diff --git a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
index bbc35dece8dc..103d0474a7e3 100644
--- a/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/dialog/dialog.spec.ts
@@ -381,6 +381,8 @@ describe('MdDialog', () => {
 
       expect(document.activeElement.id)
           .toBe('dialog-trigger', 'Expected that the trigger was refocused after dialog close');
+
+      document.body.removeChild(button);
     }));
   });
 
diff --git a/src/lib/select/select.spec.ts b/src/lib/select/select.spec.ts
index f618cf5b88b1..59c2e5de58da 100644
--- a/src/lib/select/select.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/select/select.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   ViewChild,
   ViewChildren,
   ChangeDetectionStrategy,
+  OnInit,
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {MdSelectModule} from './index';
 import {OverlayContainer} from '../core/overlay/overlay-container';
@@ -34,6 +35,8 @@ describe('MdSelect', () => {
         SelectWithChangeEvent,
         CustomSelectAccessor,
         CompWithCustomSelect,
+        SelectWithErrorSibling,
+        ThrowsErrorOnInit,
         BasicSelectOnPush
       ],
       providers: [
@@ -1239,6 +1242,14 @@ describe('MdSelect', () => {
       });
     }));
 
+    it('should not crash the browser when a sibling throws an error on init', async(() => {
+      // Note that this test can be considered successful if the error being thrown didn't
+      // end up crashing the testing setup altogether.
+      expect(() => {
+        TestBed.createComponent(SelectWithErrorSibling).detectChanges();
+      }).toThrowError(new RegExp('Oh no!', 'g'));
+    }));
+
   });
 
   describe('change event', () => {
@@ -1281,7 +1292,7 @@ describe('MdSelect', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       fixture = TestBed.createComponent(BasicSelectOnPush);
       fixture.detectChanges();
-      trigger = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.md-select-trigger')).nativeElement;
+      trigger = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.mat-select-trigger')).nativeElement;
     });
 
     it('should update the trigger based on the value', () => {
@@ -1474,6 +1485,27 @@ class CompWithCustomSelect {
   @ViewChild(CustomSelectAccessor) customAccessor: CustomSelectAccessor;
 }
 
+@Component({
+  selector: 'select-infinite-loop',
+  template: `
+    <md-select [(ngModel)]="value"></md-select>
+    <throws-error-on-init></throws-error-on-init>
+  `
+})
+class SelectWithErrorSibling {
+  value: string;
+}
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'throws-error-on-init',
+  template: ''
+})
+export class ThrowsErrorOnInit implements OnInit {
+  ngOnInit() {
+    throw new Error('Oh no!');
+  }
+}
+
 @Component({
   selector: 'basic-select-on-push',
   changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
diff --git a/src/lib/select/select.ts b/src/lib/select/select.ts
index 9d99134b0a34..c1c0a3e37978 100644
--- a/src/lib/select/select.ts
+++ b/src/lib/select/select.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import {ControlValueAccessor, NgControl} from '@angular/forms';
 import {coerceBooleanProperty} from '../core/coercion/boolean-property';
 import {ConnectedOverlayDirective} from '../core/overlay/overlay-directives';
 import {ViewportRuler} from '../core/overlay/position/viewport-ruler';
+import 'rxjs/add/operator/startWith';
+
 
 /**
  * The following style constants are necessary to save here in order
@@ -243,8 +245,8 @@ export class MdSelect implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor, OnDestr
 
   ngAfterContentInit() {
     this._initKeyManager();
-    this._resetOptions();
-    this._changeSubscription = this.options.changes.subscribe(() => {
+
+    this._changeSubscription = this.options.changes.startWith(null).subscribe(() => {
       this._resetOptions();
 
       if (this._control) {
@@ -257,8 +259,14 @@ export class MdSelect implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor, OnDestr
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
     this._dropSubscriptions();
-    this._changeSubscription.unsubscribe();
-    this._tabSubscription.unsubscribe();
+
+    if (this._changeSubscription) {
+      this._changeSubscription.unsubscribe();
+    }
+
+    if (this._tabSubscription) {
+      this._tabSubscription.unsubscribe();
+    }
   }
 
   /** Toggles the overlay panel open or closed. */
@@ -292,17 +300,10 @@ export class MdSelect implements AfterContentInit, ControlValueAccessor, OnDestr
    * @param value New value to be written to the model.
    */
   writeValue(value: any): void {
-    if (!this.options) {
-      // In reactive forms, writeValue() will be called synchronously before
-      // the select's child options have been created. It's necessary to call
-      // writeValue() again after the options have been created to ensure any
-      // initial view value is set.
-      Promise.resolve(null).then(() => this.writeValue(value));
-      return;
+    if (this.options) {
+      this._setSelectionByValue(value);
+      this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
     }
-
-    this._setSelectionByValue(value);
-    this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
   }
 
   /**