diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/context_discovery.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/context_discovery.ts
index fa2af9e6a3..30701f9f21 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/context_discovery.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/context_discovery.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export function getContext(target: any): LContext|null {
         if (nodeIndex == -1) {
           throw new Error('The provided directive was not found in the application');
         }
-        directives = discoverDirectives(nodeIndex, lViewData);
+        directives = discoverDirectives(nodeIndex, lViewData, false);
       } else {
         nodeIndex = findViaNativeElement(lViewData, target as RElement);
         if (nodeIndex == -1) {
@@ -344,15 +344,18 @@ function getLNodeFromViewData(lViewData: LViewData, lElementIndex: number): LEle
  * Returns a list of directives extracted from the given view. Does not contain
  * the component.
  *
+ * @param nodeIndex Index of node to search
  * @param lViewData The target view data
+ * @param includeComponents Whether or not to include components in returned directives
  */
-export function discoverDirectives(nodeIndex: number, lViewData: LViewData): any[]|null {
+export function discoverDirectives(
+    nodeIndex: number, lViewData: LViewData, includeComponents: boolean): any[]|null {
   const directivesAcrossView = lViewData[DIRECTIVES];
   if (directivesAcrossView != null) {
     const tNode = lViewData[TVIEW].data[nodeIndex] as TNode;
     let directiveStartIndex = getDirectiveStartIndex(tNode);
     const directiveEndIndex = getDirectiveEndIndex(tNode, directiveStartIndex);
-    if (tNode.flags & TNodeFlags.isComponent) directiveStartIndex++;
+    if (!includeComponents && tNode.flags & TNodeFlags.isComponent) directiveStartIndex++;
     return directivesAcrossView.slice(directiveStartIndex, directiveEndIndex);
   }
   return null;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/discovery_utils.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/discovery_utils.ts
index 42e3e8b8cb..8fd4e4bb86 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/discovery_utils.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/discovery_utils.ts
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ export function getDirectives(target: {}): Array<{}> {
   const context = loadContext(target) !;
 
   if (context.directives === undefined) {
-    context.directives = discoverDirectives(context.nodeIndex, context.lViewData);
+    context.directives = discoverDirectives(context.nodeIndex, context.lViewData, false);
   }
 
   return context.directives || [];
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/compiler_canonical/query_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/compiler_canonical/query_spec.ts
index 8a4df8eb63..92065e04e5 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/compiler_canonical/query_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/compiler_canonical/query_spec.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import {ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, ContentChild, ContentChildren, Directive, HostBinding, HostListener, Injectable, Input, NgModule, OnDestroy, Optional, Pipe, PipeTransform, QueryList, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, ViewChild, ViewChildren, ViewContainerRef} from '../../../src/core';
 import * as $r3$ from '../../../src/core_render3_private_export';
 import {ComponentDef} from '../../../src/render3/interfaces/definition';
-import {renderComponent, toHtml} from '../render_util';
+import {getDirectiveOnNode, renderComponent, toHtml} from '../render_util';
 
 
 /// See: `normative.md`
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ describe('queries', () => {
         template: function MyApp_Template(rf: $RenderFlags$, ctx: $MyApp$) {
           if (rf & 1) {
             $r3$.ɵelementStart(0, 'content-query-component');
-            contentQueryComp = $r3$.ɵloadDirective<ContentQueryComponent>(0);
+            contentQueryComp = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
             $r3$.ɵelement(1, 'div', $e2_attrs$);
             $r3$.ɵelementEnd();
           }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/content_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/content_spec.ts
index fe162f833e..0ebee9870a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/content_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/content_spec.ts
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
 import {SelectorFlags} from '@angular/core/src/render3/interfaces/projection';
 
 import {AttributeMarker, detectChanges} from '../../src/render3/index';
-import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, element, elementContainerEnd, elementContainerStart, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, loadDirective, projection, projectionDef, template, text} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
+import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, element, elementContainerEnd, elementContainerStart, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, projection, projectionDef, template, text} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 import {RenderFlags} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/definition';
 
 import {NgIf} from './common_with_def';
-import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, renderComponent, toHtml} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, getDirectiveOnNode, renderComponent, toHtml} from './render_util';
 
 describe('content projection', () => {
   it('should project content', () => {
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
         elementEnd();
 
