diff --git a/src/components/dialog/dialog.js b/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
index 236efe1e10b..d7e2b1f5847 100644
--- a/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
+++ b/src/components/dialog/dialog.js
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ function MdDialogProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
       };
 
       if (options.escapeToClose) {
-        var target = options.parent;
+        var parentTarget = options.parent;
         var keyHandlerFn = function(ev) {
           if (ev.keyCode === $mdConstant.KEY_CODE.ESCAPE) {
             ev.stopPropagation();
@@ -787,13 +787,13 @@ function MdDialogProvider($$interimElementProvider) {
 
         // Add keydown listeners
         element.on('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
-        target.on('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
+        parentTarget.on('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
 
         // Queue remove listeners function
         removeListeners.push(function() {
 
           element.off('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
-          target.off('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
+          parentTarget.off('keydown', keyHandlerFn);
 
         });
       }