diff --git a/packages/platform-browser/src/dom/events/dom_events.ts b/packages/platform-browser/src/dom/events/dom_events.ts
index 42d44d2acc..6c1138d30e 100644
--- a/packages/platform-browser/src/dom/events/dom_events.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-browser/src/dom/events/dom_events.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export class DomEventsPlugin extends EventManagerPlugin {
   }
 
   private patchEvent() {
-    if (!Event || !Event.prototype) {
+    if (typeof Event === 'undefined' || !Event || !Event.prototype) {
       return;
     }
     if ((Event.prototype as any)[stopMethodSymbol]) {
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/src/server.ts b/packages/platform-server/src/server.ts
index 46dbd9707a..1b0febf54c 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/src/server.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {PlatformLocation, ɵPLATFORM_SERVER_ID as PLATFORM_SERVER_ID} from '@ang
 import {HttpClientModule} from '@angular/common/http';
 import {Injectable, InjectionToken, Injector, NgModule, NgZone, Optional, PLATFORM_ID, PLATFORM_INITIALIZER, PlatformRef, Provider, RendererFactory2, RootRenderer, StaticProvider, Testability, createPlatformFactory, isDevMode, platformCore, ɵALLOW_MULTIPLE_PLATFORMS as ALLOW_MULTIPLE_PLATFORMS} from '@angular/core';
 import {HttpModule} from '@angular/http';
-import {BrowserModule, DOCUMENT, ɵSharedStylesHost as SharedStylesHost, ɵTRANSITION_ID, ɵgetDOM as getDOM} from '@angular/platform-browser';
+import {BrowserModule, DOCUMENT, EVENT_MANAGER_PLUGINS, ɵSharedStylesHost as SharedStylesHost, ɵTRANSITION_ID, ɵgetDOM as getDOM} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {ɵplatformCoreDynamic as platformCoreDynamic} from '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic';
 import {NoopAnimationsModule, ɵAnimationRendererFactory} from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
 
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {DominoAdapter, parseDocument} from './domino_adapter';
 import {SERVER_HTTP_PROVIDERS} from './http';
 import {ServerPlatformLocation} from './location';
 import {PlatformState} from './platform_state';
+import {ServerEventManagerPlugin} from './server_events';
 import {ServerRendererFactory2} from './server_renderer';
 import {ServerStylesHost} from './styles_host';
 import {INITIAL_CONFIG, PlatformConfig} from './tokens';
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export const SERVER_RENDER_PROVIDERS: Provider[] = [
   },
   ServerStylesHost,
   {provide: SharedStylesHost, useExisting: ServerStylesHost},
+  {provide: EVENT_MANAGER_PLUGINS, multi: true, useClass: ServerEventManagerPlugin},
 ];
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/src/server_events.ts b/packages/platform-server/src/server_events.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..25598633a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/platform-server/src/server_events.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+
+import {Inject, Injectable} from '@angular/core';
+import {DOCUMENT, ɵgetDOM as getDOM} from '@angular/platform-browser';
+
+@Injectable()
+export class ServerEventManagerPlugin /* extends EventManagerPlugin which is private */ {
+  constructor(@Inject(DOCUMENT) private doc: any) {}
+
+  // Handle all events on the server.
+  supports(eventName: string) { return true; }
+
+  addEventListener(element: HTMLElement, eventName: string, handler: Function): Function {
+    return getDOM().onAndCancel(element, eventName, handler);
+  }
+
+  addGlobalEventListener(element: string, eventName: string, handler: Function): Function {
+    const target: HTMLElement = getDOM().getGlobalEventTarget(this.doc, element);
+    if (!target) {
+      throw new Error(`Unsupported event target ${target} for event ${eventName}`);
+    }
+    return this.addEventListener(target, eventName, handler);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/src/server_renderer.ts b/packages/platform-server/src/server_renderer.ts
index 77bcc16ccf..67c48be90a 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/src/server_renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/src/server_renderer.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import {DomElementSchemaRegistry} from '@angular/compiler';
 import {APP_ID, Inject, Injectable, NgZone, RenderComponentType, Renderer, Renderer2, RendererFactory2, RendererStyleFlags2, RendererType2, RootRenderer, ViewEncapsulation, ɵstringify as stringify} from '@angular/core';
-import {DOCUMENT, ɵNAMESPACE_URIS as NAMESPACE_URIS, ɵSharedStylesHost as SharedStylesHost, ɵflattenStyles as flattenStyles, ɵgetDOM as getDOM, ɵshimContentAttribute as shimContentAttribute, ɵshimHostAttribute as shimHostAttribute} from '@angular/platform-browser';
+import {DOCUMENT, EventManager, ɵNAMESPACE_URIS as NAMESPACE_URIS, ɵSharedStylesHost as SharedStylesHost, ɵflattenStyles as flattenStyles, ɵgetDOM as getDOM, ɵshimContentAttribute as shimContentAttribute, ɵshimHostAttribute as shimHostAttribute} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 
 const EMPTY_ARRAY: any[] = [];
 
