diff --git a/src/components/grid-list/grid-list-errors.ts b/src/components/grid-list/grid-list-errors.ts
index 65dc797b0283..cc38681a16ce 100644
--- a/src/components/grid-list/grid-list-errors.ts
+++ b/src/components/grid-list/grid-list-errors.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+import {MdError} from '../../core/errors/error';
+
 /**
  * Exception thrown when cols property is missing from grid-list
  */
-export class MdGridListColsError extends Error {
+export class MdGridListColsError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
     super(`md-grid-list: must pass in number of columns. Example: <md-grid-list cols="3">`);
   }
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ export class MdGridListColsError extends Error {
 /**
  * Exception thrown when a tile's colspan is longer than the number of cols in list
  */
-export class MdGridTileTooWideError extends Error {
+export class MdGridTileTooWideError extends MdError {
   constructor(cols: number, listLength: number) {
     super(`Tile with colspan ${cols} is wider than grid with cols="${listLength}".`);
   }
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ export class MdGridTileTooWideError extends Error {
 /**
  * Exception thrown when an invalid ratio is passed in as a rowHeight
  */
-export class MdGridListBadRatioError extends Error {
+export class MdGridListBadRatioError extends MdError {
   constructor(value: string) {
     super(`md-grid-list: invalid ratio given for row-height: "${value}"`);
   }
diff --git a/src/components/icon/icon-registry.ts b/src/components/icon/icon-registry.ts
index 9fd8be75ae7f..462aae1f6737 100644
--- a/src/components/icon/icon-registry.ts
+++ b/src/components/icon/icon-registry.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import {Injectable} from '@angular/core';
 import {Http} from '@angular/http';
 import {Observable} from 'rxjs/Rx';
+import {MdError} from '../../core/errors/error';
 
 
 /** Exception thrown when attempting to load an icon with a name that cannot be found. */
-export class MdIconNameNotFoundError extends Error {
+export class MdIconNameNotFoundError extends MdError {
   constructor(iconName: string) {
       super(`Unable to find icon with the name "${iconName}"`);
   }
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ export class MdIconNameNotFoundError extends Error {
  * Exception thrown when attempting to load SVG content that does not contain the expected
  * <svg> tag.
  */
-export class MdIconSvgTagNotFoundError extends Error {
+export class MdIconSvgTagNotFoundError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('<svg> tag not found');
   }
diff --git a/src/components/icon/icon.ts b/src/components/icon/icon.ts
index 87c2a7171ab1..982b9db75778 100644
--- a/src/components/icon/icon.ts
+++ b/src/components/icon/icon.ts
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ import {
     AfterViewChecked
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {MdIconRegistry} from './icon-registry';
+import {MdError} from '../../core/errors/error';
 export {MdIconRegistry} from './icon-registry';
 
 
 /** Exception thrown when an invalid icon name is passed to an md-icon component. */
-export class MdIconInvalidNameError extends Error {
+export class MdIconInvalidNameError extends MdError {
   constructor(iconName: string) {
       super(`Invalid icon name: "${name}"`);
   }
diff --git a/src/components/input/input.ts b/src/components/input/input.ts
index c90d27ae0a4c..363e07898d5f 100644
--- a/src/components/input/input.ts
+++ b/src/components/input/input.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   ControlValueAccessor
 } from '@angular/common';
 import {BooleanFieldValue} from '../../core/annotations/field-value';
+import {MdError} from '../../core/errors/error';
 
 
 const noop = () => {};
@@ -38,19 +39,19 @@ const MD_INPUT_INVALID_INPUT_TYPE = [
 let nextUniqueId = 0;
 
 
-export class MdInputPlaceholderConflictError extends Error {
+export class MdInputPlaceholderConflictError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
     super('Placeholder attribute and child element were both specified.');
   }
 }
 
-export class MdInputUnsupportedTypeError extends Error {
+export class MdInputUnsupportedTypeError extends MdError {
   constructor(type: string) {
     super(`Input type "${type}" isn't supported by md-input.`);
   }
 }
 
-export class MdInputDuplicatedHintError extends Error {
+export class MdInputDuplicatedHintError extends MdError {
   constructor(align: string) {
     super(`A hint was already declared for 'align="${align}"'.`);
   }
diff --git a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.ts b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.ts
index 8482baff6de6..9007cd2b5c71 100644
--- a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.ts
+++ b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.ts
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ import {
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {Dir} from '../../core/rtl/dir';
 import {PromiseCompleter} from '../../core/async/promise-completer';
+import {MdError} from '../../core/errors/error';
 
