diff --git a/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js b/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
index 24772be9d24..ae3d70c7671 100644
--- a/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
@@ -1607,6 +1607,8 @@ describe('$mdDialog', function() {
       document.body.appendChild(parent);
 
       $mdDialog.show({template: template, parent: parent});
+      runAnimation();
+
       $rootScope.$apply();
 
       // It should add two focus traps to the document around the dialog content.
diff --git a/src/components/menu/js/menuServiceProvider.js b/src/components/menu/js/menuServiceProvider.js
index 6520460f050..80c6a7df962 100644
--- a/src/components/menu/js/menuServiceProvider.js
+++ b/src/components/menu/js/menuServiceProvider.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function MenuProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
       disableParentScroll: true,
       skipCompile: true,
       preserveScope: true,
-      skipHide: true,
+      multiple: true,
       themable: true
     };
 
diff --git a/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.js b/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.js
index b5feff58a8b..e8d48703aa6 100644
--- a/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.js
+++ b/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.js
@@ -257,15 +257,20 @@ function InterimElementProvider() {
        * A service used to control inserting and removing an element into the DOM.
        *
        */
-      var service, stack = [];
+
+      var service;
+
+      var showPromises = []; // Promises for the interim's which are currently opening.
+      var hidePromises = []; // Promises for the interim's which are currently hiding.
+      var showingInterims = []; // Interim elements which are currently showing up.
 
       // Publish instance $$interimElement service;
       // ... used as $mdDialog, $mdToast, $mdMenu, and $mdSelect
 
       return service = {
         show: show,
-        hide: hide,
-        cancel: cancel,
+        hide: waitForInterim(hide),
+        cancel: waitForInterim(cancel),
         destroy : destroy,
         $injector_: $injector
       };
@@ -286,26 +291,35 @@ function InterimElementProvider() {
       function show(options) {
         options = options || {};
         var interimElement = new InterimElement(options || {});
+
         // When an interim element is currently showing, we have to cancel it.
         // Just hiding it, will resolve the InterimElement's promise, the promise should be
         // rejected instead.
-        var hideExisting = !options.skipHide && stack.length ? service.cancel() : $q.when(true);
-
-        // This hide()s only the current interim element before showing the next, new one
-        // NOTE: this is not reversible (e.g. interim elements are not stackable)
+        var hideAction = options.multiple ? $q.resolve() : $q.all(showPromises);
+
+        if (!options.multiple) {
+          // Wait for all opening interim's to finish their transition.
+          hideAction = hideAction.then(function() {
+            // Wait for all closing and showing interim's to be completely closed.
+            var promiseArray = hidePromises.concat(showingInterims.map(service.cancel));
+            return $q.all(promiseArray);
+          });
+        }
 
-        hideExisting.finally(function() {
+        var showAction = hideAction.then(function() {
 
-          stack.push(interimElement);
-          interimElement
+          return interimElement
             .show()
-            .catch(function( reason ) {
-              //$log.error("InterimElement.show() error: " + reason );
-              return reason;
+            .catch(function(reason) { return reason; })
+            .finally(function() {
+              showPromises.splice(showPromises.indexOf(showAction), 1);
+              showingInterims.push(interimElement);
             });
 
         });
 
+        showPromises.push(showAction);
+
         // Return a promise that will be resolved when the interim
         // element is hidden or cancelled...
 
@@ -325,27 +339,30 @@ function InterimElementProvider() {
        *
        */
       function hide(reason, options) {
-        if ( !stack.length ) return $q.when(reason);
         options = options || {};
 
         if (options.closeAll) {
-          var promise = $q.all(stack.reverse().map(closeElement));
-          stack = [];
-          return promise;
+          // We have to make a shallow copy of the array, because otherwise the map will break.
+          return $q.all(showingInterims.slice().reverse().map(closeElement));
         } else if (options.closeTo !== undefined) {
-          return $q.all(stack.splice(options.closeTo).map(closeElement));
-        } else {
-          var interim = stack.pop();
-          return closeElement(interim);
+          return $q.all(showingInterims.slice(options.closeTo).map(closeElement));
         }
 
+        // Hide the latest showing interim element.
+        return closeElement(showingInterims.pop());
+
         function closeElement(interim) {
-          interim
+
+          var hideAction = interim
             .remove(reason, false, options || { })
-            .catch(function( reason ) {
-              //$log.error("InterimElement.hide() error: " + reason );
-              return reason;
+            .catch(function(reason) { return reason; })
+            .finally(function() {
+              hidePromises.splice(hidePromises.indexOf(hideAction), 1);
             });
+
+          showingInterims.splice(showingInterims.indexOf(interim), 1);
+          hidePromises.push(hideAction);
+
           return interim.deferred.promise;
         }
       }
@@ -363,46 +380,76 @@ function InterimElementProvider() {
        *
        */
       function cancel(reason, options) {
-        var interim = stack.pop();
-        if ( !interim ) return $q.when(reason);
-
-        interim
-          .remove(reason, true, options || { })
-          .catch(function( reason ) {
-            //$log.error("InterimElement.cancel() error: " + reason );
-            return reason;
+        var interim = showingInterims.pop();
+        if (!interim) {
+          return $q.when(reason);
+        }
+
+        var cancelAction = interim
+          .remove(reason, true, options || {})
+          .catch(function(reason) { return reason; })
+          .finally(function() {
+            hidePromises.splice(hidePromises.indexOf(cancelAction), 1);
           });
 
+        hidePromises.push(cancelAction);
+
         // Since Angular 1.6.7, promises will be logged to $exceptionHandler when the promise
         // is not handling the rejection. We create a pseudo catch handler, which will prevent the
         // promise from being logged to the $exceptionHandler.
         return interim.deferred.promise.catch(angular.noop);
       }
 
+      /**
+       * Creates a function to wait for at least one interim element to be available.
+       * @param callbackFn Function to be used as callback
+       * @returns {Function}
+       */
+      function waitForInterim(callbackFn) {
+        return function() {
+          var fnArguments = arguments;
+
+          if (!showingInterims.length) {
+            // When there are still interim's opening, then wait for the first interim element to
+            // finish its open animation.
+            if (showPromises.length) {
+              return showPromises[0].finally(function () {
+                return callbackFn.apply(service, fnArguments);
+              });
+            }
+
+            return $q.when("No interim elements currently showing up.");
+          }
+
+          return callbackFn.apply(service, fnArguments);
+        };
+      }
+
       /*
        * Special method to quick-remove the interim element without animations
        * Note: interim elements are in "interim containers"
        */
-      function destroy(target) {
-        var interim = !target ? stack.shift() : null;
-        var cntr = angular.element(target).length ? angular.element(target)[0].parentNode : null;
-
-        if (cntr) {
-            // Try to find the interim element in the stack which corresponds to the supplied DOM element.
-            var filtered = stack.filter(function(entry) {
-                  var currNode = entry.options.element[0];
-                  return  (currNode === cntr);
-                });
+      function destroy(targetEl) {
+        var interim = !targetEl ? showingInterims.shift() : null;
 
-            // Note: this function might be called when the element already has been removed, in which
-            //       case we won't find any matches. That's ok.
-            if (filtered.length > 0) {
-              interim = filtered[0];
-              stack.splice(stack.indexOf(interim), 1);
-            }
+        var parentEl = angular.element(targetEl).length && angular.element(targetEl)[0].parentNode;
+
+        if (parentEl) {
+          // Try to find the interim in the stack which corresponds to the supplied DOM element.
+          var filtered = showingInterims.filter(function(entry) {
+            return entry.options.element[0] === parentEl;
+          });
+
+          // Note: This function might be called when the element already has been removed,
+          // in which case we won't find any matches.
+          if (filtered.length) {
+            interim = filtered[0];
+            showingInterims.splice(showingInterims.indexOf(interim), 1);
+          }
         }
 
-        return interim ? interim.remove(SHOW_CANCELLED, false, {'$destroy':true}) : $q.when(SHOW_CANCELLED);
+        return interim ? interim.remove(SHOW_CANCELLED, false, { '$destroy': true }) :
+                         $q.when(SHOW_CANCELLED);
       }
 
       /*
diff --git a/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.spec.js b/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.spec.js
index 05200a83212..f85a5843483 100644
--- a/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.spec.js
+++ b/src/core/services/interimElement/interimElement.spec.js
@@ -342,6 +342,80 @@ describe('$$interimElement service', function() {
 
       }));
 
+      it('should show multiple interim elements', function() {
+        var showCount = 0;
+
+        showInterim();
+        expect(showCount).toBe(1);
+
+        showInterim();
+        expect(showCount).toBe(2);
+
+        function showInterim() {
+          Service.show({
+            template: '<div>First Interim</div>',
+            onShow: function() {
+              showCount++;
+            },
+            onRemove: function() {
+              showCount--;
+            },
+            multiple: true
+          });
+        }
+      });
+
+
+      it('should not show multiple interim elements by default', function() {
+        var showCount = 0;
+
+        showInterim();
+        expect(showCount).toBe(1);
+
+        showInterim();
+        expect(showCount).toBe(1);
+
+        function showInterim() {
+          Service.show({
+            template: '<div>First Interim</div>',
+            onShow: function() {
+              showCount++;
+            },
+            onRemove: function() {
+              showCount--;
+            }
+          });
+        }
+      });
+
+      it('should cancel a previous interim after a second shows up', inject(function($q, $timeout) {
+        var hidePromise = $q.defer();
+        var isShown = false;
+
+        Service.show({
+          template: '<div>First Interim</div>',
+          onRemove: function() {
+            return hidePromise.promise;
+          }
+        });
+
+        // Once we show the second interim, the first interim should be cancelled and new interim
+        // will successfully show up after the first interim hides completely.
+        Service.show({
+          template: '<div>Second Interim</div>',
+          onShow: function() {
+            isShown = true;
+          }
+        });
+
+        expect(isShown).toBe(false);
+
+        hidePromise.resolve();
+        $timeout.flush();
+
+        expect(isShown).toBe(true);
+      }));
+
       it('should cancel a previous shown interim element', inject(function() {
         var isCancelled = false;