diff --git a/src/lib/core/overlay/position/viewport-ruler.ts b/src/lib/core/overlay/position/viewport-ruler.ts
index d39271f75411..2df3fe3ed5b0 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/overlay/position/viewport-ruler.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/overlay/position/viewport-ruler.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export class ViewportRuler {
     this._cacheViewportGeometry();
 
     // Subscribe to scroll and resize events and update the document rectangle on changes.
-    scrollDispatcher.scrolled().subscribe(() => this._cacheViewportGeometry());
+    scrollDispatcher.scrolled(null, () => this._cacheViewportGeometry());
   }
 
   /** Gets a ClientRect for the viewport's bounds. */
diff --git a/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.spec.ts b/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.spec.ts
index 77342af30f20..8b53de57666f 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.spec.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe('Scroll Dispatcher', () => {
       // Listen for notifications from scroll service with a throttle of 100ms
       const throttleTime = 100;
       let hasServiceScrollNotified = false;
-      scroll.scrolled(throttleTime).subscribe(() => { hasServiceScrollNotified = true; });
+      scroll.scrolled(throttleTime, () => { hasServiceScrollNotified = true; });
 
       // Emit a scroll event from the scrolling element in our component.
       // This event should be picked up by the scrollable directive and notify.
@@ -90,6 +90,29 @@ describe('Scroll Dispatcher', () => {
       expect(scrollableElementIds).toEqual(['scrollable-1', 'scrollable-1a']);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('lazy subscription', () => {
+    let scroll: ScrollDispatcher;
+
+    beforeEach(inject([ScrollDispatcher], (s: ScrollDispatcher) => {
+      scroll = s;
+    }));
+
+    it('should lazily add global listeners as service subscriptions are added and removed', () => {
+      expect(scroll._globalSubscription).toBeNull('Expected no global listeners on init.');
+
+      const subscription = scroll.scrolled(0, () => {});
+
+      expect(scroll._globalSubscription).toBeTruthy(
+          'Expected global listeners after a subscription has been added.');
+
+      subscription.unsubscribe();
+
+      expect(scroll._globalSubscription).toBeNull(
+          'Expected global listeners to have been removed after the subscription has stopped.');
+    });
+
+  });
 });
 
 
diff --git a/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.ts b/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.ts
index 334ebabfa37e..8542aac102ac 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/overlay/scroll/scroll-dispatcher.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {Subject} from 'rxjs/Subject';
 import {Observable} from 'rxjs/Observable';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 import 'rxjs/add/observable/fromEvent';
+import 'rxjs/add/observable/merge';
 import 'rxjs/add/operator/auditTime';
 
 
@@ -19,18 +20,18 @@ export class ScrollDispatcher {
   /** Subject for notifying that a registered scrollable reference element has been scrolled. */
   _scrolled: Subject<void> = new Subject<void>();
 
+  /** Keeps track of the global `scroll` and `resize` subscriptions. */
+  _globalSubscription: Subscription = null;
+
+  /** Keeps track of the amount of subscriptions to `scrolled`. Used for cleaning up afterwards. */
+  private _scrolledCount = 0;
+
   /**
    * Map of all the scrollable references that are registered with the service and their
    * scroll event subscriptions.
    */
   scrollableReferences: Map<Scrollable, Subscription> = new Map();
 
-  constructor() {
-    // By default, notify a scroll event when the document is scrolled or the window is resized.
-    Observable.fromEvent(window.document, 'scroll').subscribe(() => this._notify());
-    Observable.fromEvent(window, 'resize').subscribe(() => this._notify());
-  }
-
   /**
    * Registers a Scrollable with the service and listens for its scrolled events. When the
    * scrollable is scrolled, the service emits the event in its scrolled observable.
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export class ScrollDispatcher {
    */
   register(scrollable: Scrollable): void {
     const scrollSubscription = scrollable.elementScrolled().subscribe(() => this._notify());
+
     this.scrollableReferences.set(scrollable, scrollSubscription);
   }
 
@@ -53,18 +55,36 @@ export class ScrollDispatcher {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns an observable that emits an event whenever any of the registered Scrollable
+   * Subscribes to an observable that emits an event whenever any of the registered Scrollable
    * references (or window, document, or body) fire a scrolled event. Can provide a time in ms
    * to override the default "throttle" time.
    */
-  scrolled(auditTimeInMs: number = DEFAULT_SCROLL_TIME): Observable<void> {
-    // In the case of a 0ms delay, return the observable without auditTime since it does add
-    // a perceptible delay in processing overhead.
-    if (auditTimeInMs == 0) {
-      return this._scrolled.asObservable();
+  scrolled(auditTimeInMs: number = DEFAULT_SCROLL_TIME, callback: () => any): Subscription {
+    // In the case of a 0ms delay, use an observable without auditTime
+    // since it does add a perceptible delay in processing overhead.
+    let observable = auditTimeInMs > 0 ?
+      this._scrolled.asObservable().auditTime(auditTimeInMs) :
+      this._scrolled.asObservable();
+
+    this._scrolledCount++;
+
+    if (!this._globalSubscription) {
+      this._globalSubscription = Observable.merge(
+        Observable.fromEvent(window.document, 'scroll'),
+        Observable.fromEvent(window, 'resize')
+      ).subscribe(() => this._notify());
     }
 
-    return this._scrolled.asObservable().auditTime(auditTimeInMs);
+    // Note that we need to do the subscribing from here, in order to be able to remove
+    // the global event listeners once there are no more subscriptions.
+    return observable.subscribe(callback).add(() => {
+      this._scrolledCount--;
+
+      if (this._globalSubscription && !this.scrollableReferences.size && !this._scrolledCount) {
+        this._globalSubscription.unsubscribe();
+        this._globalSubscription = null;
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   /** Returns all registered Scrollables that contain the provided element. */
diff --git a/src/lib/tooltip/tooltip.ts b/src/lib/tooltip/tooltip.ts
index fc621826beaf..e146c4540655 100644
--- a/src/lib/tooltip/tooltip.ts
+++ b/src/lib/tooltip/tooltip.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export class MdTooltip implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   ngOnInit() {
     // When a scroll on the page occurs, update the position in case this tooltip needs
     // to be repositioned.
-    this.scrollSubscription = this._scrollDispatcher.scrolled(SCROLL_THROTTLE_MS).subscribe(() => {
+    this.scrollSubscription = this._scrollDispatcher.scrolled(SCROLL_THROTTLE_MS, () => {
       if (this._overlayRef) {
         this._overlayRef.updatePosition();
       }