diff --git a/src/lib/select/select-animations.ts b/src/lib/select/select-animations.ts
index e9b1d33c487..ce3e24c67b8 100644
--- a/src/lib/select/select-animations.ts
+++ b/src/lib/select/select-animations.ts
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ export const transformPanel: AnimationEntryMetadata = trigger('transformPanel',
       width: '100%',
       transform: `translate3d(0, 0, 0) scaleY(0)`
     }),
-    animate(`150ms cubic-bezier(0.55, 0, 0.55, 0.2)`)
+    animate(`150ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.8, 0.25, 1)`)
   ]),
   transition('* => void', [
-    animate('250ms linear', style({opacity: 0}))
+    animate('250ms 100ms linear', style({opacity: 0}))
   ])
 ]);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/select/select.ts b/src/lib/select/select.ts
index b081e82ed7b..b00d76d6249 100644
--- a/src/lib/select/select.ts
+++ b/src/lib/select/select.ts
@@ -105,9 +105,10 @@ export class MdSelect implements AfterContentInit, OnDestroy {
     this._panelOpen = true;
   }
 
-  /** Closes the overlay panel. */
+  /** Closes the overlay panel and focuses the host element. */
   close(): void {
     this._panelOpen = false;
+    this._focusHost();
   }
 
   /** Whether or not the overlay panel is open. */
@@ -152,13 +153,15 @@ export class MdSelect implements AfterContentInit, OnDestroy {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Emits an event and sets focus when overlay panel is finished animating. */
+  /**
+   * When the panel is finished animating, emits an event and focuses
+   * an option if the panel is open.
+   */
   _onPanelDone(): void {
     if (this.panelOpen) {
       this._focusCorrectOption();
       this.onOpen.emit();
     } else {
-      this._focusHost();
       this.onClose.emit();
     }
   }