diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/parser.ts b/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/parser.ts
index e617156536..ab6a7c29f7 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/parser.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/parser.ts
@@ -230,12 +230,9 @@ class _TreeBuilder {
   }
 
   private _closeVoidElement(): void {
-    if (this._elementStack.length > 0) {
-      const el = this._elementStack[this._elementStack.length - 1];
-
-      if (this.getTagDefinition(el.name).isVoid) {
-        this._elementStack.pop();
-      }
+    const el = this._getParentElement();
+    if (el && this.getTagDefinition(el.name).isVoid) {
+      this._elementStack.pop();
     }
   }
 
@@ -274,11 +271,10 @@ class _TreeBuilder {
   }
 
   private _pushElement(el: html.Element) {
-    if (this._elementStack.length > 0) {
-      const parentEl = this._elementStack[this._elementStack.length - 1];
-      if (this.getTagDefinition(parentEl.name).isClosedByChild(el.name)) {
-        this._elementStack.pop();
-      }
+    const parentEl = this._getParentElement();
+
+    if (parentEl && this.getTagDefinition(parentEl.name).isClosedByChild(el.name)) {
+      this._elementStack.pop();
     }
 
     const tagDef = this.getTagDefinition(el.name);
@@ -353,7 +349,7 @@ class _TreeBuilder {
    * `<ng-container>` elements are skipped as they are not rendered as DOM element.
    */
   private _getParentElementSkippingContainers():
-      {parent: html.Element, container: html.Element|null} {
+      {parent: html.Element | null, container: html.Element|null} {
     let container: html.Element|null = null;
 
     for (let i = this._elementStack.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
@@ -363,7 +359,7 @@ class _TreeBuilder {
       container = this._elementStack[i];
     }
 
-    return {parent: this._elementStack[this._elementStack.length - 1], container};
+    return {parent: null, container};
   }
 
   private _addToParent(node: html.Node) {
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/tags.ts b/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/tags.ts
index 0a882b6c51..5f06c3fd25 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/tags.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/ml_parser/tags.ts
@@ -56,274 +56,272 @@ export function isNgTemplate(tagName: string): boolean {
   return splitNsName(tagName)[1] === 'ng-template';
 }
 
-export function getNsPrefix(fullName: string): string
+export function getNsPrefix(fullName: string): string;
 export function getNsPrefix(fullName: null): null;
-    export function getNsPrefix(fullName: string | null): string |
-    null {
-      return fullName === null ? null : splitNsName(fullName)[0];
-    }
+export function getNsPrefix(fullName: string | null): string|null {
+  return fullName === null ? null : splitNsName(fullName)[0];
+}
 
-    export function mergeNsAndName(prefix: string, localName: string):
-        string {
-          return prefix ? `:${prefix}:${localName}` : localName;
-        }
+export function mergeNsAndName(prefix: string, localName: string): string {
+  return prefix ? `:${prefix}:${localName}` : localName;
+}
 
