diff --git a/src/components/slider/slider.js b/src/components/slider/slider.js
index 9dbcce42e0f..68d494fb5db 100644
--- a/src/components/slider/slider.js
+++ b/src/components/slider/slider.js
@@ -53,20 +53,22 @@ function SliderDirective($$rAF, $window, $mdAria, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdThemi
     scope: {},
     require: '?ngModel',
     template:
-      '<div class="md-track-container">' +
-      '<div class="md-track"></div>' +
-      '<div class="md-track md-track-fill"></div>' +
-      '<div class="md-track-ticks"></div>' +
-      '</div>' +
-      '<div class="md-thumb-container">' +
-      '<div class="md-thumb"></div>' +
-      '<div class="md-focus-thumb"></div>' +
-      '<div class="md-focus-ring"></div>' +
-      '<div class="md-sign">' +
-      '<span class="md-thumb-text"></span>' +
-      '</div>' +
-      '<div class="md-disabled-thumb"></div>' +
-      '</div>',
+      '<div class="md-slider-wrapper">\
+        <div class="md-track-container">\
+          <div class="md-track"></div>\
+          <div class="md-track md-track-fill"></div>\
+          <div class="md-track-ticks"></div>\
+        </div>\
+        <div class="md-thumb-container">\
+          <div class="md-thumb"></div>\
+          <div class="md-focus-thumb"></div>\
+          <div class="md-focus-ring"></div>\
+          <div class="md-sign">\
+            <span class="md-thumb-text"></span>\
+          </div>\
+          <div class="md-disabled-thumb"></div>\
+        </div>\
+      </div>',
     link: postLink
   };
 
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ function SliderDirective($$rAF, $window, $mdAria, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdThemi
     };
 
     var isDisabledParsed = attr.ngDisabled && $parse(attr.ngDisabled);
-    var isDisabledGetter = isDisabledParsed ? 
+    var isDisabledGetter = isDisabledParsed ?
       function() { return isDisabledParsed(scope.$parent); } :
       angular.noop;
     var thumb = angular.element(element[0].querySelector('.md-thumb'));
@@ -270,8 +272,8 @@ function SliderDirective($$rAF, $window, $mdAria, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdThemi
     function setSliderPercent(percent) {
       activeTrack.css('width', (percent * 100) + '%');
       thumbContainer.css(
-        $mdConstant.CSS.TRANSFORM,
-        'translate3d(' + (percent * 100) + '%,0,0)'
+        'left',
+        (percent * 100) + '%'
       );
       element.toggleClass('md-min', percent === 0);
     }
diff --git a/src/components/slider/slider.scss b/src/components/slider/slider.scss
index 96f80e8c2fa..f4b9c83daea 100644
--- a/src/components/slider/slider.scss
+++ b/src/components/slider/slider.scss
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ md-slider {
   display: block;
   margin-left: 4px;
   margin-right: 4px;
+  padding: 0;
+
+  .md-slider-wrapper {
+    position: relative;
+  }
 
   /**
    * Track
@@ -84,9 +89,8 @@ md-slider {
   .md-thumb-container {
     position: absolute;
     left: 0;
-    top: 0;
-    right: 0;
-    transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
+    top: 50%;
+    transform: translate3d(-50%,-50%,0);
     transition: transform 0.1s linear;
   }
   .md-thumb {