diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/metadata/collector.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/metadata/collector.ts
index b9b5f3a45b..218f8f8a8a 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/metadata/collector.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/metadata/collector.ts
@@ -12,16 +12,7 @@ import {Evaluator, errorSymbol} from './evaluator';
 import {ClassMetadata, ConstructorMetadata, FunctionMetadata, InterfaceMetadata, MemberMetadata, MetadataEntry, MetadataError, MetadataMap, MetadataSymbolicBinaryExpression, MetadataSymbolicCallExpression, MetadataSymbolicExpression, MetadataSymbolicIfExpression, MetadataSymbolicIndexExpression, MetadataSymbolicPrefixExpression, MetadataSymbolicReferenceExpression, MetadataSymbolicSelectExpression, MetadataSymbolicSpreadExpression, MetadataValue, MethodMetadata, ModuleExportMetadata, ModuleMetadata, VERSION, isClassMetadata, isConstructorMetadata, isFunctionMetadata, isMetadataError, isMetadataGlobalReferenceExpression, isMetadataSymbolicExpression, isMetadataSymbolicReferenceExpression, isMetadataSymbolicSelectExpression, isMethodMetadata} from './schema';
 import {Symbols} from './symbols';
 
-// In TypeScript 2.1 these flags moved
-// These helpers work for both 2.0 and 2.1.
-const isExport = (ts as any).ModifierFlags ?
-    ((node: ts.Node) =>
-         !!((ts as any).getCombinedModifierFlags(node) & (ts as any).ModifierFlags.Export)) :
-    ((node: ts.Node) => !!((node.flags & (ts as any).NodeFlags.Export)));
-const isStatic = (ts as any).ModifierFlags ?
-    ((node: ts.Node) =>
-         !!((ts as any).getCombinedModifierFlags(node) & (ts as any).ModifierFlags.Static)) :
-    ((node: ts.Node) => !!((node.flags & (ts as any).NodeFlags.Static)));
+const isStatic = (node: ts.Node) => ts.getCombinedModifierFlags(node) & ts.ModifierFlags.Static;
 
 /**
  * A set of collector options to use when collecting metadata.
@@ -284,6 +275,8 @@ export class MetadataCollector {
       }
     });
 
+    const isExport = (node: ts.Node) =>
+        sourceFile.isDeclarationFile || ts.getCombinedModifierFlags(node) & ts.ModifierFlags.Export;
     const isExportedIdentifier = (identifier?: ts.Identifier) =>
         identifier && exportMap.has(identifier.text);
     const isExported =
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/metadata/collector_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/metadata/collector_spec.ts
index 5282067278..e753e839b4 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/metadata/collector_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/metadata/collector_spec.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ describe('Collector', () => {
       '/unsupported-2.ts',
       '/unsupported-3.ts',
       'class-arity.ts',
+      'declarations.d.ts',
       'import-star.ts',
       'exported-classes.ts',
       'exported-functions.ts',
@@ -67,6 +68,19 @@ describe('Collector', () => {
     expect(metadata).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it('should treat all symbols of .d.ts files as exported', () => {
+    const sourceFile = program.getSourceFile('declarations.d.ts');
+    const metadata = collector.getMetadata(sourceFile);
+    expect(metadata).toEqual({
+      __symbolic: 'module',
+      version: 3,
+      metadata: {
+        DeclaredClass: {__symbolic: 'class'},
+        declaredFn: {__symbolic: 'function'},
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should return an interface reference for types', () => {
     const sourceFile = program.getSourceFile('/exported-type.ts');
     const metadata = collector.getMetadata(sourceFile);
@@ -1237,6 +1251,10 @@ const FILES: Directory = {
       constructor(private f: common.NgFor) {}
     }
   `,
+  'declarations.d.ts': `
+    declare class DeclaredClass {}
+    declare function declaredFn();
+  `,
   'exported-classes.ts': `
     export class SimpleClass {}
     export abstract class AbstractClass {}