-    // see http://www.w3.org/TR/html51/syntax.html#named-character-references
-    // see https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/entities.json
-    // This list is not exhaustive to keep the compiler footprint low.
-    // The `&#123;` / `&#x1ab;` syntax should be used when the named character reference does not
-    // exist.
-    export const NAMED_ENTITIES: {[k: string]: string} = {
-      'Aacute': '\u00C1',
-      'aacute': '\u00E1',
-      'Acirc': '\u00C2',
-      'acirc': '\u00E2',
-      'acute': '\u00B4',
-      'AElig': '\u00C6',
-      'aelig': '\u00E6',
-      'Agrave': '\u00C0',
-      'agrave': '\u00E0',
-      'alefsym': '\u2135',
-      'Alpha': '\u0391',
-      'alpha': '\u03B1',
-      'amp': '&',
-      'and': '\u2227',
-      'ang': '\u2220',
-      'apos': '\u0027',
-      'Aring': '\u00C5',
-      'aring': '\u00E5',
-      'asymp': '\u2248',
-      'Atilde': '\u00C3',
-      'atilde': '\u00E3',
-      'Auml': '\u00C4',
-      'auml': '\u00E4',
-      'bdquo': '\u201E',
-      'Beta': '\u0392',
-      'beta': '\u03B2',
-      'brvbar': '\u00A6',
-      'bull': '\u2022',
-      'cap': '\u2229',
-      'Ccedil': '\u00C7',
-      'ccedil': '\u00E7',
-      'cedil': '\u00B8',
-      'cent': '\u00A2',
-      'Chi': '\u03A7',
-      'chi': '\u03C7',
-      'circ': '\u02C6',
-      'clubs': '\u2663',
-      'cong': '\u2245',
-      'copy': '\u00A9',
-      'crarr': '\u21B5',
-      'cup': '\u222A',
-      'curren': '\u00A4',
-      'dagger': '\u2020',
-      'Dagger': '\u2021',
-      'darr': '\u2193',
-      'dArr': '\u21D3',
-      'deg': '\u00B0',
-      'Delta': '\u0394',
-      'delta': '\u03B4',
-      'diams': '\u2666',
-      'divide': '\u00F7',
-      'Eacute': '\u00C9',
-      'eacute': '\u00E9',
-      'Ecirc': '\u00CA',
-      'ecirc': '\u00EA',
-      'Egrave': '\u00C8',
-      'egrave': '\u00E8',
-      'empty': '\u2205',
-      'emsp': '\u2003',
-      'ensp': '\u2002',
-      'Epsilon': '\u0395',
-      'epsilon': '\u03B5',
-      'equiv': '\u2261',
-      'Eta': '\u0397',
-      'eta': '\u03B7',
-      'ETH': '\u00D0',
-      'eth': '\u00F0',
-      'Euml': '\u00CB',
-      'euml': '\u00EB',
-      'euro': '\u20AC',
-      'exist': '\u2203',
-      'fnof': '\u0192',
-      'forall': '\u2200',
-      'frac12': '\u00BD',
-      'frac14': '\u00BC',
-      'frac34': '\u00BE',
-      'frasl': '\u2044',
-      'Gamma': '\u0393',
-      'gamma': '\u03B3',
-      'ge': '\u2265',
-      'gt': '>',
-      'harr': '\u2194',
-      'hArr': '\u21D4',
-      'hearts': '\u2665',
-      'hellip': '\u2026',
-      'Iacute': '\u00CD',
-      'iacute': '\u00ED',
-      'Icirc': '\u00CE',
-      'icirc': '\u00EE',
-      'iexcl': '\u00A1',
-      'Igrave': '\u00CC',
-      'igrave': '\u00EC',
-      'image': '\u2111',
-      'infin': '\u221E',
-      'int': '\u222B',
-      'Iota': '\u0399',
-      'iota': '\u03B9',
-      'iquest': '\u00BF',
-      'isin': '\u2208',
-      'Iuml': '\u00CF',
-      'iuml': '\u00EF',
-      'Kappa': '\u039A',
-      'kappa': '\u03BA',
-      'Lambda': '\u039B',
-      'lambda': '\u03BB',
-      'lang': '\u27E8',
-      'laquo': '\u00AB',
-      'larr': '\u2190',
-      'lArr': '\u21D0',
-      'lceil': '\u2308',
-      'ldquo': '\u201C',
-      'le': '\u2264',
-      'lfloor': '\u230A',
-      'lowast': '\u2217',
-      'loz': '\u25CA',
-      'lrm': '\u200E',
-      'lsaquo': '\u2039',
-      'lsquo': '\u2018',
