diff --git a/packages/core/src/debug/debug_node.ts b/packages/core/src/debug/debug_node.ts
index a26a49c5c1..c204f8ef70 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/debug/debug_node.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/debug/debug_node.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {TStylingContext} from '../render3/styling_next/interfaces';
 import {stylingMapToStringMap} from '../render3/styling_next/map_based_bindings';
 import {NodeStylingDebug} from '../render3/styling_next/styling_debug';
 import {isStylingContext} from '../render3/styling_next/util';
-import {getComponent, getContext, getInjectionTokens, getInjector, getListeners, getLocalRefs, isBrowserEvents, loadLContext, loadLContextFromNode} from '../render3/util/discovery_utils';
+import {getComponent, getContext, getInjectionTokens, getInjector, getListeners, getLocalRefs, isBrowserEvents, loadLContext} from '../render3/util/discovery_utils';
 import {INTERPOLATION_DELIMITER, isPropMetadataString, renderStringify} from '../render3/util/misc_utils';
 import {findComponentView} from '../render3/util/view_traversal_utils';
 import {getComponentViewByIndex, getNativeByTNodeOrNull} from '../render3/util/view_utils';
@@ -272,7 +272,11 @@ class DebugElement__POST_R3__ extends DebugNode__POST_R3__ implements DebugEleme
    *  - attribute bindings (e.g. `[attr.role]="menu"`)
    */
   get properties(): {[key: string]: any;} {
-    const context = loadLContext(this.nativeNode) !;
+    const context = loadLContext(this.nativeNode, false);
+    if (context == null) {
+      return {};
+    }
+
     const lView = context.lView;
     const tData = lView[TVIEW].data;
     const tNode = tData[context.nodeIndex] as TNode;
@@ -297,7 +301,11 @@ class DebugElement__POST_R3__ extends DebugNode__POST_R3__ implements DebugEleme
       return attributes;
     }
 
-    const context = loadLContext(element);
+    const context = loadLContext(element, false);
+    if (context == null) {
+      return {};
+    }
+
     const lView = context.lView;
     const tNodeAttrs = (lView[TVIEW].data[context.nodeIndex] as TNode).attrs;
     const lowercaseTNodeAttrs: string[] = [];
@@ -413,22 +421,23 @@ class DebugElement__POST_R3__ extends DebugNode__POST_R3__ implements DebugEleme
 }
 
 function _getStylingDebugInfo(element: any, isClassBased: boolean) {
-  if (element) {
-    const context = loadLContextFromNode(element);
-    const lView = context.lView;
-    const tData = lView[TVIEW].data;
-    const tNode = tData[context.nodeIndex] as TNode;
-    if (isClassBased) {
-      return isStylingContext(tNode.classes) ?
-          new NodeStylingDebug(tNode.classes as TStylingContext, lView, true).values :
-          stylingMapToStringMap(tNode.classes);
-    } else {
-      return isStylingContext(tNode.styles) ?
-          new NodeStylingDebug(tNode.styles as TStylingContext, lView, false).values :
-          stylingMapToStringMap(tNode.styles);
-    }
+  const context = loadLContext(element, false);
+  if (!context) {
+    return {};
+  }
+
+  const lView = context.lView;
+  const tData = lView[TVIEW].data;
+  const tNode = tData[context.nodeIndex] as TNode;
+  if (isClassBased) {
+    return isStylingContext(tNode.classes) ?
+        new NodeStylingDebug(tNode.classes as TStylingContext, lView, true).values :
+        stylingMapToStringMap(tNode.classes);
+  } else {
+    return isStylingContext(tNode.styles) ?
+        new NodeStylingDebug(tNode.styles as TStylingContext, lView, false).values :
+        stylingMapToStringMap(tNode.styles);
   }
-  return {};
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/core/test/debug/debug_node_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/debug/debug_node_spec.ts
index 328dab2f9f..da2f9187d5 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/debug/debug_node_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/debug/debug_node_spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 
 import {CommonModule, NgIfContext, ɵgetDOM as getDOM} from '@angular/common';
-import {Component, DebugNode, Directive, ElementRef, EmbeddedViewRef, EventEmitter, HostBinding, Injectable, Input, NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA, OnInit, Output, Renderer2, TemplateRef, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef} from '@angular/core';
+import {Component, DebugElement, DebugNode, Directive, ElementRef, EmbeddedViewRef, EventEmitter, HostBinding, Injectable, Input, NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA, OnInit, Output, Renderer2, TemplateRef, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef} from '@angular/core';
 import {ComponentFixture, TestBed, async} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser/src/dom/debug/by';
 import {hasClass} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/browser_util';
@@ -580,6 +580,43 @@ class TestCmptWithPropBindings {
       expect(fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.myclass'))).toBeTruthy();
     });
 
+    describe('DebugElement.query doesn\'t fail on elements outside Angular context', () => {
+      @Component({template: '<div></div>'})
+      class NativeEl {
+        constructor(private elementRef: ElementRef) {}
+
+        ngAfterViewInit() {
+          this.elementRef.nativeElement.children[0].appendChild(document.createElement('p'));
+        }
+      }
+
+      let el: DebugElement;
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        const fixture =
+            TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [NativeEl]}).createComponent(NativeEl);
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        el = fixture.debugElement;
+      });
+
+      it('when searching for elements by name',
+         () => { expect(() => el.query(e => e.name === 'any search text')).not.toThrow(); });
+
+      it('when searching for elements by their attributes', () => {
+        expect(() => el.query(e => e.attributes !['name'] === 'any attribute')).not.toThrow();
+      });
+
+      it('when searching for elements by their classes',
+         () => { expect(() => el.query(e => e.classes['any class'] === true)).not.toThrow(); });
+
+      it('when searching for elements by their styles', () => {
+        expect(() => el.query(e => e.styles['any style'] === 'any value')).not.toThrow();
+      });
+
+      it('when searching for elements by their properties', () => {
+        expect(() => el.query(e => e.properties['any prop'] === 'any value')).not.toThrow();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('DebugElement.queryAll should pick up both elements inserted via the view and through Renderer2',
        () => {
          @Directive({