diff --git a/src/components/autocomplete/autocomplete.spec.js b/src/components/autocomplete/autocomplete.spec.js
index af5d9ff713..68a2ba8766 100644
--- a/src/components/autocomplete/autocomplete.spec.js
+++ b/src/components/autocomplete/autocomplete.spec.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
   }
 
   describe('basic functionality', function() {
-    it('should update selected item and search text', inject(function($timeout, $mdConstant, $material) {
+    it('updates selected item and search text', inject(function($timeout, $mdConstant, $material) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-
-    it('should allow you to set an input id without floating label', inject(function() {
+    it('allows you to set an input id without floating label', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -124,7 +123,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should allow allow using ng-readonly', inject(function() {
+    it('allows using ng-readonly', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should allow allow using an empty readonly attribute', inject(function() {
+    it('allows using an empty readonly attribute', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should allow you to set an input id with floating label', inject(function() {
+    it('allows you to set an input id with floating label', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -195,7 +194,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should forward the `md-select-on-focus` attribute to the input', inject(function() {
+    it('forwards the `md-select-on-focus` attribute to the input', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete ' +
@@ -218,7 +217,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should forward the tabindex to the input', inject(function() {
+    it('forwards the tabindex to the input', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete ' +
@@ -240,7 +239,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should always set the tabindex of the autcomplete to `-1`', inject(function() {
+    it('always sets the tabindex of the autcomplete to `-1`', inject(function() {
       var scope = createScope(null, {inputId: 'custom-input-id'});
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete ' +
@@ -291,7 +290,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should clear value when hitting escape', inject(function($mdConstant, $timeout) {
+    it('clears the value when hitting escape', inject(function($mdConstant, $timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -380,7 +379,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
   });
 
   describe('basic functionality with template', function() {
-    it('should update selected item and search text', inject(function($timeout, $material, $mdConstant) {
+    it('updates selected item and search text', inject(function($timeout, $material, $mdConstant) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -423,7 +422,60 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should compile the template against the parent scope', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
+    it('properly clears values when the item ends in a space character', inject(function($timeout, $material, $mdConstant) {
+      var myItems = ['foo ', 'bar', 'baz'].map(function(item) {
+        return {display: item};
+      });
+      var scope = createScope(myItems);
+      
+      var template = '\
+          <md-autocomplete\
+              md-selected-item="selectedItem"\
+              md-search-text="searchText"\
+              md-items="item in match(searchText)"\
+              md-item-text="item.display"\
+              placeholder="placeholder">\
+            <md-item-template>\
+              <span md-highlight-text="searchText">{{item.display}}</span>\
+            </md-item-template>\
+          </md-autocomplete>';
+      var element = compile(template, scope);
+      var ctrl = element.controller('mdAutocomplete');
+      var ul = element.find('ul');
+
+      expect(scope.searchText).toBe('');
+      expect(scope.selectedItem).toBe(null);
+
+      $material.flushInterimElement();
+
+      // Focus the input
+      ctrl.focus();
+
+      element.scope().searchText = 'fo';
+      waitForVirtualRepeat(element);
+
+      expect(scope.searchText).toBe('fo');
+      expect(scope.match(scope.searchText).length).toBe(1);
+      expect(ul.find('li').length).toBe(1);
+
+      ctrl.keydown(keydownEvent($mdConstant.KEY_CODE.DOWN_ARROW));
+      ctrl.keydown(keydownEvent($mdConstant.KEY_CODE.ENTER));
+
+      $timeout.flush();
+
+      expect(scope.searchText).toBe('foo ');
+      expect(scope.selectedItem).toBe(scope.match(scope.searchText)[0]);
+      
+      ctrl.clear();
+      $timeout.flush();
+
+      expect(scope.searchText).toBe('');
+      expect(scope.selectedItem).toBe(null);
+
+      element.remove();
+    }));
+
+    it('compiles the template against the parent scope', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
       var scope = createScope(null, {bang: 'boom'});
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete' +
@@ -470,7 +522,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should remove the md-scroll-mask on cleanup', inject(function($mdUtil, $timeout, $material) {
+    it('removes the md-scroll-mask on cleanup', inject(function($mdUtil, $timeout, $material) {
       spyOn($mdUtil, 'enableScrolling');
 
       var scope = createScope();
@@ -513,7 +565,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       expect($mdUtil.enableScrolling).toHaveBeenCalled();
     }));
 
-    it('should ensure the parent scope digests along with the current scope', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
+    it('ensures the parent scope digests along with the current scope', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
       var scope = createScope(null, {bang: 'boom'});
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete' +
@@ -695,7 +747,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       expect(ctrl2.hasNotFound).toBe(false);
     }));
 