-      'lt': '<',
-      'macr': '\u00AF',
-      'mdash': '\u2014',
-      'micro': '\u00B5',
-      'middot': '\u00B7',
-      'minus': '\u2212',
-      'Mu': '\u039C',
-      'mu': '\u03BC',
-      'nabla': '\u2207',
-      'nbsp': '\u00A0',
-      'ndash': '\u2013',
-      'ne': '\u2260',
-      'ni': '\u220B',
-      'not': '\u00AC',
-      'notin': '\u2209',
-      'nsub': '\u2284',
-      'Ntilde': '\u00D1',
-      'ntilde': '\u00F1',
-      'Nu': '\u039D',
-      'nu': '\u03BD',
-      'Oacute': '\u00D3',
-      'oacute': '\u00F3',
-      'Ocirc': '\u00D4',
-      'ocirc': '\u00F4',
-      'OElig': '\u0152',
-      'oelig': '\u0153',
-      'Ograve': '\u00D2',
-      'ograve': '\u00F2',
-      'oline': '\u203E',
-      'Omega': '\u03A9',
-      'omega': '\u03C9',
-      'Omicron': '\u039F',
-      'omicron': '\u03BF',
-      'oplus': '\u2295',
-      'or': '\u2228',
-      'ordf': '\u00AA',
-      'ordm': '\u00BA',
-      'Oslash': '\u00D8',
-      'oslash': '\u00F8',
-      'Otilde': '\u00D5',
-      'otilde': '\u00F5',
-      'otimes': '\u2297',
-      'Ouml': '\u00D6',
-      'ouml': '\u00F6',
-      'para': '\u00B6',
-      'permil': '\u2030',
-      'perp': '\u22A5',
-      'Phi': '\u03A6',
-      'phi': '\u03C6',
-      'Pi': '\u03A0',
-      'pi': '\u03C0',
-      'piv': '\u03D6',
-      'plusmn': '\u00B1',
-      'pound': '\u00A3',
-      'prime': '\u2032',
-      'Prime': '\u2033',
-      'prod': '\u220F',
-      'prop': '\u221D',
-      'Psi': '\u03A8',
-      'psi': '\u03C8',
-      'quot': '\u0022',
-      'radic': '\u221A',
-      'rang': '\u27E9',
-      'raquo': '\u00BB',
-      'rarr': '\u2192',
-      'rArr': '\u21D2',
-      'rceil': '\u2309',
-      'rdquo': '\u201D',
-      'real': '\u211C',
-      'reg': '\u00AE',
-      'rfloor': '\u230B',
-      'Rho': '\u03A1',
-      'rho': '\u03C1',
-      'rlm': '\u200F',
-      'rsaquo': '\u203A',
-      'rsquo': '\u2019',
-      'sbquo': '\u201A',
-      'Scaron': '\u0160',
-      'scaron': '\u0161',
-      'sdot': '\u22C5',
-      'sect': '\u00A7',
-      'shy': '\u00AD',
-      'Sigma': '\u03A3',
-      'sigma': '\u03C3',
-      'sigmaf': '\u03C2',
-      'sim': '\u223C',
-      'spades': '\u2660',
-      'sub': '\u2282',
-      'sube': '\u2286',
-      'sum': '\u2211',
-      'sup': '\u2283',
-      'sup1': '\u00B9',
-      'sup2': '\u00B2',
-      'sup3': '\u00B3',
-      'supe': '\u2287',
-      'szlig': '\u00DF',
-      'Tau': '\u03A4',
-      'tau': '\u03C4',
-      'there4': '\u2234',
-      'Theta': '\u0398',
-      'theta': '\u03B8',
-      'thetasym': '\u03D1',
-      'thinsp': '\u2009',
-      'THORN': '\u00DE',
-      'thorn': '\u00FE',
-      'tilde': '\u02DC',
-      'times': '\u00D7',
-      'trade': '\u2122',
-      'Uacute': '\u00DA',
-      'uacute': '\u00FA',
-      'uarr': '\u2191',
-      'uArr': '\u21D1',
-      'Ucirc': '\u00DB',
-      'ucirc': '\u00FB',
-      'Ugrave': '\u00D9',
-      'ugrave': '\u00F9',
-      'uml': '\u00A8',
-      'upsih': '\u03D2',
-      'Upsilon': '\u03A5',
-      'upsilon': '\u03C5',
-      'Uuml': '\u00DC',
-      'uuml': '\u00FC',
-      'weierp': '\u2118',
-      'Xi': '\u039E',
-      'xi': '\u03BE',
-      'Yacute': '\u00DD',
-      'yacute': '\u00FD',
-      'yen': '\u00A5',
-      'yuml': '\u00FF',
-      'Yuml': '\u0178',
-      'Zeta': '\u0396',
-      'zeta': '\u03B6',
-      'zwj': '\u200D',
-      'zwnj': '\u200C',
-    };
