diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
index a0cc5a4602..53f7d15565 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ export function LifecycleHooksFeature(component: any, def: ComponentDef<any>): v
 
   // Root component is always created at dir index 0
   queueInitHooks(0, def.onInit, def.doCheck, elementNode.view.tView);
-  queueLifecycleHooks(elementNode.tNode !.flags, elementNode.view);
+  queueLifecycleHooks(elementNode.tNode.flags, elementNode.view);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
index 030afd5ac6..a62b8a17d7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {EmbeddedViewRef as viewEngine_EmbeddedViewRef, ViewRef as viewEngine_Vie
 import {Type} from '../type';
 
 import {assertGreaterThan, assertLessThan, assertNotNull} from './assert';
-import {addToViewTree, assertPreviousIsParent, createLContainer, createLNodeObject, createTView, getDirectiveInstance, getPreviousOrParentNode, getRenderer, isComponent, renderEmbeddedTemplate, resolveDirective} from './instructions';
+import {addToViewTree, assertPreviousIsParent, createLContainer, createLNodeObject, createTNode, createTView, getDirectiveInstance, getPreviousOrParentNode, getRenderer, isComponent, renderEmbeddedTemplate, resolveDirective} from './instructions';
 import {ComponentTemplate, DirectiveDef, DirectiveDefList, PipeDefList} from './interfaces/definition';
 import {LInjector} from './interfaces/injector';
 import {LContainerNode, LElementNode, LNode, LNodeType, LViewNode, TNodeFlags} from './interfaces/node';
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ export function injectAttribute(attrName: string): string|undefined {
   ngDevMode && assertPreviousIsParent();
   const lElement = getPreviousOrParentNode() as LElementNode;
   ngDevMode && assertNodeType(lElement, LNodeType.Element);
-  const tElement = lElement.tNode !;
+  const tElement = lElement.tNode;
   ngDevMode && assertNotNull(tElement, 'expecting tNode');
   const attrs = tElement.attrs;
   if (attrs) {
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ export function getOrCreateChangeDetectorRef(
   if (di.changeDetectorRef) return di.changeDetectorRef;
 
   const currentNode = di.node;
-  if (isComponent(currentNode.tNode !)) {
+  if (isComponent(currentNode.tNode)) {
     return di.changeDetectorRef = createViewRef(currentNode.data as LView, context);
   } else if (currentNode.type === LNodeType.Element) {
     return di.changeDetectorRef = getOrCreateHostChangeDetector(currentNode.view.node);
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ function getOrCreateHostChangeDetector(currentNode: LViewNode | LElementNode):
       createViewRef(
           hostNode.data as LView,
           hostNode.view
-              .directives ![hostNode.tNode !.flags >> TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift]);
+              .directives ![hostNode.tNode.flags >> TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift]);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ export function getOrCreateInjectable<T>(
       // At this point, we have an injector which *may* contain the token, so we step through the
       // directives associated with the injector's corresponding node to get the directive instance.
       const node = injector.node;
-      const nodeFlags = node.tNode !.flags;
+      const nodeFlags = node.tNode.flags;
       const count = nodeFlags & TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask;
 
       if (count !== 0) {
@@ -572,8 +572,12 @@ export function getOrCreateContainerRef(di: LInjector): viewEngine_ViewContainer
     const lContainerNode: LContainerNode = createLNodeObject(
         LNodeType.Container, vcRefHost.view, vcRefHost.parent !, undefined, lContainer, null);
 
-    // TODO(kara): Separate into own TNode when moving parent/child properties
-    lContainerNode.tNode = vcRefHost.tNode;
+    const hostTNode = vcRefHost.tNode;
+    if (!hostTNode.dynamicContainerNode) {
+      hostTNode.dynamicContainerNode = createTNode(hostTNode.index, null, null, null);
+    }
+
+    lContainerNode.tNode = hostTNode.dynamicContainerNode;
     vcRefHost.dynamicLContainerNode = lContainerNode;
 
