diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/button.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/button.dart
index 6c187c27e0..73a45f6169 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/button.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/button.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
 import 'colors.dart';
+import 'constants.dart';
 import 'debug.dart';
 import 'ink_well.dart';
 import 'material.dart';
@@ -190,8 +191,9 @@ abstract class MaterialButtonState<T extends MaterialButton> extends State<T> {
         child: contents
       );
     } else {
-      contents = new DefaultTextStyle(
+      contents = new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
         style: style,
+        duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
         child: contents
       );
     }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer_item.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer_item.dart
index f89ccee664..fce098995f 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer_item.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer_item.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
 import 'colors.dart';
+import 'constants.dart';
 import 'debug.dart';
 import 'icon.dart';
 import 'icons.dart';
@@ -102,8 +103,9 @@ class DrawerItem extends StatelessWidget {
       new Flexible(
         child: new Padding(
           padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 16.0),
-          child: new DefaultTextStyle(
+          child: new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
             style: _getTextStyle(themeData),
+            duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
             child: child
           )
         )
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/list_item.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/list_item.dart
index d6a87123a7..a444050a06 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/list_item.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/list_item.dart
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
+import 'constants.dart';
 import 'debug.dart';
 import 'ink_well.dart';
 import 'theme.dart';
@@ -166,8 +167,9 @@ class ListItem extends StatelessWidget {
       ));
     }
 
-    final Widget primaryLine = new DefaultTextStyle(
+    final Widget primaryLine = new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
       style: _primaryTextStyle(context),
+      duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
       child: title ?? new Container()
     );
     Widget center = primaryLine;
@@ -177,8 +179,9 @@ class ListItem extends StatelessWidget {
         crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
         children: <Widget>[
           primaryLine,
-          new DefaultTextStyle(
+          new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
             style: _secondaryTextStyle(context),
+            duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
             child: subtitle
           )
         ]
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/material.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/material.dart
index 6c67f0b1e0..ebcdcfa57e 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/material.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/material.dart
@@ -202,8 +202,9 @@ class _MaterialState extends State<Material> {
     Color backgroundColor = _getBackgroundColor(context);
     Widget contents = config.child;
     if (contents != null) {
-      contents = new DefaultTextStyle(
+      contents = new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
         style: config.textStyle ?? Theme.of(context).textTheme.body1,
+        duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
         child: contents
       );
     }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
index 1c5546a828..7556fda46c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import 'dart:async';
 
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
+import 'constants.dart';
 import 'divider.dart';
 import 'icon.dart';
 import 'icons.dart';
@@ -90,8 +91,9 @@ class _PopupMenuItemState<T extends PopupMenuItem<dynamic>> extends State<T> {
     if (!config.enabled)
       style = style.copyWith(color: theme.disabledColor);
 
-    Widget item = new DefaultTextStyle(
+    Widget item = new AnimatedDefaultTextStyle(
       style: style,
+      duration: kThemeChangeDuration,
       child: new Baseline(
         baseline: config.height - _kBaselineOffsetFromBottom,
         child: buildChild()
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
index 7451a77c21..830c6bfb93 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
@@ -851,9 +851,9 @@ class _TabBarState<T> extends ScrollableState<TabBar<T>> implements TabBarSelect
       indicatorColor = Colors.white;
     }
 
-    TextStyle textStyle = themeData.primaryTextTheme.body2;
-    IconThemeData iconTheme = themeData.primaryIconTheme;
-    Color textColor = themeData.primaryTextTheme.body2.color.withAlpha(0xB2); // 70% alpha
+    final TextStyle textStyle = themeData.primaryTextTheme.body2;
+    final IconThemeData iconTheme = themeData.primaryIconTheme;
+    final Color textColor = themeData.primaryTextTheme.body2.color.withAlpha(0xB2); // 70% alpha
 
     List<Widget> tabs = <Widget>[];
     bool textAndIcons = false;
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/implicit_animations.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/implicit_animations.dart
index 1e7fc665f5..05ab2c935c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/implicit_animations.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/implicit_animations.dart
@@ -48,6 +48,16 @@ class Matrix4Tween extends Tween<Matrix4> {
   }
 }
 
+/// An interpolation between two [TextStyle]s.
+///
+/// This will not work well if the styles don't set the same fields.
+class TextStyleTween extends Tween<TextStyle> {
+  TextStyleTween({ TextStyle begin, TextStyle end }) : super(begin: begin, end: end);
+
+  @override
+  TextStyle lerp(double t) => TextStyle.lerp(begin, end, t);
+}
+
 /// An abstract widget for building widgets that gradually change their
 /// values over a period of time.
 abstract class ImplicitlyAnimatedWidget extends StatefulWidget {
@@ -504,3 +514,55 @@ class _AnimatedOpacityState extends AnimatedWidgetBaseState<AnimatedOpacity> {
     );
   }
 }
+
+/// Animated version of [DefaultTextStyle] which automatically
+/// transitions the default text style (the text style to apply to
+/// descendant [Text] widgets without explicit style) over a given
+/// duration whenever the given style changes.
+class AnimatedDefaultTextStyle extends ImplicitlyAnimatedWidget {
+  AnimatedDefaultTextStyle({
+    Key key,
+    this.child,
+    this.style,
+    Curve curve: Curves.linear,
+    Duration duration
+  }) : super(key: key, curve: curve, duration: duration) {
+    assert(style != null);
+    assert(child != null);
+  }
+
+  /// The widget below this widget in the tree.
+  final Widget child;
+
+  /// The target text style.
+  ///
+  /// The text style must not be null.
+  final TextStyle style;
+
+  @override
+  _AnimatedDefaultTextStyleState createState() => new _AnimatedDefaultTextStyleState();
+
+  @override
+  void debugFillDescription(List<String> description) {
+    super.debugFillDescription(description);
+    '$style'.split('\n').forEach(description.add);
+  }
+}
+
+class _AnimatedDefaultTextStyleState extends AnimatedWidgetBaseState<AnimatedDefaultTextStyle> {
+  TextStyleTween _style;
+
+  @override
+  void forEachTween(TweenVisitor<dynamic> visitor) {
+    // TODO(ianh): Use constructor tear-offs when it becomes possible
+    _style = visitor(_style, config.style, (dynamic value) => new TextStyleTween(begin: value));
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    return new DefaultTextStyle(
+      style: _style.evaluate(animation),
+      child: config.child
+    );
+  }
+}