+// see http://www.w3.org/TR/html51/syntax.html#named-character-references
+// see https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/entities.json
+// This list is not exhaustive to keep the compiler footprint low.
+// The `&#123;` / `&#x1ab;` syntax should be used when the named character reference does not
+// exist.
+export const NAMED_ENTITIES: {[k: string]: string} = {
+  'Aacute': '\u00C1',
+  'aacute': '\u00E1',
+  'Acirc': '\u00C2',
+  'acirc': '\u00E2',
+  'acute': '\u00B4',
+  'AElig': '\u00C6',
+  'aelig': '\u00E6',
+  'Agrave': '\u00C0',
+  'agrave': '\u00E0',
+  'alefsym': '\u2135',
+  'Alpha': '\u0391',
+  'alpha': '\u03B1',
+  'amp': '&',
+  'and': '\u2227',
+  'ang': '\u2220',
+  'apos': '\u0027',
+  'Aring': '\u00C5',
+  'aring': '\u00E5',
+  'asymp': '\u2248',
+  'Atilde': '\u00C3',
+  'atilde': '\u00E3',
+  'Auml': '\u00C4',
+  'auml': '\u00E4',
+  'bdquo': '\u201E',
+  'Beta': '\u0392',
+  'beta': '\u03B2',
+  'brvbar': '\u00A6',
+  'bull': '\u2022',
+  'cap': '\u2229',
+  'Ccedil': '\u00C7',
+  'ccedil': '\u00E7',
+  'cedil': '\u00B8',
+  'cent': '\u00A2',
+  'Chi': '\u03A7',
+  'chi': '\u03C7',
+  'circ': '\u02C6',
+  'clubs': '\u2663',
+  'cong': '\u2245',
+  'copy': '\u00A9',
+  'crarr': '\u21B5',
+  'cup': '\u222A',
+  'curren': '\u00A4',
+  'dagger': '\u2020',
+  'Dagger': '\u2021',
+  'darr': '\u2193',
+  'dArr': '\u21D3',
+  'deg': '\u00B0',
+  'Delta': '\u0394',
+  'delta': '\u03B4',
+  'diams': '\u2666',
+  'divide': '\u00F7',
+  'Eacute': '\u00C9',
+  'eacute': '\u00E9',
+  'Ecirc': '\u00CA',
+  'ecirc': '\u00EA',
+  'Egrave': '\u00C8',
+  'egrave': '\u00E8',
+  'empty': '\u2205',
+  'emsp': '\u2003',
+  'ensp': '\u2002',
+  'Epsilon': '\u0395',
+  'epsilon': '\u03B5',
+  'equiv': '\u2261',
+  'Eta': '\u0397',
+  'eta': '\u03B7',
+  'ETH': '\u00D0',
+  'eth': '\u00F0',
+  'Euml': '\u00CB',
+  'euml': '\u00EB',
+  'euro': '\u20AC',
+  'exist': '\u2203',
+  'fnof': '\u0192',
+  'forall': '\u2200',
+  'frac12': '\u00BD',
+  'frac14': '\u00BC',
+  'frac34': '\u00BE',
+  'frasl': '\u2044',
+  'Gamma': '\u0393',
+  'gamma': '\u03B3',
+  'ge': '\u2265',
+  'gt': '>',
+  'harr': '\u2194',
+  'hArr': '\u21D4',
+  'hearts': '\u2665',
+  'hellip': '\u2026',
+  'Iacute': '\u00CD',
+  'iacute': '\u00ED',
+  'Icirc': '\u00CE',
+  'icirc': '\u00EE',
+  'iexcl': '\u00A1',
+  'Igrave': '\u00CC',
+  'igrave': '\u00EC',
+  'image': '\u2111',
+  'infin': '\u221E',
+  'int': '\u222B',
+  'Iota': '\u0399',
+  'iota': '\u03B9',
+  'iquest': '\u00BF',
+  'isin': '\u2208',
+  'Iuml': '\u00CF',
+  'iuml': '\u00EF',
+  'Kappa': '\u039A',
+  'kappa': '\u03BA',
+  'Lambda': '\u039B',
+  'lambda': '\u03BB',
+  'lang': '\u27E8',
+  'laquo': '\u00AB',
+  'larr': '\u2190',
+  'lArr': '\u21D0',
+  'lceil': '\u2308',
+  'ldquo': '\u201C',
+  'le': '\u2264',
+  'lfloor': '\u230A',
+  'lowast': '\u2217',
+  'loz': '\u25CA',
+  'lrm': '\u200E',
+  'lsaquo': '\u2039',
+  'lsquo': '\u2018',
+  'lt': '<',
+  'macr': '\u00AF',
+  'mdash': '\u2014',
+  'micro': '\u00B5',
+  'middot': '\u00B7',
+  'minus': '\u2212',
+  'Mu': '\u039C',
+  'mu': '\u03BC',
+  'nabla': '\u2207',
+  'nbsp': '\u00A0',
+  'ndash': '\u2013',
+  'ne': '\u2260',
+  'ni': '\u220B',
+  'not': '\u00AC',
+  'notin': '\u2209',
+  'nsub': '\u2284',
+  'Ntilde': '\u00D1',
+  'ntilde': '\u00F1',
+  'Nu': '\u039D',
+  'nu': '\u03BD',
+  'Oacute': '\u00D3',
+  'oacute': '\u00F3',
+  'Ocirc': '\u00D4',
+  'ocirc': '\u00F4',
+  'OElig': '\u0152',
+  'oelig': '\u0153',
+  'Ograve': '\u00D2',
+  'ograve': '\u00F2',
+  'oline': '\u203E',
+  'Omega': '\u03A9',
+  'omega': '\u03C9',
+  'Omicron': '\u039F',
+  'omicron': '\u03BF',
+  'oplus': '\u2295',
+  'or': '\u2228',
+  'ordf': '\u00AA',
+  'ordm': '\u00BA',
+  'Oslash': '\u00D8',
+  'oslash': '\u00F8',
+  'Otilde': '\u00D5',
+  'otilde': '\u00F5',
+  'otimes': '\u2297',
+  'Ouml': '\u00D6',
+  'ouml': '\u00F6',
+  'para': '\u00B6',
+  'permil': '\u2030',
+  'perp': '\u22A5',
+  'Phi': '\u03A6',
+  'phi': '\u03C6',
+  'Pi': '\u03A0',
+  'pi': '\u03C0',
+  'piv': '\u03D6',
+  'plusmn': '\u00B1',
+  'pound': '\u00A3',
+  'prime': '\u2032',
+  'Prime': '\u2033',
+  'prod': '\u220F',
+  'prop': '\u221D',
+  'Psi': '\u03A8',
+  'psi': '\u03C8',
+  'quot': '\u0022',
+  'radic': '\u221A',
+  'rang': '\u27E9',
+  'raquo': '\u00BB',
+  'rarr': '\u2192',
+  'rArr': '\u21D2',
+  'rceil': '\u2309',
+  'rdquo': '\u201D',
+  'real': '\u211C',
+  'reg': '\u00AE',
+  'rfloor': '\u230B',
+  'Rho': '\u03A1',
+  'rho': '\u03C1',
+  'rlm': '\u200F',
+  'rsaquo': '\u203A',
+  'rsquo': '\u2019',
+  'sbquo': '\u201A',
+  'Scaron': '\u0160',
+  'scaron': '\u0161',
+  'sdot': '\u22C5',
+  'sect': '\u00A7',
+  'shy': '\u00AD',
+  'Sigma': '\u03A3',
+  'sigma': '\u03C3',
+  'sigmaf': '\u03C2',
+  'sim': '\u223C',
+  'spades': '\u2660',
+  'sub': '\u2282',
+  'sube': '\u2286',
+  'sum': '\u2211',
+  'sup': '\u2283',
+  'sup1': '\u00B9',
+  'sup2': '\u00B2',
+  'sup3': '\u00B3',
+  'supe': '\u2287',
+  'szlig': '\u00DF',
+  'Tau': '\u03A4',
+  'tau': '\u03C4',
+  'there4': '\u2234',
+  'Theta': '\u0398',
+  'theta': '\u03B8',
+  'thetasym': '\u03D1',
+  'thinsp': '\u2009',
+  'THORN': '\u00DE',
+  'thorn': '\u00FE',
+  'tilde': '\u02DC',
+  'times': '\u00D7',
+  'trade': '\u2122',
+  'Uacute': '\u00DA',
+  'uacute': '\u00FA',
+  'uarr': '\u2191',
+  'uArr': '\u21D1',
+  'Ucirc': '\u00DB',
+  'ucirc': '\u00FB',
+  'Ugrave': '\u00D9',
+  'ugrave': '\u00F9',
+  'uml': '\u00A8',
+  'upsih': '\u03D2',
+  'Upsilon': '\u03A5',
+  'upsilon': '\u03C5',
+  'Uuml': '\u00DC',
+  'uuml': '\u00FC',
+  'weierp': '\u2118',
+  'Xi': '\u039E',
+  'xi': '\u03BE',
+  'Yacute': '\u00DD',
+  'yacute': '\u00FD',
+  'yen': '\u00A5',
+  'yuml': '\u00FF',
+  'Yuml': '\u0178',
+  'Zeta': '\u0396',
+  'zeta': '\u03B6',
+  'zwj': '\u200D',
+  'zwnj': '\u200C',
+};
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/ml_parser/html_parser_spec.ts b/packages/compiler/test/ml_parser/html_parser_spec.ts
index 1a8b2bd630..837ec0ebb0 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/test/ml_parser/html_parser_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/ml_parser/html_parser_spec.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,16 @@ export function main() {
               ]);
         });
 
+        it('should append the required parent considering top level ng-container', () => {
+          expect(humanizeDom(
+                     parser.parse('<ng-container><tr></tr></ng-container><p></p>', 'TestComp')))
+              .toEqual([
+                [html.Element, 'ng-container', 0],
+                [html.Element, 'tr', 1],
+                [html.Element, 'p', 0],
+              ]);
+        });
+
         it('should special case ng-container when adding a required parent', () => {
           expect(humanizeDom(parser.parse(
                      '<table><thead><ng-container><tr></tr></ng-container></thead></table>',