         // testing
-        childCmptInstance = loadDirective(0);
+        childCmptInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }, 4, 0, [Child]);
 
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
         element(0, 'child');
 
         // testing
-        childCmptInstance = loadDirective(0);
+        childCmptInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }, 1, 0, [Child]);
 
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
          if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
            elementStart(0, 'child');
            {
-             childCmptInstance = loadDirective(0);
+             childCmptInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
              text(1, 'content');
            }
            elementEnd();
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
         }
         elementEnd();
         // testing
-        parent = loadDirective(0);
+        parent = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }, 3, 0, [Parent]);
 
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
          if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
            elementStart(0, 'child');
            {
-             childCmptInstance = loadDirective(0);
+             childCmptInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
              text(1, 'content');
            }
            elementEnd();
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
         elementEnd();
 
         // testing
-        child = loadDirective(0);
+        child = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }, 4, 0, [Child]);
 
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
         elementEnd();
 
         // testing
-        child = loadDirective(0);
+        child = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }, 4, 0, [Child]);
 
@@ -1012,7 +1012,7 @@ describe('content projection', () => {
       if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
         elementStart(0, 'child');
         {
-          childCmptInstance = loadDirective(0);
+          childCmptInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
           text(1, 'content');
         }
         elementEnd();
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/di_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/di_spec.ts
index 77280629af..98f4d293d8 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/di_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/di_spec.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {LViewFlags} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/view';
 import {ViewRef} from '../../src/render3/view_ref';
 
 import {getRendererFactory2} from './imported_renderer2';
-import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, createDirective, renderComponent, toHtml} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, createDirective, getDirectiveOnNode, renderComponent, toHtml} from './render_util';
 import {NgIf} from './common_with_def';
 import {TNODE} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/injector';
 
@@ -1610,7 +1610,7 @@ describe('di', () => {
               ['myDirective', 'initial', 'exist', 'existValue', 'other', 'ignore']);
         }
         if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-          myDirectiveInstance = loadDirective(0);
+          myDirectiveInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
         }
       }, 1, 0, [MyDirective]);
 
@@ -1631,7 +1631,7 @@ describe('di', () => {
           elementContainerEnd();
         }
         if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-          myDirectiveInstance = loadDirective(0);
+          myDirectiveInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
         }
       }, 1, 0, [MyDirective]);
 
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/pipe_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/pipe_spec.ts
index 360af2a2ef..19b95489dd 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/pipe_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/pipe_spec.ts
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ import {Directive, OnChanges, OnDestroy, Pipe, PipeTransform} from '@angular/cor
 import {expect} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/matchers';
 
 import {defineDirective, definePipe} from '../../src/render3/definition';
-import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, interpolation1, load, loadDirective, text, textBinding} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
+import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, interpolation1, load, text, textBinding} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 import {RenderFlags} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/definition';
 import {pipe, pipeBind1, pipeBind3, pipeBind4, pipeBindV} from '../../src/render3/pipe';
 
 import {RenderLog, getRendererFactory2, patchLoggingRenderer2} from './imported_renderer2';
-import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, renderToHtml} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, getDirectiveOnNode, renderToHtml} from './render_util';
 
