diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
index a7a0b13d44..2c1ed5c056 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
@@ -676,7 +676,12 @@ function getFirstNativeNode(lView: LView, tNode: TNode | null): RNode|null {
         return lContainer[NATIVE];
       }
     } else if (tNodeType === TNodeType.ElementContainer || tNodeType === TNodeType.IcuContainer) {
-      return getFirstNativeNode(lView, tNode.child);
+      const elIcuContainerChild = tNode.child;
+      if (elIcuContainerChild !== null) {
+        return getFirstNativeNode(lView, elIcuContainerChild);
+      } else {
+        return getNativeByTNode(tNode, lView);
+      }
     } else {
       const componentView = findComponentView(lView);
       const componentHost = componentView[T_HOST] as TElementNode;
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
index 090401d357..fadc44211c 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
@@ -327,6 +327,11 @@ describe('view insertion', () => {
             .toBe('insert|before');
       });
 
+      it('should insert before a view with the empty ng-container as the first root node', () => {
+        expect(createAndInsertViews(`<ng-container></ng-container>|before`).textContent)
+            .toBe('insert|before');
+      });
+
       it('should insert before a view with ICU container inside a ng-container as the first root node',
          () => {
            expect(