diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/config.ts b/packages/compiler/src/config.ts
index ed0b088899..0826e3c1ab 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/config.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ export class CompilerConfig {
 
   constructor(
       {defaultEncapsulation = ViewEncapsulation.Emulated, useJit = true, jitDevMode = false,
-       missingTranslation, enableLegacyTemplate, preserveWhitespaces, strictInjectionParameters}: {
+       missingTranslation = null, enableLegacyTemplate, preserveWhitespaces,
+       strictInjectionParameters}: {
         defaultEncapsulation?: ViewEncapsulation,
         useJit?: boolean,
         jitDevMode?: boolean,
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export class CompilerConfig {
     this.defaultEncapsulation = defaultEncapsulation;
     this.useJit = !!useJit;
     this.jitDevMode = !!jitDevMode;
-    this.missingTranslation = missingTranslation || null;
+    this.missingTranslation = missingTranslation;
     this.enableLegacyTemplate = enableLegacyTemplate === true;
     this.preserveWhitespaces = preserveWhitespacesDefault(noUndefined(preserveWhitespaces));
     this.strictInjectionParameters = strictInjectionParameters === true;
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/config_spec.ts b/packages/compiler/test/config_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7fd61d46d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/config_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/**
+ * @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 {MissingTranslationStrategy} from '@angular/core';
+import {CompilerConfig} from '../src/config';
+
+export function main() {
+  describe('compiler config', () => {
+    it('should set missing translation strategy', () => {
+      const config = new CompilerConfig({missingTranslation: MissingTranslationStrategy.Error});
+      expect(config.missingTranslation).toEqual(MissingTranslationStrategy.Error);
+    });
+  });
+}