diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/i18n.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/i18n.ts
index a76f72c7eb..2a4a1d3f6a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/i18n.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/i18n.ts
@@ -488,10 +488,10 @@ function i18nStartFirstPass(
   tView.data[index + HEADER_OFFSET] = tI18n;
 }
 
-function appendI18nNode(tNode: TNode, parentTNode: TNode, previousTNode: TNode | null): TNode {
+function appendI18nNode(
+    tNode: TNode, parentTNode: TNode, previousTNode: TNode | null, viewData: LView): TNode {
   ngDevMode && ngDevMode.rendererMoveNode++;
   const nextNode = tNode.next;
-  const viewData = getLView();
   if (!previousTNode) {
     previousTNode = parentTNode;
   }
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ function readCreateOpCodes(
               assertDefined(
                   currentTNode !,
                   `You need to create or select a node before you can insert it into the DOM`);
-          previousTNode = appendI18nNode(currentTNode !, destinationTNode, previousTNode);
+          previousTNode = appendI18nNode(currentTNode !, destinationTNode, previousTNode, viewData);
           break;
         case I18nMutateOpCode.Select:
           const nodeIndex = opCode >>> I18nMutateOpCode.SHIFT_REF;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
index b04fad12bc..d6601fbb9f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
@@ -277,7 +277,9 @@ function createTNodeAtIndex(
   const tParentNode = parentInSameView ? parent as TElementNode | TContainerNode : null;
   const tNode = tView.data[adjustedIndex] =
       createTNode(tParentNode, type, adjustedIndex, name, attrs);
-  if (index === 0) {
+  // The first node is not always the one at index 0, in case of i18n, index 0 can be the
+  // instruction `i18nStart` and the first node has the index 1 or more
+  if (index === 0 || !tView.firstChild) {
     tView.firstChild = tNode;
   }
   // Now link ourselves into the tree.
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/i18n_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/i18n_spec.ts
index e1a8b742ba..10eb551258 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/i18n_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/i18n_spec.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import localeRo from '@angular/common/locales/ro';
 import {Component, ContentChild, ContentChildren, Directive, HostBinding, Input, LOCALE_ID, QueryList, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef, ɵi18nConfigureLocalize} from '@angular/core';
 import {setDelayProjection} from '@angular/core/src/render3/instructions/projection';
 import {TestBed} from '@angular/core/testing';
+import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {expect} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/matchers';
 import {onlyInIvy} from '@angular/private/testing';
 
@@ -372,6 +373,38 @@ onlyInIvy('Ivy i18n logic').describe('runtime i18n', () => {
         expect(child).toHaveText('Mon logo');
       }
     });
+
+    it('should correctly find context for an element inside i18n section in <ng-template>', () => {
+      @Directive({selector: '[myDir]'})
+      class Dir {
+        condition = true;
+      }
+
+      @Component({
+        selector: 'my-cmp',
+        template: `
+              <div *ngIf="isLogged; else notLoggedIn">
+                <span>Logged in</span>
+              </div>
+              <ng-template #notLoggedIn i18n>
+                <a myDir>Not logged in</a>
+              </ng-template>
+            `,
+      })
+      class Cmp {
+        isLogged = false;
+      }
+
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+        declarations: [Cmp, Dir],
+      });
+      const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(Cmp);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const a = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a'));
+      const dir = a.injector.get(Dir);
+      expect(dir.condition).toEqual(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('should support ICU expressions', () => {