diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/test_component_builder_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/test_component_builder_spec.ts
index 0c9db5ae26..a59b049a75 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/test_component_builder_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/test_component_builder_spec.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   ComponentResolver
 } from '@angular/core';
 import {NgIf} from '@angular/common';
+import {TimerWrapper} from '../src/facade/async';
 import {IS_DART} from '../src/facade/lang';
 import {PromiseWrapper} from '../src/facade/promise';
 import {dispatchEvent} from "@angular/platform-browser/testing";
@@ -123,6 +124,26 @@ class AsyncChangeComp {
   click() { this.text += '1'; }
 }
 
+@Component({selector: 'async-timeout-comp', template: `<span (click)='click()'>{{text}}</span>`})
+class AsyncTimeoutComp {
+  text: string = '1';
+
+  click() {
+    TimerWrapper.setTimeout(() => { this.text += '1'; }, 10);
+  }
+}
+
+@Component(
+    {selector: 'nested-async-timeout-comp', template: `<span (click)='click()'>{{text}}</span>`})
+class NestedAsyncTimeoutComp {
+  text: string = '1';
+
+  click() {
+    TimerWrapper.setTimeout(() => { TimerWrapper.setTimeout(() => { this.text += '1'; }, 10); },
+                            10);
+  }
+}
+
 class FancyService {
   value: string = 'real value';
 }
@@ -378,6 +399,108 @@ export function main() {
                     });
                   }));
 
+        it('should wait for macroTask(setTimeout) while checking for whenStable ' +
+               '(autoDetectChanges)',
+           inject([TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+                  (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async) => {
+
+                    tcb.createAsync(AsyncTimeoutComp)
+                        .then((componentFixture) => {
+                          componentFixture.autoDetectChanges();
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          let element = componentFixture.debugElement.children[0];
+                          dispatchEvent(element.nativeElement, 'click');
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          // Component is updated asynchronously. Wait for the fixture to become
+                          // stable before checking for new value.
+                          expect(componentFixture.isStable()).toBe(false);
+                          componentFixture.whenStable().then((waited) => {
+                            expect(waited).toBe(true);
+                            expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('11');
+                            async.done();
+                          });
+                        });
+                  }));
+
+        it('should wait for macroTask(setTimeout) while checking for whenStable ' +
+               '(no autoDetectChanges)',
+           inject([TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+                  (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async) => {
+
+                    tcb.createAsync(AsyncTimeoutComp)
+                        .then((componentFixture) => {
+                          componentFixture.detectChanges();
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          let element = componentFixture.debugElement.children[0];
+                          dispatchEvent(element.nativeElement, 'click');
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          // Component is updated asynchronously. Wait for the fixture to become
+                          // stable before checking for new value.
+                          expect(componentFixture.isStable()).toBe(false);
+                          componentFixture.whenStable().then((waited) => {
+                            expect(waited).toBe(true);
+                            componentFixture.detectChanges();
+                            expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('11');
+                            async.done();
+                          });
+                        });
+                  }));
+
+        it('should wait for nested macroTasks(setTimeout) while checking for whenStable ' +
+               '(autoDetectChanges)',
+           inject([TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+                  (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async) => {
+
+                    tcb.createAsync(NestedAsyncTimeoutComp)
+                        .then((componentFixture) => {
+                          componentFixture.autoDetectChanges();
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          let element = componentFixture.debugElement.children[0];
+                          dispatchEvent(element.nativeElement, 'click');
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          // Component is updated asynchronously. Wait for the fixture to become
+                          // stable before checking for new value.
+                          expect(componentFixture.isStable()).toBe(false);
+                          componentFixture.whenStable().then((waited) => {
+                            expect(waited).toBe(true);
+                            expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('11');
+                            async.done();
+                          });
+                        });
+                  }));
+
+        it('should wait for nested macroTasks(setTimeout) while checking for whenStable ' +
+               '(no autoDetectChanges)',
+           inject([TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
+                  (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async) => {
+
+                    tcb.createAsync(NestedAsyncTimeoutComp)
+                        .then((componentFixture) => {
+                          componentFixture.detectChanges();
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          let element = componentFixture.debugElement.children[0];
+                          dispatchEvent(element.nativeElement, 'click');
+                          expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1');
+
+                          // Component is updated asynchronously. Wait for the fixture to become
+                          // stable before checking for new value.
+                          expect(componentFixture.isStable()).toBe(false);
+                          componentFixture.whenStable().then((waited) => {
+                            expect(waited).toBe(true);
+                            componentFixture.detectChanges();
+                            expect(componentFixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('11');
+                            async.done();
+                          });
+                        });
+                  }));
+
         it('should stabilize after async task in change detection (autoDetectChanges)',
            inject([TestComponentBuilder, AsyncTestCompleter],
                   (tcb: TestComponentBuilder, async) => {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/testing/test_component_builder.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/testing/test_component_builder.ts
index dc26cee561..328fbe7db7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/testing/test_component_builder.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/testing/test_component_builder.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
 import {DirectiveResolver, ViewResolver} from '../index';
 
 import {BaseException} from '../src/facade/exceptions';
-import {Type, isPresent, isBlank, IS_DART} from '../src/facade/lang';
+import {Type, isPresent, isBlank, IS_DART, scheduleMicroTask} from '../src/facade/lang';
 import {PromiseWrapper, ObservableWrapper, PromiseCompleter} from '../src/facade/async';
 import {ListWrapper, MapWrapper} from '../src/facade/collection';
 
@@ -102,10 +102,16 @@ export class ComponentFixture<T> {
           });
       this._onStableSubscription = ObservableWrapper.subscribe(ngZone.onStable, (_) => {
         this._isStable = true;
-        if (this._completer != null) {
-          this._completer.resolve(true);
-          this._completer = null;
-        }
+        // Check whether there are no pending macrotasks in a microtask so that ngZone gets a chance
+        // to update the state of pending macrotasks.
+        scheduleMicroTask(() => {
+          if (!this.ngZone.hasPendingMacrotasks) {
+            if (this._completer != null) {
+              this._completer.resolve(true);
+              this._completer = null;
+            }
+          }
+        });
       });
 
       this._onErrorSubscription = ObservableWrapper.subscribe(
@@ -156,7 +162,7 @@ export class ComponentFixture<T> {
    * Return whether the fixture is currently stable or has async tasks that have not been completed
    * yet.
    */
-  isStable(): boolean { return this._isStable; }
+  isStable(): boolean { return this._isStable && !this.ngZone.hasPendingMacrotasks; }
 
   /**
    * Get a promise that resolves when the fixture is stable.
@@ -165,8 +171,10 @@ export class ComponentFixture<T> {
    * asynchronous change detection.
    */
   whenStable(): Promise<any> {
-    if (this._isStable) {
+    if (this.isStable()) {
       return PromiseWrapper.resolve(false);
+    } else if (this._completer !== null) {
+      return this._completer.promise;
     } else {
       this._completer = new PromiseCompleter<any>();
       return this._completer.promise;