 
 let log: string[] = [];
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ describe('pipe', () => {
       }
       if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
         elementProperty(0, 'elprop', bind(pipeBind1(1, 1, ctx)));
-        directive = loadDirective(0);
+        directive = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
       }
     }
     renderToHtml(Template, 'a', 2, 3, [MyDir], [DoublePipe]);
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/pure_function_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/pure_function_spec.ts
index f01c0f3548..e8851f8e4d 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/pure_function_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/pure_function_spec.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 import {AttributeMarker, defineComponent, template} from '../../src/render3/index';
-import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, element, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, loadDirective, nextContext} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
+import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, element, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, nextContext} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 import {RenderFlags} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/definition';
 import {pureFunction1, pureFunction2, pureFunction3, pureFunction4, pureFunction5, pureFunction6, pureFunction7, pureFunction8, pureFunctionV} from '../../src/render3/pure_function';
-import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, renderToHtml} from '../../test/render3/render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, createComponent, getDirectiveOnNode, renderToHtml} from '../../test/render3/render_util';
 import {NgIf} from './common_with_def';
 
 describe('array literals', () => {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ describe('array literals', () => {
         template: function(rf: RenderFlags, ctx: any) {
           if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
             elementStart(0, 'my-comp');
-            myComps.push(loadDirective(0));
+            myComps.push(getDirectiveOnNode(0));
             elementEnd();
           }
           if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
@@ -275,22 +275,22 @@ describe('array literals', () => {
     function Template(rf: RenderFlags, c: any) {
       if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
         elementStart(0, 'my-comp');
-        f3Comp = loadDirective(0);
+        f3Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(0);
         elementEnd();
         elementStart(1, 'my-comp');
-        f4Comp = loadDirective(1);
+        f4Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(1);
         elementEnd();
         elementStart(2, 'my-comp');
-        f5Comp = loadDirective(2);
+        f5Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(2);
         elementEnd();
         elementStart(3, 'my-comp');
-        f6Comp = loadDirective(3);
+        f6Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(3);
         elementEnd();
         elementStart(4, 'my-comp');
-        f7Comp = loadDirective(4);
+        f7Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(4);
         elementEnd();
         elementStart(5, 'my-comp');
-        f8Comp = loadDirective(5);
+        f8Comp = getDirectiveOnNode(5);
         elementEnd();
       }
       if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ describe('object literals', () => {
             let rf1 = embeddedViewStart(0, 1, 4);
             if (rf1 & RenderFlags.Create) {
               elementStart(0, 'object-comp');
-              objectComps.push(loadDirective(0));
+              objectComps.push(getDirectiveOnNode(0));
               elementEnd();
             }
             if (rf1 & RenderFlags.Update) {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
index 3e0f529400..9c15697b88 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {query, queryRefresh} from '../../src/render3/query';
 import {templateRefExtractor} from '../../src/render3/view_engine_compatibility_prebound';
 
 import {NgForOf, NgIf, NgTemplateOutlet} from './common_with_def';
-import {ComponentFixture, TemplateFixture, createComponent, createDirective, renderComponent} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, TemplateFixture, createComponent, createDirective, renderComponent, getDirectiveOnNode} from './render_util';
 
 
 