     addToViewTree(vcRefHost.view, lContainer);
@@ -699,7 +703,7 @@ export function getOrCreateTemplateRef<T>(di: LInjector): viewEngine_TemplateRef
   if (!di.templateRef) {
     ngDevMode && assertNodeType(di.node, LNodeType.Container);
     const hostNode = di.node as LContainerNode;
-    const hostTNode = hostNode.tNode !;
+    const hostTNode = hostNode.tNode;
     const hostTView = hostNode.view.tView;
     if (!hostTNode.tViews) {
       hostTNode.tViews = createTView(hostTView.directiveRegistry, hostTView.pipeRegistry);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
index 9768799c7c..4ee9a40b64 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ export function createLNodeObject(
     nodeInjector: parent ? parent.nodeInjector : null,
     data: state,
     queries: queries,
-    tNode: null,
+    tNode: null !,
     pNextOrParent: null,
     dynamicLContainerNode: null
   };
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ export function createLNode(
     index: number | null, type: LNodeType.Element, native: RElement | RText | null,
     name: string | null, attrs: string[] | null, lView?: LView | null): LElementNode;
 export function createLNode(
-    index: null, type: LNodeType.View, native: null, name: null, attrs: null,
+    index: number | null, type: LNodeType.View, native: null, name: null, attrs: null,
     lView: LView): LViewNode;
 export function createLNode(
     index: number, type: LNodeType.Container, native: undefined, name: string | null,
@@ -392,14 +392,12 @@ export function createLNode(
   const node =
       createLNodeObject(type, currentView, parent, native, isState ? state as any : null, queries);
 
-  if ((type & LNodeType.ViewOrElement) === LNodeType.ViewOrElement && isState) {
-    // Bit of a hack to bust through the readonly because there is a circular dep between
-    // LView and LNode.
-    ngDevMode && assertNull((state as LView).node, 'LView.node should not have been initialized');
-    (state as LView as{node: LNode}).node = node;
-  }
-  if (index != null) {
-    // We are Element or Container
+  if (index === null || type === LNodeType.View) {
+    // View nodes are not stored in data because they can be added / removed at runtime (which
+    // would cause indices to change). Their TNodes are instead stored in TView.node.
+    node.tNode = (state as LView).tView.node || createTNode(index, null, null, null);
+  } else {
+    // This is an element or container or projection node
     ngDevMode && assertDataNext(index);
     data[index] = node;
 
@@ -407,7 +405,9 @@ export function createLNode(
     if (index >= tData.length) {
       const tNode = tData[index] = createTNode(index, name, attrs, null);
       if (!isParent && previousOrParentNode) {
-        previousOrParentNode.tNode !.next = tNode;
+        const previousTNode = previousOrParentNode.tNode;
+        previousTNode.next = tNode;
+        if (previousTNode.dynamicContainerNode) previousTNode.dynamicContainerNode.next = tNode;
       }
     }
     node.tNode = tData[index] as TNode;
@@ -427,6 +427,16 @@ export function createLNode(
       }
     }
   }
+
+  // View nodes and host elements need to set their host node (components set host nodes later)
+  if ((type & LNodeType.ViewOrElement) === LNodeType.ViewOrElement && isState) {
+    // Bit of a hack to bust through the readonly because there is a circular dep between
+    // LView and LNode.
+    ngDevMode && assertNull((state as LView).node, 'LView.node should not have been initialized');
+    (state as{node: LNode}).node = node;
+    if (firstTemplatePass) (state as LView).tView.node = node.tNode;
+  }
+
   previousOrParentNode = node;
   isParent = true;
   return node;
@@ -613,7 +623,7 @@ function createDirectivesAndLocals(
   const node = previousOrParentNode;
   if (firstTemplatePass) {
     ngDevMode && ngDevMode.firstTemplatePass++;
-    cacheMatchingDirectivesForNode(node.tNode !, currentView.tView, localRefs || null);
+    cacheMatchingDirectivesForNode(node.tNode, currentView.tView, localRefs || null);
   } else {
     instantiateDirectivesDirectly();
   }
@@ -708,7 +718,7 @@ export function isComponent(tNode: TNode): boolean {
  * This function instantiates the given directives.
  */
 function instantiateDirectivesDirectly() {
-  const tNode = previousOrParentNode.tNode !;
+  const tNode = previousOrParentNode.tNode;
   const count = tNode.flags & TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask;
 