-    it('should even show the md-not-found template if we have lost focus', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('shows the md-not-found template even if we have lost focus', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete' +
@@ -807,7 +859,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
 
   describe('Async matching', function() {
 
-    it('should probably stop the loading indicator when clearing', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
+    it('properly stops the loading indicator when clearing', inject(function($timeout, $material) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete ' +
@@ -837,7 +889,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
   });
 
   describe('API access', function() {
-    it('should clear the selected item', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('clears the selected item', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -871,7 +923,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should notify selected item watchers', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('notifies selected item watchers', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       scope.itemChanged = jasmine.createSpy('itemChanged');
 
@@ -919,7 +971,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
 
       element.remove();
     }));
-    it('should pass value to item watcher', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('passes the value to the item watcher', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var itemValue = null;
       var template = '\
@@ -955,7 +1007,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
   });
 
   describe('md-select-on-match', function() {
-    it('should select matching item on exact match when `md-select-on-match` is toggled', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('selects matching item on exact match when `md-select-on-match` is toggled', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -1004,7 +1056,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     }));
 
-    it('should select matching item using case insensitive', inject(function($timeout) {
+    it('selects matching item using case insensitive', inject(function($timeout) {
       var scope = createScope(null, null, true);
       var template =
         '<md-autocomplete ' +
@@ -1063,7 +1115,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       element.remove();
     });
 
-    it('should validate an empty `required` as true', function() {
+    it('validates an empty `required` as true', function() {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -1082,7 +1134,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       expect(ctrl.isRequired).toBe(true);
     });
 
-    it('should correctly validate an interpolated `ng-required` value', function() {
+    it('correctly validates an interpolated `ng-required` value', function() {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -1111,7 +1163,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
       expect(ctrl.isRequired).toBe(true);
     });
 
-    it('should forward the md-no-asterisk attribute', function() {
+    it('forwards the md-no-asterisk attribute', function() {
       var scope = createScope();
       var template = '\
           <md-autocomplete\
@@ -1133,7 +1185,7 @@ describe('<md-autocomplete>', function() {
   });
 
   describe('md-highlight-text', function() {
-    it('should update when content is modified', inject(function() {
+    it('updates when content is modified', inject(function() {
       var template = '<div md-highlight-text="query">{{message}}</div>';
       var scope = createScope(null, {message: 'some text', query: 'some'});
       var element = compile(template, scope);
diff --git a/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteController.js b/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteController.js
index 81de475f52..a680943089 100644
--- a/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteController.js
+++ b/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteController.js
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ function MdAutocompleteCtrl ($scope, $element, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming,
   /**
    * Handles input focus event, determines if the dropdown should show.
    */
-  function focus () {
+  function focus($event) {
     hasFocus = true;
     //-- if searchText is null, let's force it to be a string
     if (!angular.isString($scope.searchText)) $scope.searchText = '';
@@ -639,9 +639,9 @@ function MdAutocompleteCtrl ($scope, $element, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming,
   /**
    * Clears the searchText value and selected item.
    */
-  function clearValue () {
+  function clearValue ($event) {
     // Set the loading to true so we don't see flashes of content.
-    // The flashing will only occour when an async request is running.
+    // The flashing will only occur when an async request is running.
     // So the loading process will stop when the results had been retrieved.
     setLoading(true);
 
@@ -652,9 +652,14 @@ function MdAutocompleteCtrl ($scope, $element, $mdUtil, $mdConstant, $mdTheming,
 
     // Per http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/event_oninput.asp
     var eventObj = document.createEvent('CustomEvent');
-    eventObj.initCustomEvent('input', true, true, { value: $scope.searchText });
+    eventObj.initCustomEvent('input', true, true, { value: '' });
     elements.input.dispatchEvent(eventObj);
 
