diff --git a/src/core/directives/google-map-circle.ts b/src/core/directives/google-map-circle.ts
index aedfd8059..1bf27901b 100644
--- a/src/core/directives/google-map-circle.ts
+++ b/src/core/directives/google-map-circle.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {Directive, EventEmitter, OnChanges, OnDestroy, OnInit, SimpleChange} from '@angular/core';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 
-import {MouseEvent} from '../events';
+import {MouseEvent} from '../map-types';
 import {LatLng, LatLngBounds, LatLngLiteral} from '../services/google-maps-types';
 import {MouseEvent as MapMouseEvent} from '../services/google-maps-types';
 import {CircleManager} from '../services/managers/circle-manager';
diff --git a/src/core/directives/google-map-marker.ts b/src/core/directives/google-map-marker.ts
index e63be4f4a..4e7443d96 100644
--- a/src/core/directives/google-map-marker.ts
+++ b/src/core/directives/google-map-marker.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {AfterContentInit, ContentChild, Directive, EventEmitter, OnChanges, OnDestroy, SimpleChange} from '@angular/core';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 
-import {MouseEvent} from '../events';
+import {MouseEvent} from '../map-types';
 import * as mapTypes from '../services/google-maps-types';
 import {MarkerManager} from '../services/managers/marker-manager';
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ let markerId = 0;
   selector: 'sebm-google-map-marker',
   inputs: [
     'latitude', 'longitude', 'title', 'label', 'draggable: markerDraggable', 'iconUrl',
-    'openInfoWindow'
+    'openInfoWindow', 'fitBounds'
   ],
   outputs: ['markerClick', 'dragEnd']
 })
diff --git a/src/core/directives/google-map.ts b/src/core/directives/google-map.ts
index 8ff4011fc..37d9ee4da 100644
--- a/src/core/directives/google-map.ts
+++ b/src/core/directives/google-map.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import {Component, ElementRef, EventEmitter, OnChanges, OnInit, SimpleChange} from '@angular/core';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 
-import {MouseEvent} from '../events';
+import {MouseEvent} from '../map-types';
 import {GoogleMapsAPIWrapper} from '../services/google-maps-api-wrapper';
 import {LatLng, LatLngLiteral} from '../services/google-maps-types';
-import {LatLngBounds, MapTypeStyle} from '../services/google-maps-types';
+import {LatLngBounds, LatLngBoundsLiteral, MapTypeStyle} from '../services/google-maps-types';
 import {CircleManager} from '../services/managers/circle-manager';
 import {InfoWindowManager} from '../services/managers/info-window-manager';
 import {MarkerManager} from '../services/managers/marker-manager';
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import {MarkerManager} from '../services/managers/marker-manager';
   inputs: [
     'longitude', 'latitude', 'zoom', 'disableDoubleClickZoom', 'disableDefaultUI', 'scrollwheel',
     'backgroundColor', 'draggableCursor', 'draggingCursor', 'keyboardShortcuts', 'zoomControl',
-    'styles', 'usePanning', 'streetViewControl'
+    'styles', 'usePanning', 'streetViewControl', 'fitBounds'
   ],
   outputs: ['mapClick', 'mapRightClick', 'mapDblClick', 'centerChange', 'idle', 'boundsChange'],
   host: {'[class.sebm-google-map-container]': 'true'},
@@ -145,6 +145,11 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
    */
   streetViewControl: boolean = true;
 
+  /**
+   * Sets the viewport to contain the given bounds.
+   */
+  fitBounds: LatLngBoundsLiteral|LatLngBounds = null;
+
   /**
    * Map option attributes that can change over time
    */
@@ -199,7 +204,7 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
 
   private _initMapInstance(el: HTMLElement) {
     this._mapsWrapper.createMap(el, {
-      center: {lat: this.latitude, lng: this.longitude},
+      center: {lat: this.latitude || 0, lng: this.longitude || 0},
       zoom: this.zoom,
       disableDefaultUI: this.disableDefaultUI,
       backgroundColor: this.backgroundColor,
@@ -210,6 +215,8 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
       styles: this.styles,
       streetViewControl: this.streetViewControl
     });
+
+    // register event listeners
     this._handleMapCenterChange();
     this._handleMapZoomChange();
     this._handleMapMouseEvents();
@@ -226,9 +233,7 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
   /* @internal */
   ngOnChanges(changes: {[propName: string]: SimpleChange}) {
     this._updateMapOptionsChanges(changes);
-    if (changes['latitude'] != null || changes['longitude'] != null) {
-      this._updateCenter();
-    }
+    this._updatePosition(changes);
   }
 
   private _updateMapOptionsChanges(changes: {[propName: string]: SimpleChange}) {
@@ -253,7 +258,19 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
     });
   }
 