   if (count > 0) {
@@ -758,7 +768,7 @@ function saveNameToExportMap(
  * to data[] in the same order as they are loaded in the template with load().
  */
 function saveResolvedLocalsInData(): void {
-  const localNames = previousOrParentNode.tNode !.localNames;
+  const localNames = previousOrParentNode.tNode.localNames;
   if (localNames) {
     for (let i = 0; i < localNames.length; i += 2) {
       const index = localNames[i + 1] as number;
@@ -796,6 +806,7 @@ export function createTView(
     defs: DirectiveDefListOrFactory | null, pipes: PipeDefListOrFactory | null): TView {
   ngDevMode && ngDevMode.tView++;
   return {
+    node: null !,
     data: [],
     directives: null,
     firstTemplatePass: true,
@@ -879,7 +890,7 @@ export function hostElement(
           def.onPush ? LViewFlags.Dirty : LViewFlags.CheckAlways, sanitizer));
 
   if (firstTemplatePass) {
-    node.tNode !.flags = TNodeFlags.isComponent;
+    node.tNode.flags = TNodeFlags.isComponent;
     if (def.diPublic) def.diPublic(def);
     currentView.tView.directives = [def];
   }
@@ -918,11 +929,11 @@ export function listener(
     cleanupFns.push(eventName, native, wrappedListener, useCapture);
   }
 
-  let tNode: TNode|null = node.tNode !;
+  let tNode: TNode|null = node.tNode;
   if (tNode.outputs === undefined) {
     // if we create TNode here, inputs must be undefined so we know they still need to be
     // checked
-    tNode.outputs = generatePropertyAliases(node.tNode !.flags, BindingDirection.Output);
+    tNode.outputs = generatePropertyAliases(node.tNode.flags, BindingDirection.Output);
   }
 
   const outputs = tNode.outputs;
@@ -955,7 +966,7 @@ export function elementEnd() {
   ngDevMode && assertNodeType(previousOrParentNode, LNodeType.Element);
   const queries = previousOrParentNode.queries;
   queries && queries.addNode(previousOrParentNode);
-  queueLifecycleHooks(previousOrParentNode.tNode !.flags, currentView);
+  queueLifecycleHooks(previousOrParentNode.tNode.flags, currentView);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1002,12 +1013,12 @@ export function elementProperty<T>(
     index: number, propName: string, value: T | NO_CHANGE, sanitizer?: SanitizerFn): void {
   if (value === NO_CHANGE) return;
   const node = data[index] as LElementNode;
-  const tNode = node.tNode !;
+  const tNode = node.tNode;
   // if tNode.inputs is undefined, a listener has created outputs, but inputs haven't
   // yet been checked
   if (tNode && tNode.inputs === undefined) {
     // mark inputs as checked
-    tNode.inputs = generatePropertyAliases(node.tNode !.flags, BindingDirection.Input);
+    tNode.inputs = generatePropertyAliases(node.tNode.flags, BindingDirection.Input);
   }
 
   const inputData = tNode && tNode.inputs;
@@ -1036,8 +1047,9 @@ export function elementProperty<T>(
  * @param tViews Any TViews attached to this node
  * @returns the TNode object
  */
-function createTNode(
-    index: number, tagName: string | null, attrs: string[] | null, tViews: TView[] | null): TNode {
+export function createTNode(
+    index: number | null, tagName: string | null, attrs: string[] | null,
+    tViews: TView[] | null): TNode {
   ngDevMode && ngDevMode.tNode++;
   return {
     index: index,
@@ -1049,7 +1061,8 @@ function createTNode(
     inputs: undefined,
     outputs: undefined,
     tViews: tViews,
-    next: null
+    next: null,
+    dynamicContainerNode: null
   };
 }
 
@@ -1321,8 +1334,11 @@ function addComponentLogic<T>(index: number, instance: T, def: ComponentDef<T>):
                        tView, null, null, def.onPush ? LViewFlags.Dirty : LViewFlags.CheckAlways,
                        getCurrentSanitizer()));
 
