diff --git a/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts b/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
index d23c52679316..51005bbc8175 100644
--- a/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ describe('MdProgressSpinner', () => {
         BasicProgressSpinner,
         IndeterminateProgressSpinner,
         ProgressSpinnerWithValueAndBoundMode,
+        ProgressSpinnerWithColor,
         IndeterminateProgressSpinnerWithNgIf,
         SpinnerWithNgIf,
+        SpinnerWithColor
       ],
     });
 
@@ -105,6 +107,37 @@ describe('MdProgressSpinner', () => {
 
     expect(progressElement.componentInstance.interdeterminateInterval).toBeFalsy();
   });
+
+  it('should set the color class on the md-spinner', () => {
+    let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SpinnerWithColor);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    let progressElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('md-spinner'));
+
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).toContain('md-primary');
+
+    fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.color = 'accent';
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).toContain('md-accent');
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).not.toContain('md-primary');
+  });
+
+  it('should set the color class on the md-progress-spinner', () => {
+    let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ProgressSpinnerWithColor);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    let progressElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('md-progress-spinner'));
+
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).toContain('md-primary');
+
+    fixture.debugElement.componentInstance.color = 'accent';
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).toContain('md-accent');
+    expect(progressElement.nativeElement.classList).not.toContain('md-primary');
+  });
+
 });
 
 
@@ -123,3 +156,9 @@ class IndeterminateProgressSpinnerWithNgIf { }
 
 @Component({template: `<md-spinner *ngIf="!isHidden"></md-spinner>`})
 class SpinnerWithNgIf { }
+
+@Component({template: `<md-spinner [color]="color"></md-spinner>`})
+class SpinnerWithColor { color: string = 'primary'; }
+
+@Component({template: `<md-progress-spinner value="50" [color]="color"></md-progress-spinner>`})
+class ProgressSpinnerWithColor { color: string = 'primary'; }
diff --git a/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts b/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
index 24538ef43e51..ad5fa2a866b4 100644
--- a/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
+++ b/src/lib/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ import {
   ModuleWithProviders,
   Component,
   HostBinding,
-  ChangeDetectorRef,
   ChangeDetectionStrategy,
   OnDestroy,
   Input,
   ElementRef,
-  NgZone
+  NgZone,
+  Renderer
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {DefaultStyleCompatibilityModeModule} from '../core';
 
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@ type EasingFn = (currentTime: number, startValue: number,
   host: {
     'role': 'progressbar',
     '[attr.aria-valuemin]': '_ariaValueMin',
-    '[attr.aria-valuemax]': '_ariaValueMax',
-    '[class.md-primary]': 'color == "primary"',
-    '[class.md-accent]': 'color == "accent"',
-    '[class.md-warn]': 'color == "warn"',
+    '[attr.aria-valuemax]': '_ariaValueMax'
   },
   templateUrl: 'progress-spinner.html',
   styleUrls: ['progress-spinner.css'],
@@ -62,6 +59,10 @@ export class MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
   /** The SVG <path> node that is used to draw the circle. */
   private _path: SVGPathElement;
 
+  private _mode: ProgressSpinnerMode = 'determinate';
+  private _value: number;
+  private _color: string = 'primary';
+
   /**
    * Values for aria max and min are only defined as numbers when in a determinate mode.  We do this
    * because voiceover does not report the progress indicator as indeterminate if the aria min
@@ -92,8 +93,14 @@ export class MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
     this._cleanupIndeterminateAnimation();
   }
 
+  /** The color of the progress-spinner. Can be primary, accent, or warn. */
+  @Input()
+  get color(): string { return this._color; }
+  set color(value: string) {
+    this._updateColor(value);
+  }
+
   /** Value of the progress circle. It is bound to the host as the attribute aria-valuenow. */
-  private _value: number;
   @Input()
   @HostBinding('attr.aria-valuenow')
   get value() {
@@ -128,14 +135,11 @@ export class MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
     }
     this._mode = m;
   }
-  private _mode: ProgressSpinnerMode = 'determinate';
-
-  @Input() color: 'primary' | 'accent' | 'warn' = 'primary';
 
   constructor(
-    private _changeDetectorRef: ChangeDetectorRef,
     private _ngZone: NgZone,
-    private _elementRef: ElementRef
+    private _elementRef: ElementRef,
+    private _renderer: Renderer
   ) {}
 
 
@@ -229,6 +233,23 @@ export class MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
       path.setAttribute('d', getSvgArc(currentValue, rotation));
     }
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Updates the color of the progress-spinner by adding the new palette class to the element
+   * and removing the old one.
+   */
+  private _updateColor(newColor: string) {
+    this._setElementColor(this._color, false);
+    this._setElementColor(newColor, true);
+    this._color = newColor;
+  }
+
+  /** Sets the given palette class on the component element. */
+  private _setElementColor(color: string, isAdd: boolean) {
+    if (color != null && color != '') {
+      this._renderer.setElementClass(this._elementRef.nativeElement, `md-${color}`, isAdd);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 
@@ -245,12 +266,15 @@ export class MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
     'role': 'progressbar',
     'mode': 'indeterminate',
   },
+  // Due to the class extending we need to explicitly say that the input exists.
+  inputs: ['color'],
   templateUrl: 'progress-spinner.html',
   styleUrls: ['progress-spinner.css'],
 })
 export class MdSpinner extends MdProgressSpinner implements OnDestroy {
-  constructor(changeDetectorRef: ChangeDetectorRef, elementRef: ElementRef, ngZone: NgZone) {
-    super(changeDetectorRef, ngZone, elementRef);
+
+  constructor(elementRef: ElementRef, ngZone: NgZone, renderer: Renderer) {
+    super(ngZone, elementRef, renderer);
     this.mode = 'indeterminate';
   }