diff --git a/src/lib/progress-bar/_progress-bar-theme.scss b/src/lib/progress-bar/_progress-bar-theme.scss
index 5e6e01c74e7..89a701b2b89 100644
--- a/src/lib/progress-bar/_progress-bar-theme.scss
+++ b/src/lib/progress-bar/_progress-bar-theme.scss
@@ -7,50 +7,19 @@
   $accent: map-get($theme, accent);
   $warn: map-get($theme, warn);
 
-  // TODO(josephperrott): Find better way to inline svgs.
-  // In buffer mode a repeated SVG object is used as a background.
-  //  Each of the following defines the SVG object for each of the class defined colors.
-  //
-  //  Each string is a URL encoded version of:
-  //
-  //  <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
-  //       version="1.1" x="0px" y="0px" enable-background="new 0 0 5 2"
-  //       xml:space="preserve" viewBox="0 0 5 2" preserveAspectRatio="none slice">
-  //    <circle cx="1" cy="1" r="1" fill="{INJECTED_COLOR}"/>
-  //  </svg>
-  //
-  $buffer-bubbles-primary-url: url(
-    'data:image/svg+xml;charset=UTF-8,%3Csvg%20version%3D%271.1%27%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27' +
-    '%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%27%20x%3D%270px%27%20y%3D%270px%27%20enable-backgroun' +
-    'd%3D%27new%200%200%205%202%27%20xml%3Aspace%3D%27preserve%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%205%202%27%20preserveAspectRatio' +
-    '%3D%27none%20slice%27%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%271%27%20cy%3D%271%27%20r%3D%271%27%20fill%3D%27' +
-    md-color($primary, 100) + '%27%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E') !default;
-  $buffer-bubbles-accent-url: url(
-    'data:image/svg+xml;charset=UTF-8,%3Csvg%20version%3D%271.1%27%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27' +
-    '%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%27%20x%3D%270px%27%20y%3D%270px%27%20enable-backgroun' +
-    'd%3D%27new%200%200%205%202%27%20xml%3Aspace%3D%27preserve%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%205%202%27%20preserveAspectRatio' +
-    '%3D%27none%20slice%27%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%271%27%20cy%3D%271%27%20r%3D%271%27%20fill%3D%27' +
-    md-color($accent, 100) + '%27%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E') !default;
-  $buffer-bubbles-warn-url: url(
-    'data:image/svg+xml;charset=UTF-8,%3Csvg%20version%3D%271.1%27%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27' +
-    '%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%27%20x%3D%270px%27%20y%3D%270px%27%20enable-backgroun' +
-    'd%3D%27new%200%200%205%202%27%20xml%3Aspace%3D%27preserve%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%205%202%27%20preserveAspectRatio' +
-    '%3D%27none%20slice%27%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%271%27%20cy%3D%271%27%20r%3D%271%27%20fill%3D%27' +
-    md-color($warn, 100) + '%27%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E') !default;
-
   .md-progress-bar-background {
-    background: $buffer-bubbles-primary-url;
+    background: #{_md-progress-bar-buffer($primary, 100)};
   }
-  
+
   .md-progress-bar-buffer {
     background-color: md-color($primary, 100);
   }
-  
+
   md-progress-bar[color='accent'] {
     .md-progress-bar-background {
-      background: $buffer-bubbles-accent-url;
+      background: #{_md-progress-bar-buffer($accent, 100)};
     }
-    
+
     .md-progress-bar-buffer {
       background-color: md-color($accent, 100);
     }
@@ -58,12 +27,12 @@
       background-color: md-color($accent, 600);
     }
   }
-  
+
   md-progress-bar[color='warn'] {
     .md-progress-bar-background {
-      background: $buffer-bubbles-warn-url;
+      background: #{_md-progress-bar-buffer($warn, 100)};
     }
-    
+
     .md-progress-bar-buffer {
       background-color: md-color($warn, 100);
     }
@@ -76,3 +45,26 @@
     background-color: md-color($primary, 600);
   }
 }
+
+// TODO(josephperrott): Find better way to inline svgs.
+// In buffer mode a repeated SVG object is used as a background.
+//  Each of the following defines the SVG object for each of the class defined colors.
+//
+//  The string is a URL encoded version of:
+//
+//  <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+//       version="1.1" x="0px" y="0px" enable-background="new 0 0 5 2"
+//       xml:space="preserve" viewBox="0 0 5 2" preserveAspectRatio="none slice">
+//    <circle cx="1" cy="1" r="1" fill="{INJECTED_COLOR}"/>
+//  </svg>
+@function _md-progress-bar-buffer($palette, $hue) {
+ $result: '' +
+   'data:image/svg+xml;charset=UTF-8,%3Csvg%20version%3D%271.1%27%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2F' +
+   'www.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%2' +
+   '7%20x%3D%270px%27%20y%3D%270px%27%20enable-background%3D%27new%200%200%205%202%27%20xml%' +
+   '3Aspace%3D%27preserve%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%205%202%27%20preserveAspectRatio%3D%27none' +
+   '%20slice%27%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%271%27%20cy%3D%271%27%20r%3D%271%27%20fill%3D%27' +
+    md-color($palette, $hue) + '%27%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E';
+
+  @return url($result);
+}