diff --git a/angularFiles.js b/angularFiles.js
index d5cd891c9240..f40b03ec241c 100755
--- a/angularFiles.js
+++ b/angularFiles.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ var angularFiles = {
 
     'src/ng/anchorScroll.js',
     'src/ng/animate.js',
+    'src/ng/animateCss.js',
     'src/ng/browser.js',
     'src/ng/cacheFactory.js',
     'src/ng/compile.js',
diff --git a/src/AngularPublic.js b/src/AngularPublic.js
index 78901de03cda..c12403838bfe 100644
--- a/src/AngularPublic.js
+++ b/src/AngularPublic.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 
   $AnchorScrollProvider,
   $AnimateProvider,
+  $CoreAnimateCssProvider,
   $$CoreAnimateQueueProvider,
   $$CoreAnimateRunnerProvider,
   $BrowserProvider,
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ function publishExternalAPI(angular) {
       $provide.provider({
         $anchorScroll: $AnchorScrollProvider,
         $animate: $AnimateProvider,
+        $animateCss: $CoreAnimateCssProvider,
         $$animateQueue: $$CoreAnimateQueueProvider,
         $$AnimateRunner: $$CoreAnimateRunnerProvider,
         $browser: $BrowserProvider,
diff --git a/src/ng/animateCss.js b/src/ng/animateCss.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3da66f3d1def
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ng/animateCss.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * @ngdoc service
+ * @name $animateCss
+ * @kind object
+ *
+ * @description
+ * This is the core version of `$animateCss`. By default, only when the `ngAnimate` is included,
+ * then the `$animateCss` service will actually perform animations.
+ *
+ * Click here {@link ngAnimate.$animateCss to read the documentation for $animateCss}.
+ */
+var $CoreAnimateCssProvider = function() {
+  this.$get = ['$$rAF', '$q', function($$rAF, $q) {
+
+    var RAFPromise = function() {};
+    RAFPromise.prototype = {
+      done: function(cancel) {
+        this.defer && this.defer[cancel === true ? 'reject' : 'resolve']();
+      },
+      end: function() {
+        this.done();
+      },
+      cancel: function() {
+        this.done(true);
+      },
+      getPromise: function() {
+        if (!this.defer) {
+          this.defer = $q.defer();
+        }
+        return this.defer.promise;
+      },
+      then: function(f1,f2) {
+        return this.getPromise().then(f1,f2);
+      },
+      'catch': function(f1) {
+        return this.getPromise().catch(f1);
+      },
+      'finally': function(f1) {
+        return this.getPromise().finally(f1);
+      }
+    };
+
+    return function(element, options) {
+      if (options.from) {
+        element.css(options.from);
+        options.from = null;
+      }
+
+      var closed, runner = new RAFPromise();
+      return {
+        start: run,
+        end: run
+      };
+
+      function run() {
+        $$rAF(function() {
+          close();
+          if (!closed) {
+            runner.done();
+          }
+          closed = true;
+        });
+        return runner;
+      }
+
+      function close() {
+        if (options.addClass) {
+          element.addClass(options.addClass);
+          options.addClass = null;
+        }
+        if (options.removeClass) {
+          element.removeClass(options.removeClass);
+          options.removeClass = null;
+        }
+        if (options.to) {
+          element.css(options.to);
+          options.to = null;
+        }
+      }
+    };
+  }];
+};
diff --git a/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js b/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..52b697ba2834
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ng/animateCssSpec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+'use strict';
+
+describe("$animateCss", function() {
+
+  var triggerRAF, element;
+  beforeEach(inject(function($$rAF, $rootElement, $document) {
+    triggerRAF = function() {
+      $$rAF.flush();
+    };
+
+    var body = jqLite($document[0].body);
+    element = jqLite('<div></div>');
+    $rootElement.append(element);
+    body.append($rootElement);
+  }));
+
+  describe("without animation", function() {
+
+    it("should apply the provided [from] CSS to the element", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      $animateCss(element, { from: { height: '50px' }}).start();
+      expect(element.css('height')).toBe('50px');
+    }));
+
+    it("should apply the provided [to] CSS to the element after the first frame", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      $animateCss(element, { to: { width: '50px' }}).start();
+      expect(element.css('width')).not.toBe('50px');
+      triggerRAF();
+      expect(element.css('width')).toBe('50px');
+    }));
+
+    it("should apply the provided [addClass] CSS classes to the element after the first frame", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'golden man' }).start();
+      expect(element).not.toHaveClass('golden man');
+      triggerRAF();
+      expect(element).toHaveClass('golden man');
+    }));
+
+    it("should apply the provided [removeClass] CSS classes to the element after the first frame", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      element.addClass('silver');
+      $animateCss(element, { removeClass: 'silver dude' }).start();
+      expect(element).toHaveClass('silver');
+      triggerRAF();
+      expect(element).not.toHaveClass('silver');
+    }));
+
+    it("should return an animator with a start method which returns a promise", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      var promise = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).start();
+      expect(isPromiseLike(promise)).toBe(true);
+    }));
+
+    it("should return an animator with an end method which returns a promise", inject(function($animateCss) {
+      var promise = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).end();
+      expect(isPromiseLike(promise)).toBe(true);
+    }));
+
+    it("should only resolve the promise once both a digest and RAF have passed after start",
+      inject(function($animateCss, $rootScope) {
+
+      var doneSpy = jasmine.createSpy();
+      var runner = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).start();
+
+      runner.then(doneSpy);
+      expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      triggerRAF();
+      expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect(doneSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }));
+
+    it("should resolve immediately if runner.end() is called",
+      inject(function($animateCss, $rootScope) {
+
+      var doneSpy = jasmine.createSpy();
+      var runner = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).start();
+
+      runner.then(doneSpy);
+      runner.end();
+      expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect(doneSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }));
+
+    it("should reject immediately if runner.end() is called",
+      inject(function($animateCss, $rootScope) {
+
+      var cancelSpy = jasmine.createSpy();
+      var runner = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).start();
+
+      runner.catch(cancelSpy);
+      runner.cancel();
+      expect(cancelSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect(cancelSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }));
+
+    it("should not resolve after the next frame if the runner has already been cancelled",
+      inject(function($animateCss, $rootScope) {
+
+      var doneSpy = jasmine.createSpy();
+      var cancelSpy = jasmine.createSpy();
+      var runner = $animateCss(element, { addClass: 'cool' }).start();
+
+      runner.then(doneSpy, cancelSpy);
+      runner.cancel();
+
+      $rootScope.$digest();
+      expect(cancelSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      triggerRAF();
+      expect(cancelSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(doneSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }));
+  });
+
+});