diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
index a66a6142d2..8f782f8f0b 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ import {RouterLink, RouterLinkWithHref} from './router_link';
  * true}">Bob</a>
  * ```
  *
+ * You can assign the RouterLinkActive instance to a template variable and directly check
+ * the `isActive` status.
+ * ```
+ * <a routerLink="/user/bob" routerLinkActive #rla="routerLinkActive">
+ *   Bob {{ rla.isActive ? '(already open)' : ''}}
+ * </a>
+ * ```
+ *
  * Finally, you can apply the RouterLinkActive directive to an ancestor of a RouterLink.
  *
  * ```
@@ -69,8 +77,12 @@ import {RouterLink, RouterLinkWithHref} from './router_link';
  *
  * @stable
  */
-@Directive({selector: '[routerLinkActive]'})
-export class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges, OnDestroy, AfterContentInit {
+@Directive({
+  selector: '[routerLinkActive]',
+  exportAs: 'routerLinkActive',
+})
+export class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges,
+    OnDestroy, AfterContentInit {
   @ContentChildren(RouterLink, {descendants: true}) links: QueryList<RouterLink>;
   @ContentChildren(RouterLinkWithHref, {descendants: true})
   linksWithHrefs: QueryList<RouterLinkWithHref>;
@@ -88,6 +100,8 @@ export class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges, OnDestroy, AfterContentInit
     });
   }
 
+  get isActive(): boolean { return this.hasActiveLink(); }
+
   ngAfterContentInit(): void {
     this.links.changes.subscribe(s => this.update());
     this.linksWithHrefs.changes.subscribe(s => this.update());
@@ -110,8 +124,11 @@ export class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges, OnDestroy, AfterContentInit
     if (!this.links || !this.linksWithHrefs || !this.router.navigated) return;
 
     const isActive = this.hasActiveLink();
-    this.classes.forEach(
-        c => this.renderer.setElementClass(this.element.nativeElement, c, isActive));
+    this.classes.forEach(c => {
+      if (c) {
+        this.renderer.setElementClass(this.element.nativeElement, c, isActive);
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   private isLinkActive(router: Router): (link: (RouterLink|RouterLinkWithHref)) => boolean {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/test/integration.spec.ts b/modules/@angular/router/test/integration.spec.ts
index 158dff2dec..f8bd35b264 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/test/integration.spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/test/integration.spec.ts
@@ -1638,6 +1638,43 @@ describe('Integration', () => {
          expect(native.className).toEqual('active');
        })));
 
+
+    it('should expose an isActive property', fakeAsync(() => {
+         @Component({
+           template: `<a routerLink="/team" routerLinkActive #rla="routerLinkActive"></a>
+              <p>{{rla.isActive}}</p>
+              <router-outlet></router-outlet>`
+         })
+         class ComponentWithRouterLink {
+         }
+
+         TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [ComponentWithRouterLink]});
+         const router: Router = TestBed.get(Router);
+
+         router.resetConfig([
+           {
+             path: 'team',
+             component: TeamCmp,
+           },
+           {
+             path: 'otherteam',
+             component: TeamCmp,
+           }
+         ]);
+
+         const f = TestBed.createComponent(ComponentWithRouterLink);
+         router.navigateByUrl('/team');
+         advance(f);
+
+         const paragraph = f.nativeElement.querySelector('p');
+         expect(paragraph.textContent).toEqual('true');
+
+         router.navigateByUrl('/otherteam');
+         advance(f);
+
+         expect(paragraph.textContent).toEqual('false');
+       }));
+
   });
 
   describe('lazy loading', () => {
@@ -2338,4 +2375,4 @@ function createRoot(router: Router, type: any): ComponentFixture<any> {
   ]
 })
 class TestModule {
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/router/index.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/router/index.d.ts
index 109bc39f7a..6da66d6bae 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/router/index.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/router/index.d.ts
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ export declare class RouterLink {
 
 /** @stable */
 export declare class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges, OnDestroy, AfterContentInit {
+    isActive: boolean;
     links: QueryList<RouterLink>;
     linksWithHrefs: QueryList<RouterLinkWithHref>;
     routerLinkActive: string[] | string;