diff --git a/packages/common/src/directives/ng_for_of.ts b/packages/common/src/directives/ng_for_of.ts
index 7bffebc700..93288dc9f4 100644
--- a/packages/common/src/directives/ng_for_of.ts
+++ b/packages/common/src/directives/ng_for_of.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {ChangeDetectorRef, Directive, DoCheck, EmbeddedViewRef, Input, IterableChangeRecord, IterableChanges, IterableDiffer, IterableDiffers, NgIterable, OnChanges, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, TrackByFunction, ViewContainerRef, forwardRef, isDevMode} from '@angular/core';
+import {ChangeDetectorRef, Directive, DoCheck, EmbeddedViewRef, Input, IterableChangeRecord, IterableChanges, IterableDiffer, IterableDiffers, NgIterable, TemplateRef, TrackByFunction, ViewContainerRef, forwardRef, isDevMode} from '@angular/core';
 
 export class NgForOfContext<T> {
   constructor(
@@ -93,8 +93,12 @@ export class NgForOfContext<T> {
  *
  */
 @Directive({selector: '[ngFor][ngForOf]'})
-export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
-  @Input() ngForOf: NgIterable<T>;
+export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck {
+  @Input()
+  set ngForOf(ngForOf: NgIterable<T>) {
+    this._ngForOf = ngForOf;
+    this._ngForOfDirty = true;
+  }
   @Input()
   set ngForTrackBy(fn: TrackByFunction<T>) {
     if (isDevMode() && fn != null && typeof fn !== 'function') {
@@ -110,6 +114,8 @@ export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
 
   get ngForTrackBy(): TrackByFunction<T> { return this._trackByFn; }
 
+  private _ngForOf: NgIterable<T>;
+  private _ngForOfDirty: boolean = true;
   private _differ: IterableDiffer<T>|null = null;
   private _trackByFn: TrackByFunction<T>;
 
@@ -127,10 +133,11 @@ export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
     }
   }
 
-  ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges): void {
-    if ('ngForOf' in changes) {
+  ngDoCheck(): void {
+    if (this._ngForOfDirty) {
+      this._ngForOfDirty = false;
       // React on ngForOf changes only once all inputs have been initialized
-      const value = changes['ngForOf'].currentValue;
+      const value = this._ngForOf;
       if (!this._differ && value) {
         try {
           this._differ = this._differs.find(value).create(this.ngForTrackBy);
@@ -140,11 +147,8 @@ export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
         }
       }
     }
-  }
-
-  ngDoCheck(): void {
     if (this._differ) {
-      const changes = this._differ.diff(this.ngForOf);
+      const changes = this._differ.diff(this._ngForOf);
       if (changes) this._applyChanges(changes);
     }
   }
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ export class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
         (item: IterableChangeRecord<any>, adjustedPreviousIndex: number, currentIndex: number) => {
           if (item.previousIndex == null) {
             const view = this._viewContainer.createEmbeddedView(
-                this._template, new NgForOfContext<T>(null !, this.ngForOf, -1, -1), currentIndex);
+                this._template, new NgForOfContext<T>(null !, this._ngForOf, -1, -1), currentIndex);
             const tuple = new RecordViewTuple<T>(item, view);
             insertTuples.push(tuple);
           } else if (currentIndex == null) {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index fccb3b48e3..6571af19de 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -59,27 +59,18 @@
   {
     "name": "NgIfContext"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "NgOnChangesFeature"
-  },
   {
     "name": "Optional"
   },
   {
     "name": "PARAMETERS"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "PRIVATE_PREFIX"
-  },
   {
     "name": "ROOT_DIRECTIVE_INDICES"
   },
   {
     "name": "RecordViewTuple"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "SimpleChange"
-  },
   {
     "name": "SkipSelf"
   },
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/index.ts b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/index.ts
index d5694a3407..579335ce45 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo/index.ts
@@ -160,11 +160,6 @@ if (!(NgIf as any).ngDirectiveDef) {
     selectors: [['', 'ngFor', '', 'ngForOf', '']],
     factory: () => new NgForOf(
                  injectViewContainerRef(), injectTemplateRef(), directiveInject(IterableDiffers)),
-    features: [NgOnChangesFeature({
-      ngForOf: 'ngForOf',
-      ngForTrackBy: 'ngForTrackBy',
-      ngForTemplate: 'ngForTemplate',
-    })],
     inputs: {
       ngForOf: 'ngForOf',
       ngForTrackBy: 'ngForTrackBy',
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
index 41975dad0e..9f3742fd3b 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ NgForOf.ngDirectiveDef = defineDirective({
   selectors: [['', 'ngForOf', '']],
   factory: () => new NgForOfDef(
                injectViewContainerRef(), injectTemplateRef(), directiveInject(IterableDiffers)),
-  features: [NgOnChangesFeature()],
   inputs: {
     ngForOf: 'ngForOf',
     ngForTrackBy: 'ngForTrackBy',
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
index 0ba2b7ba56..1c04dc1595 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
@@ -240,13 +240,12 @@ export declare class NgComponentOutlet implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
     ngOnDestroy(): void;
 }
 
-export declare class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck, OnChanges {
+export declare class NgForOf<T> implements DoCheck {
     ngForOf: NgIterable<T>;
     ngForTemplate: TemplateRef<NgForOfContext<T>>;
     ngForTrackBy: TrackByFunction<T>;
     constructor(_viewContainer: ViewContainerRef, _template: TemplateRef<NgForOfContext<T>>, _differs: IterableDiffers);
     ngDoCheck(): void;
-    ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges): void;
 }
 
 export declare class NgForOfContext<T> {