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ describe('query', () => {
             elementEnd();
           }
           if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-            child1 = loadDirective(0);
-            child2 = loadDirective(1);
+            child1 = getDirectiveOnNode(2);
+            child2 = getDirectiveOnNode(3);
           }
         },
         4, 0, [Child], [],
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
             function(rf: RenderFlags, ctx: any) {
               if (rf & RenderFlags.Create) {
                 elementStart(1, 'div', ['child', '', 'otherChild', '']);
-                { otherChildInstance = loadDirective(1); }
+                { otherChildInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(1, 1); }
                 elementEnd();
               }
             },
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
                 element(1, 'child', null, ['foo', '']);
               }
               if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-                childInstance = loadDirective(0);
+                childInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(1);
               }
             },
             3, 0, [Child], [],
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
                    element(1, 'div', ['child', ''], ['foo', 'child']);
                  }
                  if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-                   childInstance = loadDirective(0);
+                   childInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(1);
                  }
                },
                3, 0, [Child], [],
@@ -806,8 +806,8 @@ describe('query', () => {
                 element(1, 'div', ['child1', '', 'child2', ''], ['foo', 'child1', 'bar', 'child2']);
               }
               if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-                child1Instance = loadDirective(0);
-                child2Instance = loadDirective(1);
+                child1Instance = getDirectiveOnNode(1, 0);
+                child2Instance = getDirectiveOnNode(1, 1);
               }
             },
             4, 0, [Child1, Child2], [],
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
                 element(2, 'div', ['child', ''], ['foo', 'child', 'bar', 'child']);
               }
               if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-                childInstance = loadDirective(0);
+                childInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(2);
               }
             },
             5, 0, [Child], [],
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
                 div = loadElement(1).native;
               }
               if (rf & RenderFlags.Update) {
-                childInstance = loadDirective(0);
+                childInstance = getDirectiveOnNode(1);
               }
             },
             4, 0, [Child], [],
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/render_util.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/render_util.ts
index c251c69ce7..01370565e8 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/render_util.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/render_util.ts
@@ -15,15 +15,16 @@ import {stringifyElement} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/browser_ut
 import {Injector} from '../../src/di/injector';
 import {R3_CHANGE_DETECTOR_REF_FACTORY, R3_ELEMENT_REF_FACTORY, R3_TEMPLATE_REF_FACTORY, R3_VIEW_CONTAINER_REF_FACTORY} from '../../src/ivy_switch/runtime/ivy_switch_on';
 import {CreateComponentOptions} from '../../src/render3/component';
-import {getContext, isComponentInstance} from '../../src/render3/context_discovery';
+import {discoverDirectives, getContext, isComponentInstance} from '../../src/render3/context_discovery';
 import {extractDirectiveDef, extractPipeDef} from '../../src/render3/definition';
 import {NG_ELEMENT_ID} from '../../src/render3/fields';
 import {ComponentTemplate, ComponentType, DirectiveDef, DirectiveType, PublicFeature, RenderFlags, defineComponent, defineDirective, renderComponent as _renderComponent, tick} from '../../src/render3/index';
-import {renderTemplate} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
+import {_getViewData, renderTemplate} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 import {DirectiveDefList, DirectiveTypesOrFactory, PipeDef, PipeDefList, PipeTypesOrFactory} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/definition';
 import {LElementNode} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/node';
 import {PlayerHandler} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/player';
 import {RElement, RText, Renderer3, RendererFactory3, domRendererFactory3} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/renderer';
+import {HEADER_OFFSET} from '../../src/render3/interfaces/view';
 import {Sanitizer} from '../../src/sanitization/security';
 import {Type} from '../../src/type';
 
@@ -290,6 +291,15 @@ export function createDirective(
   };
 }
 
+/** Gets the directive on the given node at the given index */
+export function getDirectiveOnNode(nodeIndex: number, dirIndex: number = 0) {
+  const directives = discoverDirectives(nodeIndex + HEADER_OFFSET, _getViewData(), true);
+  if (directives == null) {
+    throw new Error(`No directives exist on node in slot ${nodeIndex}`);
+  }
+  return directives[dirIndex];
+}
+
 
 // Verify that DOM is a type of render. This is here for error checking only and has no use.
 export const renderer: Renderer3 = null as any as Document;
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
index 3049ef9a4c..99114210f0 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/view_container_ref_spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {pipe, pipeBind1} from '../../src/render3/pipe';
 import {NgForOf} from '../../test/render3/common_with_def';
 
 import {getRendererFactory2} from './imported_renderer2';
-import {ComponentFixture, TemplateFixture, createComponent} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, TemplateFixture, createComponent, getDirectiveOnNode} from './render_util';
 
 describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
   let directiveInstance: DirectiveWithVCRef|null;
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
           element(3, 'div', ['vcref', '']);
 
           // for testing only:
-          firstDir = loadDirective(0);
-          secondDir = loadDirective(1);
+          firstDir = getDirectiveOnNode(2);
+          secondDir = getDirectiveOnNode(3);
         }
 
         function update() {