diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
index 49f60e7a1f..7bb92341a7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 import {InjectFlags, InjectionToken, resolveForwardRef} from '../../di';
+import {ɵɵinject} from '../../di/injector_compatibility';
 import {Type} from '../../interface/type';
 import {getOrCreateInjectable, injectAttributeImpl} from '../di';
 import {TContainerNode, TElementContainerNode, TElementNode} from '../interfaces/node';
@@ -40,9 +41,14 @@ export function ɵɵdirectiveInject<T>(token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>, flags:
 export function ɵɵdirectiveInject<T>(
     token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>, flags = InjectFlags.Default): T|null {
   token = resolveForwardRef(token);
+  const lView = getLView();
+  // Fall back to inject() if view hasn't been created. This situation can happen in tests
+  // if inject utilities are used before bootstrapping.
+  if (lView == null) return ɵɵinject(token, flags);
+
   return getOrCreateInjectable<T>(
-      getPreviousOrParentTNode() as TElementNode | TContainerNode | TElementContainerNode,
-      getLView(), token, flags);
+      getPreviousOrParentTNode() as TElementNode | TContainerNode | TElementContainerNode, lView,
+      token, flags);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/providers_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/providers_spec.ts
index 9f91576bb8..41060ea77f 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/providers_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/providers_spec.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 import {Component, Directive, Inject, Injectable, InjectionToken} from '@angular/core';
-import {TestBed} from '@angular/core/testing';
+import {TestBed, async, inject} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {onlyInIvy} from '@angular/private/testing';
 
@@ -271,5 +271,16 @@ describe('providers', () => {
       const myCompInstance = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('div')).injector.get(MyDir);
       expect(myCompInstance.svc.value).toEqual('some value');
     });
+
+    describe('injection without bootstrapping', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [MyComp], providers: [MyComp, MyService]});
+      });
+
+      it('should support injecting without bootstrapping',
+         async(inject([MyComp, MyService], (comp: MyComp, service: MyService) => {
+           expect(comp.svc.value).toEqual('some value');
+         })));
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index 8b4cd066a4..5aa942157e 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -359,6 +359,9 @@
   {
     "name": "_c9"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "_currentInjector"
+  },
   {
     "name": "_currentNamespace"
   },
@@ -902,6 +905,9 @@
   {
     "name": "injectElementRef"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "injectInjectorOnly"
+  },
   {
     "name": "injectRootLimpMode"
   },
@@ -1355,6 +1361,9 @@
   {
     "name": "ɵɵgetCurrentView"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "ɵɵinject"
+  },
   {
     "name": "ɵɵinterpolation1"
   },