diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
index 104bf1f2c3..bf5d8409fe 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
@@ -557,7 +557,8 @@ function generateDetectChangesMethod(view: CompileView): o.Statement[] {
       view.updateContentQueriesMethod.isEmpty() &&
       view.afterContentLifecycleCallbacksMethod.isEmpty() &&
       view.detectChangesRenderPropertiesMethod.isEmpty() &&
-      view.updateViewQueriesMethod.isEmpty() && view.afterViewLifecycleCallbacksMethod.isEmpty()) {
+      view.updateViewQueriesMethod.isEmpty() && view.afterViewLifecycleCallbacksMethod.isEmpty() &&
+      view.viewContainers.length === 0 && view.viewChildren.length === 0) {
     return stmts;
   }
   stmts.push(...view.animationBindingsMethod.finish());
diff --git a/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
index 7294c2c9e3..a1d9f8962c 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import {ElementSchemaRegistry} from '@angular/compiler/src/schema/element_schema_registry';
 import {TEST_COMPILER_PROVIDERS} from '@angular/compiler/testing/test_bindings';
-import {AfterContentChecked, AfterContentInit, AfterViewChecked, AfterViewInit, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, DebugElement, Directive, DoCheck, Injectable, Input, OnChanges, OnDestroy, OnInit, Output, Pipe, PipeTransform, RenderComponentType, Renderer, RootRenderer, SimpleChange, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, Type, ViewContainerRef, WrappedValue} from '@angular/core';
+import {AfterContentChecked, AfterContentInit, AfterViewChecked, AfterViewInit, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, DebugElement, Directive, DoCheck, Injectable, Input, OnChanges, OnDestroy, OnInit, Output, Pipe, PipeTransform, RenderComponentType, Renderer, RootRenderer, SimpleChange, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef, WrappedValue} from '@angular/core';
 import {DebugDomRenderer} from '@angular/core/src/debug/debug_renderer';
 import {ComponentFixture, TestBed, fakeAsync} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser/src/dom/debug/by';
@@ -1165,6 +1165,43 @@ export function main() {
            expect(directiveLog.filter(['set'])).toEqual(['0.set', '1.set', '2.set']);
          }));
     });
+
+    describe('nested view recursion', () => {
+      it('should recurse into nested components even if there are no bindings in the component view',
+         () => {
+           @Component({selector: 'nested', template: '{{name}}'})
+           class Nested {
+             name = 'Tom';
+           }
+
+           TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [Nested]});
+
+           const ctx = createCompFixture('<nested></nested>');
+           ctx.detectChanges();
+           expect(renderLog.loggedValues).toEqual(['Tom']);
+         });
+
+      it('should recurse into nested view containers even if there are no bindings in the component view',
+         () => {
+           @Component({template: '<template #vc>{{name}}</template>'})
+           class Comp {
+             name = 'Tom';
+             @ViewChild('vc', {read: ViewContainerRef}) vc: ViewContainerRef;
+             @ViewChild(TemplateRef) template: TemplateRef<any>;
+           }
+
+           TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [Comp]});
+           initHelpers();
+
+           const ctx = TestBed.createComponent(Comp);
+           ctx.detectChanges();
+           expect(renderLog.loggedValues).toEqual([]);
+
+           ctx.componentInstance.vc.createEmbeddedView(ctx.componentInstance.template);
+           ctx.detectChanges();
+           expect(renderLog.loggedValues).toEqual(['Tom']);
+         });
+    });
   });
 }