diff --git a/packages/localize/src/localize/src/localize.ts b/packages/localize/src/localize/src/localize.ts
index e94d9853a8..660b4e2538 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/localize/src/localize.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/localize/src/localize.ts
@@ -22,15 +22,15 @@ export interface LocalizeFn {
   translate?: TranslateFn;
   /**
    * The current locale of the translated messages.
-   * 
+   *
    * The compile-time translation inliner is able to replace the following code:
-   * 
+   *
    * ```
-   * $localize && $localize.locale
+   * typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale
    * ```
-   * 
+   *
    * with a string literal of the current locale. E.g.
-   * 
+   *
    * ```
    * "fr"
    * ```
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/locale_plugin.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/locale_plugin.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aaa0237628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/locale_plugin.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+import {NodePath, PluginObj} from '@babel/core';
+import {MemberExpression, stringLiteral} from '@babel/types';
+
+import {TranslatePluginOptions, isLocalize} from './source_file_utils';
+
+/**
+ * This Babel plugin will replace the following code forms with a string literal containing the
+ * given `locale`.
+ *
+ * * `$localize.locale`                                            -> `"locale"`
+ * * `typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale`        -> `"locale"`
+ * * `xxx && typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale` -> `"xxx && locale"`
+ * * `$localize.locale || default`                                 -> `"locale" || default`
+ *
+ * @param locale The name of the locale to inline into the code.
+ * @param options Additional options including the name of the `$localize` function.
+ */
+export function makeLocalePlugin(
+    locale: string, {localizeName = '$localize'}: TranslatePluginOptions = {}): PluginObj {
+  return {
+    visitor: {
+      MemberExpression(expression: NodePath<MemberExpression>) {
+        const obj = expression.get('object');
+        if (!isLocalize(obj, localizeName)) {
+          return;
+        }
+        const property = expression.get('property') as NodePath;
+        if (!property.isIdentifier({name: 'locale'})) {
+          return;
+        }
+        if (expression.parentPath.isAssignmentExpression() &&
+            expression.parentPath.get('left') === expression) {
+          return;
+        }
+        // Check for the `$localize.locale` being guarded by a check on the existence of
+        // `$localize`.
+        const parent = expression.parentPath;
+        if (parent.isLogicalExpression({operator: '&&'}) && parent.get('right') === expression) {
+          const left = parent.get('left');
+          if (isLocalizeGuard(left, localizeName)) {
+            // Replace `typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale` with
+            // `$localize.locale`
+            parent.replaceWith(expression);
+          } else if (
+              left.isLogicalExpression({operator: '&&'}) &&
+              isLocalizeGuard(left.get('right'), localizeName)) {
+            // The `$localize` is part of a preceding logical AND.
+            // Replace XXX && typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale` with `XXX &&
+            // $localize.locale`
+            left.replaceWith(left.get('left'));
+          }
+        }
+        // Replace the `$localize.locale` with the string literal
+        expression.replaceWith(stringLiteral(locale));
+      }
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if the expression one of:
+ * * `typeof $localize !== "undefined"`
+ * * `"undefined" !== typeof $localize`
+ * * `typeof $localize != "undefined"`
+ * * `"undefined" != typeof $localize`
+ *
+ * @param expression the expression to check
+ * @param localizeName the name of the `$localize` symbol
+ */
+function isLocalizeGuard(expression: NodePath, localizeName: string): boolean {
+  if (!expression.isBinaryExpression() ||
+      !(expression.node.operator === '!==' || expression.node.operator === '!=')) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const left = expression.get('left');
+  const right = expression.get('right');
+
+  return (left.isUnaryExpression({operator: 'typeof'}) &&
+          isLocalize(left.get('argument'), localizeName) &&
+          right.isStringLiteral({value: 'undefined'})) ||
+      (right.isUnaryExpression({operator: 'typeof'}) &&
+       isLocalize(right.get('argument'), localizeName) &&
+       left.isStringLiteral({value: 'undefined'}));
+}
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler.ts
index 912ed2cb5f..391f568eec 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ import {TranslationBundle, TranslationHandler} from '../translator';
 
 import {makeEs2015TranslatePlugin} from './es2015_translate_plugin';
 import {makeEs5TranslatePlugin} from './es5_translate_plugin';
+import {makeLocalePlugin} from './locale_plugin';
 import {TranslatePluginOptions} from './source_file_utils';
 