-  private _updateCenter() {
+  private _updatePosition(changes: {[propName: string]: SimpleChange}) {
+    if (changes['latitude'] == null && changes['longitude'] == null &&
+        changes['fitBounds'] == null) {
+      // no position update needed
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // we prefer fitBounds in changes
+    if (changes['fitBounds'] && this.fitBounds != null) {
+      this._fitBounds();
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (typeof this.latitude !== 'number' || typeof this.longitude !== 'number') {
       return;
     }
@@ -268,6 +285,14 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
     }
   }
 
+  private _fitBounds() {
+    if (this.usePanning) {
+      this._mapsWrapper.panToBounds(this.fitBounds);
+      return;
+    }
+    this._mapsWrapper.fitBounds(this.fitBounds);
+  }
+
   private _handleMapCenterChange() {
     const s = this._mapsWrapper.subscribeToMapEvent<void>('center_changed').subscribe(() => {
       this._mapsWrapper.getCenter().then((center: LatLng) => {
@@ -281,7 +306,8 @@ export class SebmGoogleMap implements OnChanges, OnInit {
 
   private _handleBoundsChange() {
     const s = this._mapsWrapper.subscribeToMapEvent<void>('bounds_changed').subscribe(() => {
-      this._mapsWrapper.getBounds().then((bounds: LatLngBounds) => this.boundsChange.emit(bounds));
+      this._mapsWrapper.getBounds().then(
+          (bounds: LatLngBounds) => { this.boundsChange.emit(bounds); });
     });
     this._observableSubscriptions.push(s);
   }
diff --git a/src/core/index.ts b/src/core/index.ts
index 5e20c6ad5..1ad41ae34 100644
--- a/src/core/index.ts
+++ b/src/core/index.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {BROWSER_GLOBALS_PROVIDERS} from './utils/browser-globals';
 // main modules
 export * from './directives';
 export * from './services';
-export * from './events';
+export * from './map-types';
 
 // Google Maps types
 export {LatLngBounds, LatLng, LatLngLiteral, MapTypeStyle} from './services/google-maps-types';
diff --git a/src/core/events.ts b/src/core/map-types.ts
similarity index 70%
rename from src/core/events.ts
rename to src/core/map-types.ts
index c75f85f1e..995ffbf26 100644
--- a/src/core/events.ts
+++ b/src/core/map-types.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {LatLngLiteral} from './services/google-maps-types';
 
 // exported map types
-export {LatLngLiteral} from './services/google-maps-types';
+export {LatLngBounds, LatLngBoundsLiteral, LatLngLiteral} from './services/google-maps-types';
 
 /**
  * MouseEvent gets emitted when the user triggers mouse events on the map.
diff --git a/src/core/services/google-maps-api-wrapper.ts b/src/core/services/google-maps-api-wrapper.ts
index f269ca299..4ae507ea6 100644
--- a/src/core/services/google-maps-api-wrapper.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/google-maps-api-wrapper.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,14 @@ export class GoogleMapsAPIWrapper {
     return this._map.then((map) => map.panTo(latLng));
   }
 
+  fitBounds(latLng: mapTypes.LatLngBounds|mapTypes.LatLngBoundsLiteral): Promise<void> {
+    return this._map.then((map) => map.fitBounds(latLng));
+  }
+
+  panToBounds(latLng: mapTypes.LatLngBounds|mapTypes.LatLngBoundsLiteral): Promise<void> {
+    return this._map.then((map) => map.panToBounds(latLng));
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the native Google Maps Map instance. Be careful when using this instance directly.
    */
diff --git a/src/core/services/google-maps-types.ts b/src/core/services/google-maps-types.ts
index c5598ff86..f57972bf1 100644
--- a/src/core/services/google-maps-types.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/google-maps-types.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 export var google: any;
 
-export interface GoogleMap {
+export interface GoogleMap extends MVCObject {
   constructor(el: HTMLElement, opts?: MapOptions): void;
   panTo(latLng: LatLng|LatLngLiteral): void;
   setZoom(zoom: number): void;
-  addListener(eventName: string, fn: Function): void;
   getCenter(): LatLng;
   setCenter(latLng: LatLng|LatLngLiteral): void;
   getBounds(): LatLngBounds;
   getZoom(): number;
   setOptions(options: MapOptions): void;
+  panToBounds(latLngBounds: LatLngBounds|LatLngBoundsLiteral): void;
+  fitBounds(bounds: LatLngBounds|LatLngBoundsLiteral): void;
 }
 
 export interface LatLng {
@@ -165,10 +166,7 @@ export interface InfoWindow {
   setZIndex(zIndex: number): void;
 }
 
-export interface MVCObject {
-  constructor(): void;
-  addListener(eventName: string, handler: Function): MapsEventListener;
-}
+export interface MVCObject { addListener(eventName: string, handler: Function): MapsEventListener; }
 
 export interface MapsEventListener { remove(): void; }