diff --git a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
index 1e85230d38..dc0f3925fd 100644
--- a/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
+++ b/src/components/sidenav/sidenav.js
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
     var lastParentOverFlow;
     var backdrop;
     var triggeringElement = null;
+    var previousContainerStyles;
     var promise = $q.when(true);
     var isLockedOpenParsed = $parse(attr.mdIsLockedOpen);
     var isLocked = function() {
@@ -315,6 +316,8 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
       parent[isOpen ? 'on' : 'off']('keydown', onKeyDown);
       if (backdrop) backdrop[isOpen ? 'on' : 'off']('click', close);
 
+      var restorePositioning = updateContainerPositions(parent, isOpen);
+
       if ( isOpen ) {
         // Capture upon opening..
         triggeringElement = $document[0].activeElement;
@@ -323,16 +326,60 @@ function SidenavDirective($mdMedia, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming, $animate,
       disableParentScroll(isOpen);
 
       return promise = $q.all([
-                isOpen && backdrop ? $animate.enter(backdrop, parent) :
-                backdrop ? $animate.leave(backdrop) : $q.when(true),
-                $animate[isOpen ? 'removeClass' : 'addClass'](element, '_md-closed')
-              ])
-              .then(function() {
-                // Perform focus when animations are ALL done...
-                if (scope.isOpen) {
-                  focusEl && focusEl.focus();
-                }
-              });
+        isOpen && backdrop ? $animate.enter(backdrop, parent) : backdrop ?
+                             $animate.leave(backdrop) : $q.when(true),
+        $animate[isOpen ? 'removeClass' : 'addClass'](element, '_md-closed')
+      ]).then(function() {
+        // Perform focus when animations are ALL done...
+        if (scope.isOpen) {
+          focusEl && focusEl.focus();
+        }
+
+        // Restores the positioning on the sidenav and backdrop.
+        restorePositioning && restorePositioning();
+      });
+    }
+
+    function updateContainerPositions(parent, willOpen) {
+      var drawerEl = element[0];
+      var scrollTop = parent[0].scrollTop;
+
+      if (willOpen && scrollTop) {
+        previousContainerStyles = {
+          top: drawerEl.style.top,
+          bottom: drawerEl.style.bottom,
+          height: drawerEl.style.height
+        };
+
+        // When the parent is scrolled down, then we want to be able to show the sidenav at the current scroll
+        // position. We're moving the sidenav down to the correct scroll position and apply the height of the
+        // parent, to increase the performance. Using 100% as height, will impact the performance heavily.
+        var positionStyle = {
+          top: scrollTop + 'px',
+          bottom: 'initial',
+          height: parent[0].clientHeight + 'px'
+        };
+
+        // Apply the new position styles to the sidenav and backdrop.
+        element.css(positionStyle);
+        backdrop.css(positionStyle);
+      }
+
+      // When the sidenav is closing and we have previous defined container styles,
+      // then we return a restore function, which resets the sidenav and backdrop.
+      if (!willOpen && previousContainerStyles) {
+        return function() {
+          drawerEl.style.top = previousContainerStyles.top;
+          drawerEl.style.bottom = previousContainerStyles.bottom;
+          drawerEl.style.height = previousContainerStyles.height;
+
+          backdrop[0].style.top = null;
+          backdrop[0].style.bottom = null;
+          backdrop[0].style.height = null;
+
+          previousContainerStyles = null;
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     /**