diff --git a/src/components/input/input.html b/src/components/input/input.html
index 3303da2895b..f177fd3870a 100644
--- a/src/components/input/input.html
+++ b/src/components/input/input.html
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
              [type]="type"
              (focus)="onFocus()"
              (blur)="onBlur()"
-             [(ngModel)]="value">
+             [(ngModel)]="value"
+             (change)="onChange($event)">
 
       <label class="md-input-placeholder"
              [attr.for]="id"
diff --git a/src/components/input/input.spec.ts b/src/components/input/input.spec.ts
index ad61e8e307b..b70f6b7096a 100644
--- a/src/components/input/input.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/input/input.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  describe,
   it,
   expect,
   beforeEach,
@@ -215,9 +216,48 @@ export function main() {
           })();
         });
     }));
+
+    it('supports number types and conserved its value type from Angular', injectAsync([], () => {
+      return builder.createAsync(MdInputNumberTypeConservedTestComponent)
+        .then((fixture: ComponentFixture) => {
+          fixture.detectChanges();
+
+          const inputEl = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('input')).nativeElement;
+          inputEl.value = '3';
+
+          // Manually trigger an onchange event.
+          var evt = document.createEvent('HTMLEvents');
+          evt.initEvent('change', true, true);
+          inputEl.dispatchEvent(evt);
+
+          fixture.detectChanges();
+
+          // Something along the chain of events is asynchronous but does not use Zones, therefore
+          // we need to wait for that something to propagate. Using fakeAsync fails, just returning
+          // Promise.resolve(fixture) fails as well, but this passes.
+          return new Promise((resolve) => {
+            window.setTimeout(() => resolve(fixture), 0);
+          });
+        }).then((fixture: any) => {
+          expect(fixture.componentInstance.value).toBe(3);
+          expect(typeof fixture.componentInstance.value).toBe('number');
+        });
+    }));
   });
 }
 
+@Component({
+  selector: 'test-input-controller',
+  template: `
+    <md-input type="number" [(ngModel)]="value">
+    </md-input>
+  `,
+  directives: [MD_INPUT_DIRECTIVES]
+})
+class MdInputNumberTypeConservedTestComponent {
+  value: number = 0;
+}
+
 @Component({
   selector: 'test-input-controller',
   template: `
diff --git a/src/components/input/input.ts b/src/components/input/input.ts
index ada34c9a6d9..d3a1a00eff9 100644
--- a/src/components/input/input.ts
+++ b/src/components/input/input.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ export class MdInput implements ControlValueAccessor, AfterContentInit, OnChange
 
   get value(): any { return this._value; };
   @Input() set value(v: any) {
+    v = this._convertValueForInputType(v);
     if (v !== this._value) {
       this._value = v;
       this._onChangeCallback(v);
@@ -163,6 +164,11 @@ export class MdInput implements ControlValueAccessor, AfterContentInit, OnChange
     this._focused = false;
     this._onTouchedCallback();
   }
+  /** @internal */
+  onChange(ev: Event) {
+    this.value = (<HTMLInputElement>ev.target).value;
+    this._onTouchedCallback();
+  }
 
   /** @internal */
   hasPlaceholder(): boolean {
@@ -197,6 +203,19 @@ export class MdInput implements ControlValueAccessor, AfterContentInit, OnChange
     this._validateConstraints();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Convert the value passed in to a value that is expected from the type of the md-input.
+   * This is normally performed by the *_VALUE_ACCESSOR in forms, but since the type is bound
+   * on our internal input it won't work locally.
+   * @private
+   */
+  private _convertValueForInputType(v: any): any {
+    switch (this.type) {
+      case 'number': return parseFloat(v);
+      default: return v;
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Ensure that all constraints defined by the API are validated, or throw errors otherwise.
    * Constraints for now: