diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/src/pipes/i18n_select_pipe.ts b/modules/@angular/common/src/pipes/i18n_select_pipe.ts
index 92ce7f7a0e..d6bb636cae 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/src/pipes/i18n_select_pipe.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/src/pipes/i18n_select_pipe.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  */
 
 import {Pipe, PipeTransform} from '@angular/core';
-import {isBlank} from '../facade/lang';
 import {InvalidPipeArgumentError} from './invalid_pipe_argument_error';
 
 /**
@@ -16,9 +15,10 @@ import {InvalidPipeArgumentError} from './invalid_pipe_argument_error';
  * @howToUse `expression | i18nSelect:mapping`
  * @description
  *
- *  Where:
- *  - `mapping`: is an object that indicates the text that should be displayed
+ *  Where `mapping` is an object that indicates the text that should be displayed
  *  for different values of the provided `expression`.
+ *  If none of the keys of the mapping match the value of the `expression`, then the content
+ *  of the `other` key is returned when present, otherwise an empty string is returned.
  *
  *  ## Example
  *
@@ -29,12 +29,20 @@ import {InvalidPipeArgumentError} from './invalid_pipe_argument_error';
 @Pipe({name: 'i18nSelect', pure: true})
 export class I18nSelectPipe implements PipeTransform {
   transform(value: string, mapping: {[key: string]: string}): string {
-    if (isBlank(value)) return '';
+    if (value == null) return '';
 
-    if (typeof mapping !== 'object' || mapping === null) {
+    if (typeof mapping !== 'object' || typeof value !== 'string') {
       throw new InvalidPipeArgumentError(I18nSelectPipe, mapping);
     }
 
-    return mapping[value] || '';
+    if (mapping.hasOwnProperty(value)) {
+      return mapping[value];
+    }
+
+    if (mapping.hasOwnProperty('other')) {
+      return mapping['other'];
+    }
+
+    return '';
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/test/pipes/i18n_select_pipe_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/common/test/pipes/i18n_select_pipe_spec.ts
index 2cecbf1bfd..191a607d62 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/test/pipes/i18n_select_pipe_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/test/pipes/i18n_select_pipe_spec.ts
@@ -8,40 +8,35 @@
 
 import {I18nSelectPipe} from '@angular/common';
 import {PipeResolver} from '@angular/compiler/src/pipe_resolver';
-import {beforeEach, describe, expect, it} from '@angular/core/testing/testing_internal';
 
 export function main() {
   describe('I18nSelectPipe', () => {
-    var pipe: I18nSelectPipe;
-    var mapping = {'male': 'Invite him.', 'female': 'Invite her.', 'other': 'Invite them.'};
-
-    beforeEach(() => { pipe = new I18nSelectPipe(); });
+    const pipe: I18nSelectPipe = new I18nSelectPipe();
+    const mapping = {'male': 'Invite him.', 'female': 'Invite her.', 'other': 'Invite them.'};
 
     it('should be marked as pure',
        () => { expect(new PipeResolver().resolve(I18nSelectPipe).pure).toEqual(true); });
 
     describe('transform', () => {
-      it('should return male text if value is male', () => {
-        var val = pipe.transform('male', mapping);
+      it('should return the "male" text if value is "male"', () => {
+        const val = pipe.transform('male', mapping);
         expect(val).toEqual('Invite him.');
       });
 
-      it('should return female text if value is female', () => {
-        var val = pipe.transform('female', mapping);
+      it('should return the "female" text if value is "female"', () => {
+        const val = pipe.transform('female', mapping);
         expect(val).toEqual('Invite her.');
       });
 
-      it('should return "" if value is anything other than male or female', () => {
-        var val = pipe.transform('Anything else', mapping);
-        expect(val).toEqual('');
+      it('should return the "other" text if value is neither "male" nor "female"',
+         () => { expect(pipe.transform('Anything else', mapping)).toEqual('Invite them.'); });
+
+      it('should return an empty text if value is null or undefined', () => {
+        expect(pipe.transform(null, mapping)).toEqual('');
+        expect(pipe.transform(void 0, mapping)).toEqual('');
       });
 
-      it('should use "" if value is undefined', () => {
-        var val = pipe.transform(void(0), mapping);
-        expect(val).toEqual('');
-      });
-
-      it('should not support bad arguments',
+      it('should throw on bad arguments',
          () => { expect(() => pipe.transform('male', <any>'hey')).toThrowError(); });
     });