+    // For some reason, firing the above event resets the value of $scope.searchText if
+    // $scope.searchText has a space character at the end, so we blank it one more time and then
+    // focus.
+    elements.input.blur();
+    $scope.searchText = '';
     elements.input.focus();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteDirective.js b/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteDirective.js
index 7149991e52..a3fb93947c 100644
--- a/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteDirective.js
+++ b/src/components/autocomplete/js/autocompleteDirective.js
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ function MdAutocomplete () {
                   ng-keydown="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.keydown($event)"\
                   ng-blur="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.blur()"\
                   ' + (attr.mdNoAsterisk != null ? 'md-no-asterisk="' + attr.mdNoAsterisk + '"' : '') + '\
-                  ng-focus="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.focus()"\
+                  ng-focus="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.focus($event)"\
                   aria-owns="ul-{{$mdAutocompleteCtrl.id}}"\
                   ' + (attr.mdSelectOnFocus != null ? 'md-select-on-focus=""' : '') + '\
                   aria-label="{{floatingLabel}}"\
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ function MdAutocomplete () {
                 ng-model="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.scope.searchText"\
                 ng-keydown="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.keydown($event)"\
                 ng-blur="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.blur()"\
-                ng-focus="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.focus()"\
+                ng-focus="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.focus($event)"\
                 placeholder="{{placeholder}}"\
                 aria-owns="ul-{{$mdAutocompleteCtrl.id}}"\
                 ' + (attr.mdSelectOnFocus != null ? 'md-select-on-focus=""' : '') + '\
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ function MdAutocomplete () {
                 type="button"\
                 tabindex="-1"\
                 ng-if="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.scope.searchText && !$mdAutocompleteCtrl.isDisabled"\
-                ng-click="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.clear()">\
+                ng-click="$mdAutocompleteCtrl.clear($event)">\
               <md-icon md-svg-icon="md-close"></md-icon>\
               <span class="_md-visually-hidden">Clear</span>\
             </button>\
diff --git a/src/components/showHide/showHide.js b/src/components/showHide/showHide.js
index d6270cf6cc..0d5e363dc4 100644
--- a/src/components/showHide/showHide.js
+++ b/src/components/showHide/showHide.js
@@ -22,12 +22,19 @@ function createDirective(name, targetValue) {
         var unregister = $scope.$on('$md-resize-enable', function() {
           unregister();
 
+          var cachedTransitionStyles = window.getComputedStyle($element[0]);
+
           $scope.$watch($attr[name], function(value) {
             if (!!value === targetValue) {
               $mdUtil.nextTick(function() {
                 $scope.$broadcast('$md-resize');
               });
-              $mdUtil.dom.animator.waitTransitionEnd($element).then(function() {
+
+              var opts = {
+                cachedTransitionStyles: cachedTransitionStyles
+              };
+
+              $mdUtil.dom.animator.waitTransitionEnd($element, opts).then(function() {
                 $scope.$broadcast('$md-resize');
               });
             }
diff --git a/src/components/virtualRepeat/virtual-repeater.js b/src/components/virtualRepeat/virtual-repeater.js
index e60b737971..70b941b508 100644
--- a/src/components/virtualRepeat/virtual-repeater.js
+++ b/src/components/virtualRepeat/virtual-repeater.js
@@ -612,6 +612,10 @@ VirtualRepeatController.prototype.repeatListExpression_ = function(scope) {
 VirtualRepeatController.prototype.containerUpdated = function() {
   // If itemSize is unknown, attempt to measure it.
   if (!this.itemSize) {
+    // Make sure to clean up watchers if we can (see #8178)
+    if(this.unwatchItemSize_ && this.unwatchItemSize_ !== angular.noop){
+      this.unwatchItemSize_();
+    }
     this.unwatchItemSize_ = this.$scope.$watchCollection(
         this.repeatListExpression,
         angular.bind(this, function(items) {
diff --git a/src/core/util/animation/animate.js b/src/core/util/animation/animate.js
index 63578d7197..c737e9db46 100644
--- a/src/core/util/animation/animate.js
+++ b/src/core/util/animation/animate.js
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ function AnimateDomUtils($mdUtil, $q, $timeout, $mdConstant, $animateCss) {
       return $q(function(resolve, reject){
         opts = opts || { };
 
+        // If there is no transition is found, resolve immediately
+        //
+        // NOTE: using $mdUtil.nextTick() causes delays/issues
+        if (noTransitionFound(opts.cachedTransitionStyles)) {
+          TIMEOUT = 0;
+        }
+
         var timer = $timeout(finished, opts.timeout || TIMEOUT);
         element.on($mdConstant.CSS.TRANSITIONEND, finished);
 
@@ -74,6 +81,20 @@ function AnimateDomUtils($mdUtil, $q, $timeout, $mdConstant, $animateCss) {
 
         }
 
+        /**
+         * Checks whether or not there is a transition.
+         *
+         * @param styles The cached styles to use for the calculation. If null, getComputedStyle()
+         * will be used.
+         *
+         * @returns {boolean} True if there is no transition/duration; false otherwise.
+         */
+        function noTransitionFound(styles) {
+          styles = styles || window.getComputedStyle(element[0]);
+
+          return styles.transitionDuration == '0s' || (!styles.transition && !styles.transitionProperty);
+        }
+
       });
     },