diff --git a/src/components/list/list.js b/src/components/list/list.js
index 8214a2d2556..a04fdbfb3ec 100644
--- a/src/components/list/list.js
+++ b/src/components/list/list.js
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ function mdListItemDirective($mdAria, $mdConstant, $timeout) {
           container = angular.element('<md-button class="md-no-style"><div class="md-list-item-inner"></div></md-button>');
           container[0].setAttribute('ng-click', tEl[0].getAttribute('ng-click'));
           tEl[0].removeAttribute('ng-click');
+
+          if (tEl[0].getAttribute('aria-label')) {
+            container[0].setAttribute('aria-label', tEl[0].getAttribute('aria-label'));
+            tEl[0].removeAttribute('aria-label');
+          }
           container.children().eq(0).append(tEl.contents());
         }
 
diff --git a/src/components/list/list.spec.js b/src/components/list/list.spec.js
index c70d780b65a..d521002ae21 100644
--- a/src/components/list/list.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/list/list.spec.js
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ describe('mdListItem directive', function() {
     expect(firstChild.childNodes[0].childNodes[0].nodeName).toBe('P');
   });
 
+  it('moves aria-label to primary action', function() {
+    var listItem = setup('<md-list-item ng-click="sayHello()" aria-label="Hello"></md-list-item>');
+    var listItemChildren = listItem.children();
+    expect(listItemChildren[0].nodeName).toBe('MD-BUTTON');
+    expect(listItemChildren.attr('aria-label')).toBe('Hello');
+  });
+
   it('moves md-secondary items outside of the button', function() {
     var listItem = setup('<md-list-item ng-click="sayHello()"><p>Hello World</p><md-icon class="md-secondary" ng-click="goWild()"></md-icon></md-list-item>');
     var firstChild = listItem.children()[0];