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ export class ServerRendererFactory2 implements RendererFactory2 {
   private schema = new DomElementSchemaRegistry();
 
   constructor(
-      private ngZone: NgZone, @Inject(DOCUMENT) private document: any,
-      private sharedStylesHost: SharedStylesHost) {
-    this.defaultRenderer = new DefaultServerRenderer2(document, ngZone, this.schema);
+      private eventManager: EventManager, private ngZone: NgZone,
+      @Inject(DOCUMENT) private document: any, private sharedStylesHost: SharedStylesHost) {
+    this.defaultRenderer = new DefaultServerRenderer2(eventManager, document, ngZone, this.schema);
   }
 
   createRenderer(element: any, type: RendererType2|null): Renderer2 {
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ export class ServerRendererFactory2 implements RendererFactory2 {
         let renderer = this.rendererByCompId.get(type.id);
         if (!renderer) {
           renderer = new EmulatedEncapsulationServerRenderer2(
-              this.document, this.ngZone, this.sharedStylesHost, this.schema, type);
+              this.eventManager, this.document, this.ngZone, this.sharedStylesHost, this.schema,
+              type);
           this.rendererByCompId.set(type.id, renderer);
         }
         (<EmulatedEncapsulationServerRenderer2>renderer).applyToHost(element);
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@ class DefaultServerRenderer2 implements Renderer2 {
   data: {[key: string]: any} = Object.create(null);
 
   constructor(
-      private document: any, private ngZone: NgZone, private schema: DomElementSchemaRegistry) {}
+      private eventManager: EventManager, protected document: any, private ngZone: NgZone,
+      private schema: DomElementSchemaRegistry) {}
 
   destroy(): void {}
 
@@ -69,10 +71,10 @@ class DefaultServerRenderer2 implements Renderer2 {
 
   createElement(name: string, namespace?: string, debugInfo?: any): any {
     if (namespace) {
-      return getDOM().createElementNS(NAMESPACE_URIS[namespace], name);
+      return getDOM().createElementNS(NAMESPACE_URIS[namespace], name, this.document);
     }
 
-    return getDOM().createElement(name);
+    return getDOM().createElement(name, this.document);
   }
 
   createComment(value: string, debugInfo?: any): any { return getDOM().createComment(value); }
@@ -166,14 +168,25 @@ class DefaultServerRenderer2 implements Renderer2 {
   listen(
       target: 'document'|'window'|'body'|any, eventName: string,
       callback: (event: any) => boolean): () => void {
-    // Note: We are not using the EventsPlugin here as this is not needed
-    // to run our tests.
     checkNoSyntheticProp(eventName, 'listener');
-    const el =
-        typeof target === 'string' ? getDOM().getGlobalEventTarget(this.document, target) : target;
-    const outsideHandler = (event: any) => this.ngZone.runGuarded(() => callback(event));
-    return this.ngZone.runOutsideAngular(
-        () => getDOM().onAndCancel(el, eventName, outsideHandler) as any);
+    if (typeof target === 'string') {
+      return <() => void>this.eventManager.addGlobalEventListener(
+          target, eventName, this.decoratePreventDefault(callback));
+    }
+    return <() => void>this.eventManager.addEventListener(
+               target, eventName, this.decoratePreventDefault(callback)) as() => void;
+  }
+
+  private decoratePreventDefault(eventHandler: Function): Function {
+    return (event: any) => {
+      // Run the event handler inside the ngZone because event handlers are not patched
+      // by Zone on the server. This is required only for tests.
+      const allowDefaultBehavior = this.ngZone.runGuarded(() => eventHandler(event));
+      if (allowDefaultBehavior === false) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        event.returnValue = false;
+      }
+    };
   }
 }
 
@@ -190,9 +203,9 @@ class EmulatedEncapsulationServerRenderer2 extends DefaultServerRenderer2 {
   private hostAttr: string;
 
   constructor(
-      document: any, ngZone: NgZone, sharedStylesHost: SharedStylesHost,
+      eventManager: EventManager, document: any, ngZone: NgZone, sharedStylesHost: SharedStylesHost,
       schema: DomElementSchemaRegistry, private component: RendererType2) {
-    super(document, ngZone, schema);
+    super(eventManager, document, ngZone, schema);
     const styles = flattenStyles(component.id, component.styles, []);
     sharedStylesHost.addStyles(styles);
 
@@ -203,7 +216,7 @@ class EmulatedEncapsulationServerRenderer2 extends DefaultServerRenderer2 {
   applyToHost(element: any) { super.setAttribute(element, this.hostAttr, ''); }
 
   createElement(parent: any, name: string): Element {
-    const el = super.createElement(parent, name);
+    const el = super.createElement(parent, name, this.document);
     super.setAttribute(el, this.contentAttr, '');
     return el;
   }