diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/transform/template_compiler/directive_metadata_reader.dart b/modules/angular2/src/transform/template_compiler/directive_metadata_reader.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..575a6074a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/transform/template_compiler/directive_metadata_reader.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+library angular2.transform.template_compiler.directive_metadata_reader;
+
+import 'package:analyzer/analyzer.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/render/api.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/asset_reader.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/logging.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/names.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/parser.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/property_utils.dart' as prop;
+
+/// Reads [DirectiveMetadata] from the `attributes` of `t`.
+List<DirectiveMetadata> readDirectiveMetadata(RegisteredType t) {
+  var visitor = new _DirectiveMetadataVisitor();
+  t.annotations.accept(visitor);
+  return visitor.directiveMetadata;
+}
+
+num _getDirectiveType(String annotationName) {
+  // TODO(kegluneq): Detect subtypes & implementations of `Directive`s.
+  switch (annotationName) {
+    case 'Decorator':
+      return DirectiveMetadata.DECORATOR_TYPE;
+    case 'Component':
+      return DirectiveMetadata.COMPONENT_TYPE;
+    case 'Viewport':
+      return DirectiveMetadata.VIEWPORT_TYPE;
+    default:
+      return -1;
+  }
+}
+
+/// Visitor responsible for processing the `annotations` property of a
+/// [RegisterType] object and pulling out [DirectiveMetadata].
+class _DirectiveMetadataVisitor extends Object
+    with RecursiveAstVisitor<Object> {
+  DirectiveMetadata current;
+  final List<DirectiveMetadata> directiveMetadata = [];
+
+  @override
+  Object visitInstanceCreationExpression(InstanceCreationExpression node) {
+    var directiveType = _getDirectiveType('${node.constructorName.type.name}');
+    if (directiveType >= 0) {
+      current = new DirectiveMetadata(
+          type: directiveType,
+          compileChildren: false,
+          properties: {},
+          hostListeners: {},
+          setters: [],
+          readAttributes: []);
+      directiveMetadata.add(current);
+      super.visitInstanceCreationExpression(node);
+    }
+    // Annotation we do not recognize - no need to visit.
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Object visitNamedExpression(NamedExpression node) {
+    // TODO(kegluneq): Remove this limitation.
+    if (node.name is! Label || node.name.label is! SimpleIdentifier) {
+      logger.error(
+          'Angular 2 currently only supports simple identifiers in directives.'
+          ' Source: ${node}');
+      return null;
+    }
+    var keyString = '${node.name.label}';
+    // TODO(kegluneq): Populate the other values in [DirectiveMetadata] once
+    // they are specified as `hostAttributes` and `hostSetters`.
+    // See [https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/1244]
+    switch (keyString) {
+      case 'selector':
+        _populateSelector(node.expression);
+        break;
+      case 'compileChildren':
+        _populateCompileChildren(node.expression);
+        break;
+      case 'properties':
+        _populateProperties(node.expression);
+        break;
+      case 'hostListeners':
+        _populateHostListeners(node.expression);
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  String _expressionToString(Expression node, String nodeDescription) {
+    // TODO(kegluneq): Accept more options.
+    if (node is! SimpleStringLiteral) {
+      logger.error('Angular 2 currently only supports string literals '
+          'in $nodeDescription. Source: ${node}');
+      return null;
+    }
+    return stringLiteralToString(node);
+  }
+
+  void _populateSelector(Expression selectorValue) {
+    current.selector = _expressionToString(selectorValue, 'Directive#selector');
+  }
+
+  void _populateCompileChildren(Expression compileChildrenValue) {
+    if (compileChildrenValue is! BooleanLiteral) {
+      logger.error(
+          'Angular 2 currently only supports boolean literal values for '
+          'Decorator#compileChildren.'
+          ' Source: ${node}');
+      return;
+    }
+    current.compileChildren = compileChildrenValue.value;
+  }
+
+  void _populateProperties(Expression propertiesValue) {
+    if (propertiesValue is! MapLiteral) {
+      logger.error('Angular 2 currently only supports map literal values for '
+          'Directive#properties.'
