diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
index 9209484bc5..123b2f38f1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 import {ChangeDetectorRef as viewEngine_ChangeDetectorRef} from '../change_detection/change_detector_ref';
 import {InjectionToken} from '../di/injection_token';
-import {InjectFlags, Injector, inject, setCurrentInjector} from '../di/injector';
+import {InjectFlags, Injector, NullInjector, inject, setCurrentInjector} from '../di/injector';
 import * as viewEngine from '../linker';
 import {Type} from '../type';
 
@@ -636,20 +636,23 @@ class NodeInjector implements Injector {
 class ViewContainerRef implements viewEngine.ViewContainerRef {
   private _viewRefs: viewEngine.ViewRef[] = [];
 
-
   constructor(
       private _lContainerNode: LContainerNode, private _hostNode: LElementNode|LContainerNode) {}
 
-  get element(): ElementRef { return new ElementRef(this._hostNode.native); }
+  get element(): ElementRef {
+    const injector = getOrCreateNodeInjectorForNode(this._hostNode);
+    return getOrCreateElementRef(injector);
+  }
 
   get injector(): Injector {
-    return new NodeInjector(getOrCreateNodeInjectorForNode(this._hostNode));
+    const injector = getOrCreateNodeInjectorForNode(this._hostNode);
+    return new NodeInjector(injector);
   }
 
   /** @deprecated No replacement */
   get parentInjector(): Injector {
     const parentLInjector = getParentLNode(this._hostNode).nodeInjector;
-    return parentLInjector ? new NodeInjector(parentLInjector) : Injector.NULL;
+    return parentLInjector ? new NodeInjector(parentLInjector) : new NullInjector();
   }
 
   clear(): void {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
index efeb0fc4b0..228929bc4d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ export function createLViewData<T>(
     null,                                                                        // directives
     null,                                                                        // cleanupInstances
     context,                                                                     // context
-    viewData && viewData[INJECTOR] || null,                                      // injector
+    viewData ? viewData[INJECTOR] : null,                                        // injector
     renderer,                                                                    // renderer
     sanitizer || null,                                                           // sanitizer
     null,                                                                        // tail
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index da607a5ef7..f0511e71e2 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
   {
     "name": "ChangeDetectionStrategy"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "ChangeDetectorRef"
+  },
   {
     "name": "DECLARATION_VIEW"
   },
@@ -146,6 +149,9 @@
   {
     "name": "TVIEW"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "TemplateRef"
+  },
   {
     "name": "TemplateRef$1"
   },
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@
     "name": "VIEWS"
   },
   {
-    "name": "ViewContainerRef$1"
+    "name": "ViewContainerRef"
   },
   {
     "name": "ViewContainerRef$1"
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
index c38c72ca39..ca63d40f9a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
@@ -1039,10 +1039,8 @@ describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
     describe('getters', () => {
       it('should work on elements', () => {
         function createTemplate() {
-          elementStart(0, 'header', ['vcref', '']);
-          elementEnd();
-          elementStart(1, 'footer');
-          elementEnd();
+          element(0, 'header', ['vcref', '']);
+          element(1, 'footer');
         }
 
         new TemplateFixture(createTemplate, undefined, [DirectiveWithVCRef]);
@@ -1060,10 +1058,8 @@ describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
             createComponent('header-cmp', function(rf: RenderFlags, ctx: any) {});
 
         function createTemplate() {
-          elementStart(0, 'header-cmp', ['vcref', '']);
-          elementEnd();
-          elementStart(1, 'footer');
-          elementEnd();
+          element(0, 'header-cmp', ['vcref', '']);
+          element(1, 'footer');
         }
 
         new TemplateFixture(createTemplate, undefined, [HeaderComponent, DirectiveWithVCRef]);
@@ -1079,8 +1075,7 @@ describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
       it('should work on containers', () => {
         function createTemplate() {
           container(0, embeddedTemplate, undefined, ['vcref', '']);
-          elementStart(1, 'footer');
-          elementEnd();
+          element(1, 'footer');
         }
 
         function updateTemplate() {