-  (previousOrParentNode.data as any) = hostView;
-  (hostView.node as any) = previousOrParentNode;
+  // We need to set the host node/data here because when the component LNode was created,
+  // we didn't yet know it was a component (just an element).
+  (previousOrParentNode as{data: LView}).data = hostView;
+  (hostView as{node: LNode}).node = previousOrParentNode;
+  if (firstTemplatePass) tView.node = previousOrParentNode.tNode;
 
   initChangeDetectorIfExisting(previousOrParentNode.nodeInjector, instance, hostView);
 
@@ -1351,19 +1367,19 @@ export function baseDirectiveCreate<T>(
   directives[index] = directive;
 
   if (firstTemplatePass) {
-    const flags = previousOrParentNode.tNode !.flags;
+    const flags = previousOrParentNode.tNode.flags;
     if ((flags & TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask) === 0) {
       // When the first directive is created:
       // - save the index,
       // - set the number of directives to 1
-      previousOrParentNode.tNode !.flags =
+      previousOrParentNode.tNode.flags =
           index << TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift | flags & TNodeFlags.isComponent | 1;
     } else {
       // Only need to bump the size when subsequent directives are created
       ngDevMode && assertNotEqual(
                        flags & TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask, TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask,
                        'Reached the max number of directives');
-      previousOrParentNode.tNode !.flags++;
+      previousOrParentNode.tNode.flags++;
     }
   } else {
     const diPublic = directiveDef !.diPublic;
@@ -1481,7 +1497,7 @@ export function container(
   const node = createLNode(
       index, LNodeType.Container, undefined, tagName || null, attrs || null, lContainer);
 
-  if (firstTemplatePass && template == null) node.tNode !.tViews = [];
+  if (firstTemplatePass && template == null) node.tNode.tViews = [];
 
   // Containers are added to the current view tree instead of their embedded views
   // because views can be removed and re-inserted.
@@ -1618,7 +1634,8 @@ export function embeddedViewStart(viewBlockId: number): RenderFlags {
       newView.queries = lContainer.queries.enterView(lContainer.nextIndex);
     }
 
-    enterView(newView, viewNode = createLNode(null, LNodeType.View, null, null, null, newView));
+    enterView(
+        newView, viewNode = createLNode(viewBlockId, LNodeType.View, null, null, null, newView));
   }
   return getRenderFlags(viewNode.data);
 }
@@ -2027,7 +2044,7 @@ export function getRootView(component: any): LView {
 export function detectChanges<T>(component: T): void {
   const hostNode = _getComponentHostLElementNode(component);
   ngDevMode && assertNotNull(hostNode.data, 'Component host node should be attached to an LView');
-  const componentIndex = hostNode.tNode !.flags >> TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift;
+  const componentIndex = hostNode.tNode.flags >> TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift;
   const def = hostNode.view.tView.directives ![componentIndex] as ComponentDef<T>;
   detectChangesInternal(hostNode.data as LView, hostNode, def, component);
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/node.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/node.ts
index ad323d052f..1775469c51 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/node.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/node.ts
@@ -118,11 +118,12 @@ export interface LNode {
    * Pointer to the corresponding TNode object, which stores static
    * data about this node.
    */
-  tNode: TNode|null;
+  tNode: TNode;
 
   /**
    * A pointer to a LContainerNode created by directives requesting ViewContainerRef
    */
+  // TODO(kara): Remove when removing LNodes
   dynamicLContainerNode: LContainerNode|null;
 }
 
@@ -210,8 +211,10 @@ export interface TNode {
    *
    * This is necessary to get from any TNode to its corresponding LNode when
    * traversing the node tree.
+   *
+   * If null, this is a view node created from a dynamically created view.
    */
-  index: number;
+  index: number|null;
 
   /**
    * This number stores two values using its bits:
@@ -306,6 +309,11 @@ export interface TNode {
    * to insert them or remove them from the DOM.
    */
   next: TNode|null;
+
+  /**
+   * A pointer to a LContainerNode created by directives requesting ViewContainerRef
+   */
+  dynamicContainerNode: TNode|null;
 }
 
 /** Static data for an LElementNode  */
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/view.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/view.ts
index 1e412140b2..a405cdde93 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/view.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/interfaces/view.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export interface LView {
    *
    * If `LElementNode`, this is the LView of a component.
    */
+  // TODO(kara): Remove when we have parent/child on TNodes
   readonly node: LViewNode|LElementNode;
 
