diff --git a/src/cdk/testing/event-objects.ts b/src/cdk/testing/event-objects.ts
index bc2358786208..040794e20142 100644
--- a/src/cdk/testing/event-objects.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/testing/event-objects.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ export function createMouseEvent(type: string, x = 0, y = 0) {
     0, /* button */
     null /* relatedTarget */);
 
+  // `initMouseEvent` doesn't allow us to pass the `buttons` and
+  // defaults it to 0 which looks like a fake event.
+  Object.defineProperty(event, 'buttons', {get: () => 1});
+
   return event;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/core/BUILD.bazel b/src/lib/core/BUILD.bazel
index 5467e4086e96..3bcb70486bd8 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/src/lib/core/BUILD.bazel
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ ng_module(
     ":option/optgroup.css",
   ] + glob(["**/*.html"]),
   deps = [
+    "//src/cdk/a11y",
     "//src/cdk/bidi",
     "//src/cdk/coercion",
     "//src/cdk/keycodes",
diff --git a/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple-renderer.ts b/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple-renderer.ts
index bb29ddd85984..73aab9251623 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple-renderer.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple-renderer.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 import {ElementRef, NgZone} from '@angular/core';
 import {Platform, supportsPassiveEventListeners} from '@angular/cdk/platform';
+import {isFakeMousedownFromScreenReader} from '@angular/cdk/a11y';
 import {RippleRef, RippleState} from './ripple-ref';
 
 export type RippleConfig = {
@@ -246,10 +247,13 @@ export class RippleRenderer {
 
   /** Function being called whenever the trigger is being pressed using mouse. */
   private onMousedown = (event: MouseEvent) => {
+    // Screen readers will fire fake mouse events for space/enter. Skip launching a
+    // ripple in this case for consistency with the non-screen-reader experience.
+    const isFakeMousedown = isFakeMousedownFromScreenReader(event);
     const isSyntheticEvent = this._lastTouchStartEvent &&
         Date.now() < this._lastTouchStartEvent + ignoreMouseEventsTimeout;
 
-    if (!this._target.rippleDisabled && !isSyntheticEvent) {
+    if (!this._target.rippleDisabled && !isFakeMousedown && !isSyntheticEvent) {
       this._isPointerDown = true;
       this.fadeInRipple(event.clientX, event.clientY, this._target.rippleConfig);
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple.spec.ts b/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple.spec.ts
index c4b6f2c93a3a..a794b3ed7ff2 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/ripple/ripple.spec.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
-import {TestBed, ComponentFixture, fakeAsync, tick, inject} from '@angular/core/testing';
-import {Component, ViewChild} from '@angular/core';
 import {Platform} from '@angular/cdk/platform';
-import {dispatchMouseEvent, dispatchTouchEvent} from '@angular/cdk/testing';
-import {defaultRippleAnimationConfig, RippleAnimationConfig} from './ripple-renderer';
 import {
-  MatRipple, MatRippleModule, MAT_RIPPLE_GLOBAL_OPTIONS, RippleState, RippleGlobalOptions
-} from './index';
+  createMouseEvent,
+  dispatchEvent,
+  dispatchMouseEvent,
+  dispatchTouchEvent,
+} from '@angular/cdk/testing';
+import {Component, ViewChild} from '@angular/core';
+import {ComponentFixture, fakeAsync, inject, TestBed, tick} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {NoopAnimationsModule} from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
+import {
+  MAT_RIPPLE_GLOBAL_OPTIONS,
+  MatRipple,
+  MatRippleModule,
+  RippleGlobalOptions,
+  RippleState,
+} from './index';
+import {defaultRippleAnimationConfig, RippleAnimationConfig} from './ripple-renderer';
 
 /** Shorthands for the enter and exit duration of ripples. */
 const {enterDuration, exitDuration} = defaultRippleAnimationConfig;
@@ -135,6 +144,15 @@ describe('MatRipple', () => {
       expect(rippleTarget.querySelectorAll('.mat-ripple-element').length).toBe(0);
     }));
 
+    it('should ignore fake mouse events from screen readers', () => fakeAsync(() => {
+      const event = createMouseEvent('mousedown');
+      Object.defineProperty(event, 'buttons', {get: () => 0});
+
+      dispatchEvent(rippleTarget, event);
+      tick(enterDuration);
+      expect(rippleTarget.querySelector('.mat-ripple-element')).toBeFalsy();
+    }));
+
     it('removes ripple after timeout', fakeAsync(() => {
       dispatchMouseEvent(rippleTarget, 'mousedown');
       dispatchMouseEvent(rippleTarget, 'mouseup');