diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
index 2c1ed5c056..1dba574c07 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
@@ -671,7 +671,12 @@ function getFirstNativeNode(lView: LView, tNode: TNode | null): RNode|null {
       const lContainer = lView[tNode.index];
       if (lContainer.length > CONTAINER_HEADER_OFFSET) {
         const firstView = lContainer[CONTAINER_HEADER_OFFSET];
-        return getFirstNativeNode(firstView, firstView[TVIEW].firstChild);
+        const firstTNodeOfView = firstView[TVIEW].firstChild;
+        if (firstTNodeOfView !== null) {
+          return getFirstNativeNode(firstView, firstTNodeOfView);
+        } else {
+          return lContainer[NATIVE];
+        }
       } else {
         return lContainer[NATIVE];
       }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
index fadc44211c..862e23c725 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/view_insertion_spec.ts
@@ -263,15 +263,7 @@ describe('view insertion', () => {
     }
 
     describe('before embedded view', () => {
-      @Component({
-        selector: 'test-cmpt',
-        template: `
-          <ng-template #insert>insert</ng-template>  
-          <ng-template #before>|before</ng-template>
-          
-          <div><ng-template #vi="vi" viewInserting></ng-template></div>
-        `
-      })
+      @Component({selector: 'test-cmpt', template: ''})
       class TestCmpt {
         @ViewChild('before', {static: true}) beforeTpl !: TemplateRef<{}>;
         @ViewChild('insert', {static: true}) insertTpl !: TemplateRef<{}>;
@@ -348,8 +340,8 @@ describe('view insertion', () => {
       });
 
       it('should insert before a view with an empty container as the first root node', () => {
-        expect(createAndInsertViews(`<ng-template [ngIf]="true"></ng-template>`).textContent)
-            .toBe('insert');
+        expect(createAndInsertViews(`<ng-template [ngIf]="true"></ng-template>|before`).textContent)
+            .toBe('insert|before');
 
       });