diff --git a/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroup.js b/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroup.js
index 2e4190c729..dd481eef6b 100644
--- a/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroup.js
+++ b/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroup.js
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ var ReactCSSTransitionGroup = React.createClass({
 
   propTypes: {
     transitionName: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    transitionAppear: React.PropTypes.bool,
     transitionEnter: React.PropTypes.bool,
     transitionLeave: React.PropTypes.bool
   },
 
   getDefaultProps: function() {
     return {
+      transitionAppear: false,
       transitionEnter: true,
       transitionLeave: true
     };
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ var ReactCSSTransitionGroup = React.createClass({
     return ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild(
       {
         name: this.props.transitionName,
+        appear: this.props.transitionAppear,
         enter: this.props.transitionEnter,
         leave: this.props.transitionLeave
       },
diff --git a/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild.js b/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild.js
index 3feb6c78dd..6bdcf90e16 100644
--- a/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild.js
+++ b/src/addons/transitions/ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild.js
@@ -107,6 +107,14 @@ var ReactCSSTransitionGroupChild = React.createClass({
     }
   },
 
+  componentWillAppear: function(done) {
+    if (this.props.appear) {
+      this.transition('appear', done);
+    } else {
+      done();
+    }
+  },
+
   componentWillEnter: function(done) {
     if (this.props.enter) {
       this.transition('enter', done);
diff --git a/src/addons/transitions/ReactTransitionGroup.js b/src/addons/transitions/ReactTransitionGroup.js
index ce967cff4c..80296e4e48 100644
--- a/src/addons/transitions/ReactTransitionGroup.js
+++ b/src/addons/transitions/ReactTransitionGroup.js
@@ -39,6 +39,21 @@ var ReactTransitionGroup = React.createClass({
     };
   },
 
+  componentWillMount: function() {
+    this.currentlyTransitioningKeys = {};
+    this.keysToEnter = [];
+    this.keysToLeave = [];
+  },
+
+  componentDidMount: function() {
+    var initialChildMapping = this.state.children;
+    for (var key in initialChildMapping) {
+      if (initialChildMapping[key]) {
+        this.performAppear(key);
+      }
+    }
+  },
+
   componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
     var nextChildMapping = ReactTransitionChildMapping.getChildMapping(
       nextProps.children
@@ -73,12 +88,6 @@ var ReactTransitionGroup = React.createClass({
     // If we want to someday check for reordering, we could do it here.
   },
 
-  componentWillMount: function() {
-    this.currentlyTransitioningKeys = {};
-    this.keysToEnter = [];
-    this.keysToLeave = [];
-  },
-
   componentDidUpdate: function() {
     var keysToEnter = this.keysToEnter;
     this.keysToEnter = [];
@@ -89,6 +98,38 @@ var ReactTransitionGroup = React.createClass({
     keysToLeave.forEach(this.performLeave);
   },
 
+  performAppear: function(key) {
+    this.currentlyTransitioningKeys[key] = true;
+
+    var component = this.refs[key];
+
+    if (component.componentWillAppear) {
+      component.componentWillAppear(
+        this._handleDoneAppearing.bind(this, key)
+      );
+    } else {
+      this._handleDoneAppearing(key);
+    }
+  },
+
+  _handleDoneAppearing: function(key) {
+    var component = this.refs[key];
+    if (component.componentDidAppear) {
+      component.componentDidAppear();
+    }
+
+    delete this.currentlyTransitioningKeys[key];
+
+    var currentChildMapping = ReactTransitionChildMapping.getChildMapping(
+      this.props.children
+    );
+
+    if (!currentChildMapping || !currentChildMapping.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
+      // This was removed before it had fully appeared. Remove it.
+      this.performLeave(key);
+    }
+  },
+
   performEnter: function(key) {
     this.currentlyTransitioningKeys[key] = true;
 
diff --git a/src/addons/transitions/__tests__/ReactTransitionGroup-test.js b/src/addons/transitions/__tests__/ReactTransitionGroup-test.js
index feddef8538..1a4b23fc25 100644
--- a/src/addons/transitions/__tests__/ReactTransitionGroup-test.js
+++ b/src/addons/transitions/__tests__/ReactTransitionGroup-test.js
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ describe('ReactTransitionGroup', function() {
       componentDidMount: function() {
         log.push('didMount');
       },
+      componentWillAppear: function(cb) {
+        log.push('willAppear');
+        cb();
+      },
+      componentDidAppear: function() {
+        log.push('didAppear');
+      },
       componentWillEnter: function(cb) {
         log.push('willEnter');
         cb();
@@ -72,15 +79,15 @@ describe('ReactTransitionGroup', function() {
     });
 
     var instance = React.render(<Component />, container);
-    expect(log).toEqual(['didMount']);
+    expect(log).toEqual(['didMount', 'willAppear', 'didAppear']);
 
+    log = [];
     instance.setState({count: 2}, function() {
-      expect(log).toEqual(['didMount', 'didMount', 'willEnter', 'didEnter']);
+      expect(log).toEqual(['didMount', 'willEnter', 'didEnter']);
+
+      log = [];
       instance.setState({count: 1}, function() {
-        expect(log).toEqual([
-          "didMount", "didMount", "willEnter", "didEnter",
-          "willLeave", "didLeave", "willUnmount"
-        ]);
+        expect(log).toEqual(['willLeave', 'didLeave', 'willUnmount']);
       });
     });
   });