+          ' Source: ${node}');
+      return;
+    }
+    for (MapLiteralEntry entry in propertiesValue.entries) {
+      var sKey = _expressionToString(entry.key, 'Directive#properties keys');
+      var sVal = _expressionToString(entry.value, 'Direcive#properties values');
+      current.properties[sKey] = sVal;
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _populateHostListeners(Expression hostListenersValue) {
+    if (hostListenersValue is! MapLiteral) {
+      logger.error('Angular 2 currently only supports map literal values for '
+          'Directive#hostListeners.'
+          ' Source: ${node}');
+      return;
+    }
+    for (MapLiteralEntry entry in hostListenersValue.entries) {
+      var sKey = _expressionToString(entry.key, 'Directive#hostListeners keys');
+      var sVal =
+          _expressionToString(entry.value, 'Directive#hostListeners values');
+      current.hostListeners[sKey] = sVal;
+      ;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/transform/template_compiler/all_tests.dart b/modules/angular2/test/transform/template_compiler/all_tests.dart
index d1332d5cbb..09c146cd25 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/test/transform/template_compiler/all_tests.dart
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/transform/template_compiler/all_tests.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ library angular2.test.transform.template_compiler.all_tests;
 import 'package:barback/barback.dart';
 import 'package:angular2/src/dom/html_adapter.dart';
 import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/asset_reader.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/common/parser.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/transform/template_compiler/directive_metadata_reader.dart';
 import 'package:angular2/src/transform/template_compiler/generator.dart';
 import 'package:dart_style/dart_style.dart';
 import 'package:guinness/guinness.dart';
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ var formatter = new DartFormatter();
 void allTests() {
   Html5LibDomAdapter.makeCurrent();
   AssetReader reader = new TestAssetReader();
+  var parser = new Parser(reader);
 
   it('should parse simple expressions in inline templates.', () async {
     var inputPath =
@@ -47,6 +50,48 @@ void allTests() {
     var output = await processTemplates(reader, new AssetId('a', inputPath));
     _formatThenExpectEquals(output, expected);
   });
+
+  describe('DirectiveMetadataReader', () {
+    it('should parse simple expressions in inline templates', () async {
+      var inputPath =
+          'template_compiler/inline_expression_files/hello.ng_deps.dart';
+      var ngDeps = await parser.parse(new AssetId('a', inputPath));
+
+      var metadata = readDirectiveMetadata(ngDeps.registeredTypes.first);
+      expect(metadata.length).toEqual(2);
+      expect(metadata[0].selector).toEqual('hello-app');
+    });
+
+    it('should parse simple methods in inline templates', () async {
+      var inputPath =
+      'template_compiler/inline_method_files/hello.ng_deps.dart';
+      var ngDeps = await parser.parse(new AssetId('a', inputPath));
+
+      var metadata = readDirectiveMetadata(ngDeps.registeredTypes.first);
+      expect(metadata.length).toEqual(2);
+      expect(metadata[0].selector).toEqual('hello-app');
+    });
+
+    it('should parse simple expressions in linked templates.', () async {
+      var inputPath =
+      'template_compiler/url_expression_files/hello.ng_deps.dart';
+      var ngDeps = await parser.parse(new AssetId('a', inputPath));
+
+      var metadata = readDirectiveMetadata(ngDeps.registeredTypes.first);
+      expect(metadata.length).toEqual(2);
+      expect(metadata[0].selector).toEqual('hello-app');
+    });
+
+    it('should parse simple methods in linked templates.', () async {
+      var inputPath =
+      'template_compiler/url_method_files/hello.ng_deps.dart';
+      var ngDeps = await parser.parse(new AssetId('a', inputPath));
+
+      var metadata = readDirectiveMetadata(ngDeps.registeredTypes.first);
+      expect(metadata.length).toEqual(2);
+      expect(metadata[0].selector).toEqual('hello-app');
+    });
+  });
 }
 
 void _formatThenExpectEquals(String actual, String expected) {