diff --git a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
index 593a90ff066..da417398242 100644
--- a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
+++ b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ function SidenavFocusDirective() {
  *   - `<md-sidenav md-is-locked-open="$mdMedia('min-width: 1000px')"></md-sidenav>`
  *   - `<md-sidenav md-is-locked-open="$mdMedia('sm')"></md-sidenav>` (locks open on small screens)
  */
-function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate, $compile, $parse, $log, $q, $document) {
+function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $mdInteraction, $animate, $compile, $parse, $log, $q, $document) {
   return {
     restrict: 'E',
     scope: {
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
    */
   function postLink(scope, element, attr, sidenavCtrl) {
     var lastParentOverFlow;
+    var triggeringInteractionType;
     var triggeringElement = null;
     var promise = $q.when(true);
 
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
       if ( isOpen ) {
         // Capture upon opening..
         triggeringElement = $document[0].activeElement;
+        triggeringInteractionType = $mdInteraction.getLastInteractionType();
       }
 
       disableParentScroll(isOpen);
@@ -344,9 +346,9 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
             // When the current `updateIsOpen()` animation finishes
             promise.then(function(result) {
 
-              if ( !scope.isOpen ) {
+              if ( !scope.isOpen && triggeringElement && triggeringInteractionType && triggeringInteractionType === 'keyboard') {
                 // reset focus to originating element (if available) upon close
-                triggeringElement && triggeringElement.focus();
+                triggeringElement.focus();
                 triggeringElement = null;
               }
 
diff --git a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.spec.js b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.spec.js
index beee8374388..cea09b4f32e 100644
--- a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.spec.js
@@ -173,6 +173,85 @@ describe('mdSidenav', function() {
 
   });
 
+  describe("focus", function() {
+
+    var $material, $mdInteraction;
+
+    beforeEach( inject(function(_$material_, _$mdInteraction_) {
+      $material = _$material_;
+      $mdInteraction = _$mdInteraction_;
+    }));
+
+    function flush() {
+      $material.flushInterimElement();
+    }
+
+    function setupTrigger() {
+      var el;
+      inject(function($compile, $rootScope) {
+        var parent = angular.element(document.body);
+        el = angular.element('<button>Toggle</button>');
+        parent.append(el);
+        $compile(parent)($rootScope);
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+      });
+      return el;
+    }
+
+    it("should restore after sidenav triggered by keyboard", function(done) {
+      var sidenavElement = setup('');
+      var triggerElement = setupTrigger();
+      var controller = sidenavElement.controller('mdSidenav');
+
+      triggerElement.focus();
+
+      var evt = document.createEvent("KeyboardEvent");
+      evt.initEvent("keydown", true, true, window, 0, 0, 0, 0, 13, 13);
+      triggerElement[0].dispatchEvent(evt);
+
+      controller.$toggleOpen(true);
+      flush();
+
+      triggerElement.blur();
+
+      expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(triggerElement[0]);
+
+      controller.$toggleOpen(false);
+      flush();
+
+      expect($mdInteraction.getLastInteractionType()).toBe("keyboard");
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe(triggerElement[0]);
+      done();
+    });
+
+    it("should not restore after sidenav triggered by mouse", function(done) {
+      var sidenavElement = setup('');
+      var triggerElement = setupTrigger();
+      var controller = sidenavElement.controller('mdSidenav');
+
+      triggerElement.focus();
+
+      var event = document.createEvent("MouseEvent");
+      event.initMouseEvent("mousedown", true, true, window, null, 0, 0, 0, 0, false, false, false, false, 0, null);
+      triggerElement[0].dispatchEvent(event);
+
+      controller.$toggleOpen(true);
+      flush();
+
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe(triggerElement[0]);
+
+      triggerElement.blur();
+
+      controller.$toggleOpen(false);
+      flush();
+
+      expect($mdInteraction.getLastInteractionType()).toBe("mouse");
+      expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(triggerElement[0]);
+      done();
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe("controller Promise API", function() {
     var $material, $rootScope;
 
@@ -186,7 +265,6 @@ describe('mdSidenav', function() {
         $timeout = _$timeout_;
     }));
 
-
     it('should open(), close(), and toggle() with promises', function () {
       var el = setup('');
       var scope = el.isolateScope();
diff --git a/src/core/core.js b/src/core/core.js
index b75effcf632..d7db626010b 100644
--- a/src/core/core.js
+++ b/src/core/core.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ angular
     'ngAnimate',
     'material.core.animate',
     'material.core.layout',
+    'material.core.interaction',
     'material.core.gestures',
     'material.core.theming'
   ])
diff --git a/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.js b/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2248fd450f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+angular
+  .module('material.core.interaction', [])
+  .service('$mdInteraction', MdInteractionService);
+
+function MdInteractionService($timeout) {
+  var body = angular.element(document.body);
+  var _mouseEvent = window.MSPointerEvent ? 'MSPointerDown' : window.PointerEvent ? 'pointerdown' : 'mousedown';
+  var buffer = false;
+  var timer;
+  var lastInteractionType;
+  var inputMap = {
+    'keydown': 'keyboard',
+    'mousedown': 'mouse',
+    'mouseenter': 'mouse',
+    'touchstart': 'touch',
+    'pointerdown': 'pointer',
+    'MSPointerDown': 'pointer'
+  };
+  var pointerMap = {
+    2: 'touch',
+    3: 'touch',
+    4: 'mouse'
+  };
+
+  function onInput(event) {
+    if (buffer) return;
+    var type = inputMap[event.type];
+    if (type === 'pointer') {
+      type = (typeof event.pointerType === 'number') ? pointerMap[event.pointerType] : event.pointerType;
+    }
+    lastInteractionType = type;
+  }
+
+  function onBufferInput(event) {
+    $timeout.cancel(timer);
+
+    onInput(event);
+    buffer = true;
+
+    timer = $timeout(function() {
+      buffer = false;
+    }, 1000);
+  }
+
+  body.on('keydown', onInput);
+  body.on(_mouseEvent, onInput);
+  body.on('mouseenter', onInput);
+  if ('ontouchstart' in document.documentElement) body.on('touchstart', onBufferInput);
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the last interaction type triggered by body.
+   * Possible values for return are `mouse`, `keyboard` and `touch`
+   * @returns {string}
+   */
+  this.getLastInteractionType = function() {
+    return lastInteractionType;
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.spec.js b/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f99f61d3626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/services/interaction/interaction.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+describe("$mdInteraction", function() {
+  beforeEach(module('material.core'));
+
+  describe("last interaction type", function() {
+
+    it("imitates a basic keyboard interaction and checks it", inject(function($mdInteraction) {
+
+      var event = document.createEvent('Event');
+      event.keyCode = 37;
+      event.initEvent('keydown', false, true);
+      document.body.dispatchEvent(event);
+
+      expect($mdInteraction.getLastInteractionType()).toBe('keyboard');
+    }));
+
+    it("dispatches a mousedown event on the document body and checks it", inject(function($mdInteraction) {
+
+      var event = document.createEvent("MouseEvent");
+      event.initMouseEvent("mousedown", true, true, window, null, 0, 0, 0, 0, false, false, false, false, 0, null);
+      document.body.dispatchEvent(event);
+
+      expect($mdInteraction.getLastInteractionType()).toBe("mouse");
+    }));
+
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file