   /**
@@ -241,6 +242,17 @@ export interface LViewOrLContainer {
  * Stored on the template function as ngPrivateData.
  */
 export interface TView {
+  /**
+   * Pointer to the `TNode` that represents the root of the view.
+   *
+   * If this is a `TNode` for an `LViewNode`, this is an embedded view of a container.
+   * We need this pointer to be able to efficiently find this node when inserting the view
+   * into an anchor.
+   *
+   * If this is a `TNode` for an `LElementNode`, this is the TView of a component.
+   */
+  node: TNode;
+
   /** Whether or not this template has been processed. */
   firstTemplatePass: boolean;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
index c7c750d364..8a797bfb4e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export function getNextLNode(node: LNode): LNode|null {
     const lView = node.data as LView;
     return lView.next ? (lView.next as LView).node : null;
   }
-  return node.tNode !.next ? node.view.data[node.tNode !.next !.index] : null;
+  return node.tNode.next ? node.view.data[node.tNode.next !.index as number] : null;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
index e81fcaf1f9..4502b47b9c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ function getIdxOfMatchingSelector(tNode: TNode, selector: string): number|null {
  */
 function getIdxOfMatchingDirective(node: LNode, type: Type<any>): number|null {
   const defs = node.view.tView.directives !;
-  const flags = node.tNode !.flags;
+  const flags = node.tNode.flags;
   const count = flags & TNodeFlags.DirectiveCountMask;
   const start = flags >> TNodeFlags.DirectiveStartingIndexShift;
   const end = start + count;
@@ -241,8 +241,7 @@ function add(query: LQuery<any>| null, node: LNode) {
     } else {
       const selector = predicate.selector !;
       for (let i = 0; i < selector.length; i++) {
-        ngDevMode && assertNotNull(node.tNode, 'node.tNode');
-        const directiveIdx = getIdxOfMatchingSelector(node.tNode !, selector[i]);
+        const directiveIdx = getIdxOfMatchingSelector(node.tNode, selector[i]);
         if (directiveIdx !== null) {
           // a node is matching a predicate - determine what to read
           // note that queries using name selector must specify read strategy
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/instructions_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/instructions_spec.ts
index 18be0225ca..43a0de4031 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/instructions_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/instructions_spec.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe('instructions', () => {
       expect(t.html).toEqual('<div title="javascript:true"></div>');
       expect(ngDevMode).toHaveProperties({
         firstTemplatePass: 1,
-        tNode: 1,
+        tNode: 2,  // 1 for div, 1 for host element
         tView: 1,
         rendererCreateElement: 1,
         rendererSetAttribute: 2
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe('instructions', () => {
       expect(t.html).toEqual('<div title="javascript:false"></div>');
       expect(ngDevMode).toHaveProperties({
         firstTemplatePass: 1,
-        tNode: 1,
+        tNode: 2,  // 1 for div, 1 for host element
         tView: 1,
         rendererCreateElement: 1,
       });
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('instructions', () => {
       expect((t.hostNode.native as HTMLElement).querySelector('div') !.hidden).toEqual(false);
       expect(ngDevMode).toHaveProperties({
         firstTemplatePass: 1,
-        tNode: 1,
+        tNode: 2,  // 1 for div, 1 for host element
         tView: 1,
         rendererCreateElement: 1,
         rendererSetProperty: 1
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
index e0325ab458..7fea1a24f3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe('render3 integration test', () => {
       }
       expect(ngDevMode).toHaveProperties({
         firstTemplatePass: 1,
-        tNode: 2,
+        tNode: 3,  // 1 for div, 1 for text, 1 for host element
         tView: 1,
         rendererCreateElement: 1,
       });
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/node_selector_matcher_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/node_selector_matcher_spec.ts
index 08a68d8cf3..e03deec396 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/node_selector_matcher_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/node_selector_matcher_spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ function testLStaticData(tagName: string, attrs: string[] | null): TNode {
     inputs: undefined,
     outputs: undefined,
     tViews: null,
-    next: null
+    next: null,
+    dynamicContainerNode: null
   };
 }