diff --git a/sdk/lib/framework/components2/tool_bar.dart b/sdk/lib/framework/components2/tool_bar.dart
index ea5dec223a4..a4df2eb8a32 100644
--- a/sdk/lib/framework/components2/tool_bar.dart
+++ b/sdk/lib/framework/components2/tool_bar.dart
@@ -35,15 +35,11 @@ class ToolBar extends Component {
     if (right != null)
       children.addAll(right);
 
-    // TODO(hansmuller): use align-items:flex-end when Flex supports it.
-    UINode bottomJustifiedChild = new Flex([
-        new Container(child: new Flex(children), height: kToolBarHeight)
-      ],
-      direction: FlexDirection.vertical,
-      justifyContent: FlexJustifyContent.flexEnd);
-
     return new Container(
-      child: bottomJustifiedChild,
+      child: new Flex(
+        [new Container(child: new Flex(children), height: kToolBarHeight)],
+        alignItems: FlexAlignItems.flexEnd
+      ),
       padding: new EdgeDims.symmetric(horizontal: 8.0),
       decoration: new BoxDecoration(
         backgroundColor: backgroundColor,
diff --git a/sdk/lib/framework/fn2.dart b/sdk/lib/framework/fn2.dart
index 1045eaf290e..32b05ab2a70 100644
--- a/sdk/lib/framework/fn2.dart
+++ b/sdk/lib/framework/fn2.dart
@@ -787,7 +787,8 @@ class Flex extends MultiChildRenderObjectWrapper {
   Flex(List<UINode> children, {
     Object key,
     this.direction: FlexDirection.horizontal,
-    this.justifyContent: FlexJustifyContent.flexStart
+    this.justifyContent: FlexJustifyContent.flexStart,
+    this.alignItems: FlexAlignItems.center
   }) : super(key: key, children: children);
 
   RenderFlex get root { RenderFlex result = super.root; return result; }
@@ -795,11 +796,13 @@ class Flex extends MultiChildRenderObjectWrapper {
 
   final FlexDirection direction;
   final FlexJustifyContent justifyContent;
+  final FlexAlignItems alignItems;
 
   void syncRenderObject(UINode old) {
     super.syncRenderObject(old);
     root.direction = direction;
     root.justifyContent = justifyContent;
+    root.alignItems = alignItems;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/sdk/lib/framework/rendering/flex.dart b/sdk/lib/framework/rendering/flex.dart
index 4def9d2d094..dc08cd73dc0 100644
--- a/sdk/lib/framework/rendering/flex.dart
+++ b/sdk/lib/framework/rendering/flex.dart
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class FlexBoxParentData extends BoxParentData with ContainerParentDataMixin<Rend
 }
 
 enum FlexDirection { horizontal, vertical }
+
 enum FlexJustifyContent {
   flexStart,
   flexEnd,
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ enum FlexJustifyContent {
   spaceAround,
 }
 
+enum FlexAlignItems {
+  flexStart,
+  flexEnd,
+  center,
+}
+
 typedef double _ChildSizingFunction(RenderBox child, BoxConstraints constraints);
 
 class RenderFlex extends RenderBox with ContainerRenderObjectMixin<RenderBox, FlexBoxParentData>,
@@ -35,8 +42,9 @@ class RenderFlex extends RenderBox with ContainerRenderObjectMixin<RenderBox, Fl
 
   RenderFlex({
     FlexDirection direction: FlexDirection.horizontal,
-    FlexJustifyContent justifyContent: FlexJustifyContent.flexStart
-  }) : _direction = direction, _justifyContent = justifyContent;
+    FlexJustifyContent justifyContent: FlexJustifyContent.flexStart,
+    FlexAlignItems alignItems: FlexAlignItems.center
+  }) : _direction = direction, _justifyContent = justifyContent, _alignItems = alignItems;
 
   FlexDirection _direction;
   FlexDirection get direction => _direction;
@@ -56,6 +64,15 @@ class RenderFlex extends RenderBox with ContainerRenderObjectMixin<RenderBox, Fl
     }
   }
 
+  FlexAlignItems _alignItems;
+  FlexAlignItems get alignItems => _alignItems;
+  void set alignItems (FlexAlignItems value) {
+    if (_alignItems != value) {
+      _alignItems = value;
+      markNeedsLayout();
+    }
+  }
+
   void setParentData(RenderBox child) {
     if (child.parentData is! FlexBoxParentData)
       child.parentData = new FlexBoxParentData();
@@ -334,7 +351,18 @@ class RenderFlex extends RenderBox with ContainerRenderObjectMixin<RenderBox, Fl
     double childMainPosition = leadingSpace;
     child = firstChild;
     while (child != null) {
-      double childCrossPosition = crossSize / 2.0 - _getCrossSize(child) / 2.0;
+      double childCrossPosition;
+      switch (_alignItems) {
+        case FlexAlignItems.flexStart:
+          childCrossPosition = 0.0;
+          break;
+        case FlexAlignItems.flexEnd:
+          childCrossPosition = crossSize - _getCrossSize(child);
+          break;
+        case FlexAlignItems.center:
+          childCrossPosition = crossSize / 2.0 - _getCrossSize(child) / 2.0;
+          break;
+      }
       switch (_direction) {
         case FlexDirection.horizontal:
           child.parentData.position = new Point(childMainPosition, childCrossPosition);