diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/view_engine_compatibility.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/view_engine_compatibility.ts
index 26834e538f..fda2a4b0cf 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/view_engine_compatibility.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/view_engine_compatibility.ts
@@ -281,9 +281,8 @@ export function createContainerRef(
       }
 
       indexOf(viewRef: viewEngine_ViewRef): number {
-        return this._lContainer[VIEW_REFS] !== null ?
-            this._lContainer[VIEW_REFS] !.indexOf(viewRef) :
-            0;
+        const viewRefsArr = this._lContainer[VIEW_REFS];
+        return viewRefsArr !== null ? viewRefsArr.indexOf(viewRef) : -1;
       }
 
       remove(index?: number): void {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_container_ref_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_container_ref_spec.ts
index b023d21a83..ade2e74f31 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_container_ref_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_container_ref_spec.ts
@@ -478,6 +478,24 @@ describe('ViewContainerRef', () => {
       vcRefDir.vcref.remove(0);
       expect(vcRefDir.vcref.indexOf(viewRef !)).toEqual(-1);
     });
+
+    it('should return -1 as indexOf when no views were inserted', () => {
+      const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ViewContainerRefComp);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const cmpt = fixture.componentInstance;
+      const viewRef = cmpt.templates.first.createEmbeddedView({});
+
+      // ViewContainerRef is empty and we've got a reference to a view that was not attached
+      // anywhere
+      expect(cmpt.vcr.indexOf(viewRef)).toBe(-1);
+
+      cmpt.vcr.insert(viewRef);
+      expect(cmpt.vcr.indexOf(viewRef)).toBe(0);
+
+      cmpt.vcr.remove(0);
+      expect(cmpt.vcr.indexOf(viewRef)).toBe(-1);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('move', () => {