diff --git a/src/components/calendar/calendar.js b/src/components/calendar/calendar.js
index 8652913aeca..fda1ba1535e 100644
--- a/src/components/calendar/calendar.js
+++ b/src/components/calendar/calendar.js
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
   function calendarDirective() {
     return {
       template:
-          //'<input class="md-calendar-focus-holder" tabindex="-1">' +
           '<table aria-hidden="true" class="md-calendar-day-header"><thead></thead></table>' +
           '<div aria-hidden="true" class="md-calendar-scroll-mask">' +
             '<md-virtual-repeat-container class="md-calendar-scroll-container">' +
@@ -282,20 +281,22 @@
 
       // Selection isn't occuring, so the key event is either navigation or nothing.
       var date = self.getFocusDateFromKeyEvent(event);
-      event.preventDefault();
+      if (date) {
+        event.preventDefault();
 
-      // Since this is a keyboard interaction, actually give the newly focused date keyboard
-      // focus after the been brought into view.
-      self.changeDisplayDate(date).then(function() {
-        self.focus(date);
-      });
+        // Since this is a keyboard interaction, actually give the newly focused date keyboard
+        // focus after the been brought into view.
+        self.changeDisplayDate(date).then(function () {
+          self.focus(date);
+        });
+      }
     });
   };
 
   /**
    * Gets the date to focus as the result of a key event.
    * @param {KeyboardEvent} event
-   * @returns {Date}
+   * @returns {Date} Date to navigate to, or null if the key does not match a calendar shortcut.
    */
   CalendarCtrl.prototype.getFocusDateFromKeyEvent = function(event) {
     var dateUtil = this.dateUtil;
@@ -316,7 +317,7 @@
       case keyCode.PAGE_UP: return dateUtil.incrementMonths(this.displayDate, -1);
       case keyCode.HOME: return dateUtil.getFirstDateOfMonth(this.displayDate);
       case keyCode.END: return dateUtil.getLastDateOfMonth(this.displayDate);
-      default: return this.displayDate;
+      default: return null;
     }
   };
 
@@ -356,16 +357,21 @@
    * @param {Date=} opt_date
    */
   CalendarCtrl.prototype.focus = function(opt_date) {
+    var date = opt_date || this.selectedDate;
+
     //this.$element[0].querySelector('.md-calendar-focus-holder').focus();
     this.$element[0].focus();
-    this.announceDisplayDateChange(null, opt_date);
+
+    if (!opt_date) {
+      this.announceDisplayDateChange(null, date);
+    }
 
     var previousFocus = this.calendarElement.querySelector('.md-focus');
     if (previousFocus) {
       previousFocus.classList.remove('md-focus');
     }
 
-    var date = opt_date || this.selectedDate;
+
     var cellId = this.getDateId(date);
     var cell = this.calendarElement.querySelector('#' + cellId);
     if (cell) {
@@ -425,7 +431,7 @@
       return this.$q.when();
     }
 
-    // WORK IN PROGRESS: do nothing if animation is in progress.
+    // Do nothing if animation is in progress.
     if (this.isMonthTransitionInProgress) {
       return this.$q.when();
     }
diff --git a/src/components/calendar/dateLocaleProvider.js b/src/components/calendar/dateLocaleProvider.js
index d2162e0df3d..59f8e6565ec 100644
--- a/src/components/calendar/dateLocaleProvider.js
+++ b/src/components/calendar/dateLocaleProvider.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
      * @param $locale
      * @returns {DateLocale}
      */
-    DateLocaleProvider.prototype.$get = function($locale, $filter) {
+    DateLocaleProvider.prototype.$get = function($locale) {
       /**
        * Default date-to-string formatting function.
        * @param {!Date} date
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
        */
       function defaultShortAnnounceFormatter(date) {
         // Example: 'Tuesday 12'
-        return $filter('date')(date, 'EEEE d');
+        return service.days[date.getDay()] + ' ' + service.dates[date.getDate()];
       }
 
       /**
@@ -121,7 +121,12 @@
        */
       function defaultLongAnnounceFormatter(date) {
         // Example: 'Thursday June 18 2015'
-        return $filter('date')(date, 'fulldate');
+        return [
+          service.days[date.getDay()],
+          service.months[date.getMonth()],
+          service.dates[date.getDate()],
+          date.getFullYear()
+        ].join(' ');
       }
 
       // The default "short" day strings are the first character of each day,