 
 /**
  * Exception thrown when two MdSidenav are matching the same side.
  */
-export class MdDuplicatedSidenavError extends Error {
+export class MdDuplicatedSidenavError extends MdError {
   constructor(align: string) {
     super(`A sidenav was already declared for 'align="${align}"'`);
   }
diff --git a/src/core/errors/error.ts b/src/core/errors/error.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d24aa3047830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/errors/error.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// TODO(kara): Revisit why error messages are not being properly set.
+
+/**
+ * Wrapper around Error that sets the error message.
+ */
+export class MdError extends Error {
+  constructor(value: string) {
+    super();
+    super.message = value;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/portal/portal-errors.ts b/src/core/portal/portal-errors.ts
index bef0ef3d7986..b83a1790d9aa 100644
--- a/src/core/portal/portal-errors.ts
+++ b/src/core/portal/portal-errors.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+import {MdError} from '../errors/error';
+
 /** Exception thrown when a ComponentPortal is attached to a DomPortalHost without an origin. */
-export class MdComponentPortalAttachedToDomWithoutOriginError extends Error {
+export class MdComponentPortalAttachedToDomWithoutOriginError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super(
           'A ComponentPortal must have an origin set when attached to a DomPortalHost ' +
@@ -7,29 +9,29 @@ export class MdComponentPortalAttachedToDomWithoutOriginError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to attach a null portal to a host. */
-export class MdNullPortalError extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to attach a null portal to a host. */
+export class MdNullPortalError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('Must provide a portal to attach');
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to attach a portal to a host that is already attached. */
-export class MdPortalAlreadyAttachedError extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to attach a portal to a host that is already attached. */
+export class MdPortalAlreadyAttachedError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('Host already has a portal attached');
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to attach a portal to an already-disposed host. */
-export class MdPortalHostAlreadyDisposedError extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to attach a portal to an already-disposed host. */
+export class MdPortalHostAlreadyDisposedError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('This PortalHost has already been disposed');
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to attach an unknown portal type. */
-export class MdUnknownPortalTypeErron extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to attach an unknown portal type. */
+export class MdUnknownPortalTypeError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super(
         'Attempting to attach an unknown Portal type. ' +
@@ -37,15 +39,15 @@ export class MdUnknownPortalTypeErron extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to attach a portal to a null host. */
-export class MdNullPortalHostError extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to attach a portal to a null host. */
+export class MdNullPortalHostError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('Attmepting to attach a portal to a null PortalHost');
   }
 }
 
-/** Exception thrown when attmepting to detach a portal that is not attached. */
-export class MdNoPortalAttachedErron extends Error {
+/** Exception thrown when attempting to detach a portal that is not attached. */
+export class MdNoPortalAttachedError extends MdError {
   constructor() {
       super('Attmepting to detach a portal that is not attached to a host');
   }
diff --git a/src/core/portal/portal.ts b/src/core/portal/portal.ts
index b34c1f82530a..1676cc9a4d29 100644
--- a/src/core/portal/portal.ts
+++ b/src/core/portal/portal.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ import {TemplateRef, Type, ViewContainerRef, ElementRef, ComponentRef} from '@an
 import {
     MdNullPortalHostError,
     MdPortalAlreadyAttachedError,
-    MdNoPortalAttachedErron,
+    MdNoPortalAttachedError,
     MdNullPortalError,
     MdPortalHostAlreadyDisposedError,
-    MdUnknownPortalTypeErron
+    MdUnknownPortalTypeError
 } from './portal-errors';
 
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export abstract class Portal<T> {
   detach(): Promise<void> {
     let host = this._attachedHost;
     if (host == null) {
-      throw new MdNoPortalAttachedErron();
+      throw new MdNoPortalAttachedError();
     }
 
     this._attachedHost = null;
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ export abstract class BasePortalHost implements PortalHost {
       return this.attachTemplatePortal(portal);
     }
 
-    throw new MdUnknownPortalTypeErron();
+    throw new MdUnknownPortalTypeError();
   }
 
   abstract attachComponentPortal(portal: ComponentPortal): Promise<ComponentRef<any>>;