 
+
 /**
  * Translate a file by inlining all messages tagged by `$localize` with the appropriate translated
  * message.
@@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ export class SourceFileTranslationHandler implements TranslationHandler {
       compact: true,
       generatorOpts: {minified: true},
       plugins: [
+        makeLocalePlugin(translationBundle.locale),
         makeEs2015TranslatePlugin(diagnostics, translationBundle.translations, options),
         makeEs5TranslatePlugin(diagnostics, translationBundle.translations, options),
       ],
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/locale_plugin_spec.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/locale_plugin_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1033c4191
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/locale_plugin_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
+ */
+import {transformSync} from '@babel/core';
+import {makeLocalePlugin} from '../../../src/translate/source_files/locale_plugin';
+
+describe('makeLocalePlugin', () => {
+  it('should replace $localize.locale with the locale string', () => {
+    const input = '$localize.locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('"fr";');
+  });
+
+  it('should replace $localize.locale with the locale string in the context of a variable assignment',
+     () => {
+       const input = 'const a = $localize.locale;';
+       const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output.code).toEqual('const a = "fr";');
+     });
+
+  it('should replace $localize.locale with the locale string in the context of a binary expression',
+     () => {
+       const input = '$localize.locale || "default";';
+       const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output.code).toEqual('"fr" || "default";');
+     });
+
+  it('should remove reference to `$localize` if used to guard the locale', () => {
+    const input = 'typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('"fr";');
+  });
+
+  it('should remove reference to `$localize` if used in a longer logical expression to guard the locale',
+     () => {
+       const input1 = 'x || y && typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale;';
+       const output1 = transformSync(input1, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output1.code).toEqual('x || y && "fr";');
+
+       const input2 = 'x || y && "undefined" !== typeof $localize && $localize.locale;';
+       const output2 = transformSync(input2, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output2.code).toEqual('x || y && "fr";');
+
+       const input3 = 'x || y && typeof $localize != "undefined" && $localize.locale;';
+       const output3 = transformSync(input3, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output3.code).toEqual('x || y && "fr";');
+
+       const input4 = 'x || y && "undefined" != typeof $localize && $localize.locale;';
+       const output4 = transformSync(input4, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+       expect(output4.code).toEqual('x || y && "fr";');
+     });
+
+  it('should ignore properties on $localize other than `locale`', () => {
+    const input = '$localize.notLocale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('$localize.notLocale;');
+  });
+
+  it('should ignore indexed property on $localize', () => {
+    const input = '$localize["locale"];';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('$localize["locale"];');
+  });
+
+  it('should ignore `locale` on objects other than $localize', () => {
+    const input = '$notLocalize.locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('$notLocalize.locale;');
+  });
+
+  it('should ignore `$localize.locale` if `$localize` is not global', () => {
+    const input = 'const $localize = {};\n$localize.locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('const $localize = {};\n$localize.locale;');
+  });
+
+  it('should ignore `locale` if it is not directly accessed from `$localize`', () => {
+    const input = 'const {locale} = $localize;\nconst a = locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('const {\n  locale\n} = $localize;\nconst a = locale;');
+  });
+
+  it('should ignore `$localize.locale` on LHS of an assignment', () => {
+    const input = 'let a;\na = $localize.locale = "de";';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('let a;\na = $localize.locale = "de";');
+  });
+
+  it('should handle `$localize.locale on RHS of an assignment', () => {
+    const input = 'let a;\na = $localize.locale;';
+    const output = transformSync(input, {plugins: [makeLocalePlugin('fr')]}) !;
+    expect(output.code).toEqual('let a;\na = "fr";');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler_spec.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler_spec.ts
index 62a4ec472d..97749abd77 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/test/translate/source_files/source_file_translation_handler_spec.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,29 @@ describe('SourceFileTranslationHandler', () => {
              .toHaveBeenCalledWith('/translations/en-US/relative/path.js', output);
        });
 
+    it('should transform `$localize.locale` identifiers', () => {
+      const diagnostics = new Diagnostics();
+      const handler = new SourceFileTranslationHandler();
+      const translations: TranslationBundle[] = [
+        {locale: 'fr', translations: {}},
+      ];
+      const contents = Buffer.from(
+          'const x = $localize.locale;\n' +
+          'const y = typeof $localize !== "undefined" && $localize.locale;\n' +
+          'const z = "undefined" !== typeof $localize && $localize.locale || "default";');
+      const getOutput = (locale: string) =>
+          `const x="${locale}";const y="${locale}";const z="${locale}"||"default";`;
+
+      handler.translate(
+          diagnostics, '/root/path', 'relative/path.js', contents, mockOutputPathFn, translations,
+          'en-US');
+
+      expect(FileUtils.writeFile)
+          .toHaveBeenCalledWith('/translations/fr/relative/path.js', getOutput('fr'));
+      expect(FileUtils.writeFile)
+          .toHaveBeenCalledWith('/translations/en-US/relative/path.js', getOutput('en-US'));
+    });
+
     it('should error if the file is not valid JS', () => {
       const diagnostics = new Diagnostics();
       const handler = new SourceFileTranslationHandler();