[0].querySelectorAll('md-option[selected]'));
+    var res;
+    var querySelector = 'md-option[selected]';
+    inject(function($document) {
+      res = angular.element($document[0].querySelectorAll(querySelector));
+      if (!res.length) {
+        res = angular.element(el[0].querySelectorAll(querySelector));
+      }
+    });
+    return res;
   }
 
   function openSelect(el) {
@@ -891,7 +915,7 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
   function clickOption(select, index) {
     inject(function($rootScope, $document) {
       expectSelectOpen(select);
-      var openMenu = select.find('md-select-menu');
+      var openMenu = $document.find('md-select-menu');
       var opt = angular.element(openMenu.find('md-option')[index]).find('div')[0];
 
       if (!opt) throw Error('Could not find option at index: ' + index);
@@ -905,21 +929,23 @@ describe('<md-select>', function() {
   }
 
   function expectSelectClosed(element) {
-    element = angular.element(element);
-    var menu = angular.element(element[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container'));
-    if (menu.length) {
-      if (menu.hasClass('md-active') || menu.attr('aria-hidden') == 'false') {
-        throw Error('Expected select to be closed');
+    inject(function($document) {
+      var menu = angular.element($document[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container'));
+      if (menu.length) {
+        if (menu.hasClass('md-active') || menu.attr('aria-hidden') == 'false') {
+          throw Error('Expected select to be closed');
+        }
       }
-    }
+    });
   }
 
   function expectSelectOpen(element) {
-    element = angular.element(element);
-    var menu = angular.element(element[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container'));
-    if (!(menu.hasClass('md-active') && menu.attr('aria-hidden') == 'false')) {
-      throw Error('Expected select to be open');
-    }
+    inject(function($document) {
+      var menu = angular.element($document[0].querySelector('.md-select-menu-container'));
+      if (!(menu.hasClass('md-active') && menu.attr('aria-hidden') == 'false')) {
+        throw Error('Expected select to be open');
+      }
+    });
   }
 
 });