diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/shared.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/shared.ts
index dd85f8502b..6df28474c9 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/shared.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/shared.ts
@@ -20,26 +20,29 @@ export function partition(nodes: HtmlAst[], errors: ParseError[], implicitTags:
   let parts: Part[] = [];
 
   for (let i = 0; i < nodes.length; ++i) {
-    let n = nodes[i];
-    let temp: HtmlAst[] = [];
-    if (_isOpeningComment(n)) {
-      let i18n = (<HtmlCommentAst>n).value.replace(/^i18n:?/, '').trim();
-      i++;
-      while (!_isClosingComment(nodes[i])) {
-        temp.push(nodes[i++]);
-        if (i === nodes.length) {
-          errors.push(new I18nError(n.sourceSpan, 'Missing closing \'i18n\' comment.'));
-          break;
-        }
-      }
-      parts.push(new Part(null, null, temp, i18n, true));
+    let node = nodes[i];
+    let msgNodes: HtmlAst[] = [];
+    // Nodes between `<!-- i18n -->` and `<!-- /i18n -->`
+    if (_isOpeningComment(node)) {
+      let i18n = (<HtmlCommentAst>node).value.replace(/^i18n:?/, '').trim();
 
-    } else if (n instanceof HtmlElementAst) {
-      let i18n = _findI18nAttr(n);
-      let hasI18n: boolean = isPresent(i18n) || implicitTags.indexOf(n.name) > -1;
-      parts.push(new Part(n, null, n.children, isPresent(i18n) ? i18n.value : null, hasI18n));
-    } else if (n instanceof HtmlTextAst) {
-      parts.push(new Part(null, n, null, null, false));
+      while (++i < nodes.length && !_isClosingComment(nodes[i])) {
+        msgNodes.push(nodes[i]);
+      }
+
+      if (i === nodes.length) {
+        errors.push(new I18nError(node.sourceSpan, 'Missing closing \'i18n\' comment.'));
+        break;
+      }
+
+      parts.push(new Part(null, null, msgNodes, i18n, true));
+    } else if (node instanceof HtmlElementAst) {
+      // Node with an `i18n` attribute
+      let i18n = _findI18nAttr(node);
+      let hasI18n: boolean = isPresent(i18n) || implicitTags.indexOf(node.name) > -1;
+      parts.push(new Part(node, null, node.children, isPresent(i18n) ? i18n.value : null, hasI18n));
+    } else if (node instanceof HtmlTextAst) {
+      parts.push(new Part(null, node, null, null, false));
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_extractor_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_extractor_spec.ts
index 5643eeb996..c26dd723b6 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_extractor_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_extractor_spec.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ export function main() {
     let extractor: MessageExtractor;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
-      let htmlParser = new HtmlParser();
-      var parser = new Parser(new Lexer());
+      const htmlParser = new HtmlParser();
+      const parser = new Parser(new Lexer());
       extractor = new MessageExtractor(htmlParser, parser, ['i18n-tag'], {'i18n-el': ['trans']});
     });
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export function main() {
         new Message('value', 'meaning', 'desc')
       ]);
     });
-    
+
     it('should remove duplicate messages', () => {
       let res = extractor.extract(
           `
@@ -203,12 +203,14 @@ export function main() {
         expect(res.errors[0].msg).toEqual('Missing attribute \'title2\'.');
       });
 
-      it('should error when cannot find a matching desc', () => {
-        let res = extractor.extract(
-            `
-         <!-- i18n: meaning1|desc1 -->message1`,
-            'someUrl');
+      it('should error when i18n comments are unbalanced', () => {
+        const res = extractor.extract('<!-- i18n -->message1', 'someUrl');
+        expect(res.errors.length).toEqual(1);
+        expect(res.errors[0].msg).toEqual('Missing closing \'i18n\' comment.');
+      });
 
+      it('should error when i18n comments are unbalanced', () => {
+        const res = extractor.extract('<!-- i18n -->', 'someUrl');
         expect(res.errors.length).toEqual(1);
         expect(res.errors[0].msg).toEqual('Missing closing \'i18n\' comment.');
       });