diff --git a/src/components/popover/popover-component.ts b/src/components/popover/popover-component.ts
index 8511564b2ab..6a7b4e53eae 100644
--- a/src/components/popover/popover-component.ts
+++ b/src/components/popover/popover-component.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ import { ViewController } from '../nav/view-controller';
 export class PopoverCmp {
   @ViewChild('viewport', {read: ViewContainerRef}) viewport: ViewContainerRef;
 
-  private d: any;
+  private d: {
+    cssClass?: string;
+    showBackdrop?: boolean;
+    enableBackdropDismiss?: boolean;
+  };
   private enabled: boolean;
   private id: number;
   private showSpinner: boolean;
@@ -50,7 +54,10 @@ export class PopoverCmp {
     this.d = _navParams.data.opts;
 
     if (this.d.cssClass) {
-      _renderer.setElementClass(_elementRef.nativeElement, this.d.cssClass, true);
+      this.d.cssClass.split(' ').forEach(cssClass => {
+        // Make sure the class isn't whitespace, otherwise it throws exceptions
+        if (cssClass.trim() !== '') _renderer.setElementClass(_elementRef.nativeElement, cssClass, true);
+      });
     }
 
     this.id = (++popoverIds);
diff --git a/src/components/popover/test/basic/index.ts b/src/components/popover/test/basic/index.ts
index cd70dc4b291..ad99dcc6132 100644
--- a/src/components/popover/test/basic/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/popover/test/basic/index.ts
@@ -189,7 +189,9 @@ class E2EPage {
   }
 
   presentLongListPopover(ev: UIEvent) {
-    let popover = this.popoverCtrl.create(PopoverLongListPage);
+    let popover = this.popoverCtrl.create(PopoverLongListPage, {}, {
+      cssClass: 'my-popover popover-class'
+    });
     popover.present({
       ev: ev
     });