diff --git a/src/components/dialog/dialog.js b/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
index 394f295728f..e44638a0183 100644
--- a/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
+++ b/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
@@ -424,15 +424,18 @@ function MdDialogProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
 
   return $$interimElementProvider('$mdDialog')
     .setDefaults({
-      methods: ['disableParentScroll', 'hasBackdrop', 'clickOutsideToClose', 'escapeToClose', 'targetEvent', 'closeTo', 'openFrom', 'parent', 'fullscreen'],
+      methods: ['disableParentScroll', 'hasBackdrop', 'clickOutsideToClose', 'escapeToClose',
+          'targetEvent', 'closeTo', 'openFrom', 'parent', 'fullscreen'],
       options: dialogDefaultOptions
     })
     .addPreset('alert', {
-      methods: ['title', 'htmlContent', 'textContent', 'ariaLabel', 'ok', 'theme', 'css'],
+      methods: ['title', 'htmlContent', 'textContent', 'content', 'ariaLabel', 'ok', 'theme',
+          'css'],
       options: advancedDialogOptions
     })
     .addPreset('confirm', {
-      methods: ['title', 'htmlContent', 'textContent', 'ariaLabel', 'ok', 'cancel', 'theme', 'css'],
+      methods: ['title', 'htmlContent', 'textContent', 'content', 'ariaLabel', 'ok', 'cancel',
+          'theme', 'css'],
       options: advancedDialogOptions
     });
 
@@ -510,7 +513,8 @@ function MdDialogProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
     function beforeShow(scope, element, options, controller) {
       if (controller) {
         controller.mdHtmlContent = controller.htmlContent || options.htmlContent || '';
-        controller.mdTextContent = controller.textContent || options.textContent || '';
+        controller.mdTextContent = controller.textContent || options.textContent ||
+            controller.content || options.content || '';
 
         if (controller.mdHtmlContent && !$injector.has('$sanitize')) {
           throw Error('The ngSanitize module must be loaded in order to use htmlContent.');
diff --git a/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js b/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
index b7b1f59b866..bcc7a504614 100644
--- a/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/dialog/dialog.spec.js
@@ -256,6 +256,26 @@ describe('$mdDialog', function() {
       expect(content.text()).toBe('Choose');
     }));
 
+    it('should support the deprecated `content` method as text', inject(function($mdDialog) {
+      var parent = angular.element('<div>');
+
+      $mdDialog.show(
+        $mdDialog.confirm({
+          parent: parent,
+          ok: 'Next',
+          cancel: 'Back',
+          title: 'Which Way ',
+          content: '<div class="mine">Choose</div>'
+        })
+      );
+
+      runAnimation();
+
+      var contentBody = parent[0].querySelector('.md-dialog-content-body');
+
+      expect(contentBody.textContent).toBe('<div class="mine">Choose</div>');
+    }));
+
     it('should NOT allow custom elements in confirm htmlContent', inject(function($mdDialog) {
       var parent = angular.element('<div>');