diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/digest.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/digest.ts
index d00bf80354..180f1504db 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/digest.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/digest.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ export function digest(message: i18n.Message): string {
 }
 
 export function decimalDigest(message: i18n.Message): string {
+  if (message.id) {
+    return message.id;
+  }
+
   const visitor = new _SerializerIgnoreIcuExpVisitor();
   const parts = message.nodes.map(a => a.visit(visitor, null));
   return computeMsgId(parts.join(''), message.meaning);
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/extractor.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/extractor.ts
index a46e641b59..ac1e6b8b3a 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/extractor.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/extractor.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class Extractor {
 
   extract(rootFiles: string[]): Promise<MessageBundle> {
     const programSymbols = extractProgramSymbols(this.staticSymbolResolver, rootFiles, this.host);
-    const {ngModuleByPipeOrDirective, files, ngModules} =
+    const {files, ngModules} =
         analyzeAndValidateNgModules(programSymbols, this.host, this.metadataResolver);
     return Promise
         .all(ngModules.map(
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/placeholder.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/placeholder.ts
index 6de2423069..02fb3c96c7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/placeholder.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/placeholder.ts
@@ -111,8 +111,14 @@ export class PlaceholderRegistry {
   private _hashClosingTag(tag: string): string { return this._hashTag(`/${tag}`, {}, false); }
 
   private _generateUniqueName(base: string): string {
-    const next = this._placeHolderNameCounts[base];
-    this._placeHolderNameCounts[base] = next ? next + 1 : 1;
-    return next ? `${base}_${next}` : base;
+    const seen = this._placeHolderNameCounts.hasOwnProperty(base);
+    if (!seen) {
+      this._placeHolderNameCounts[base] = 1;
+      return base;
+    }
+
+    const id = this._placeHolderNameCounts[base];
+    this._placeHolderNameCounts[base] = id + 1;
+    return `${base}_${id}`;
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/serializer.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/serializer.ts
index e39d8221e9..683d823408 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/serializer.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/serializer.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,26 @@
 
 import * as i18n from '../i18n_ast';
 
-export interface Serializer {
-  write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string;
+export abstract class Serializer {
+  abstract write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string;
 
-  load(content: string, url: string): {[msgId: string]: i18n.Node[]};
+  abstract load(content: string, url: string): {[msgId: string]: i18n.Node[]};
 
-  digest(message: i18n.Message): string;
+  abstract digest(message: i18n.Message): string;
+
+  // Creates a name mapper, see `PlaceholderMapper`
+  // Returning `null` means that no name mapping is used.
+  createNameMapper(message: i18n.Message): PlaceholderMapper { return null; }
+}
+
+/**
+ * A `PlaceholderMapper` converts placeholder names from internal to serialized representation and
+ * back.
+ *
+ * It should be used for serialization format that put constraints on the placeholder names.
+ */
+export interface PlaceholderMapper {
+  toPublicName(internalName: string): string;
+
+  toInternalName(publicName: string): string;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xliff.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xliff.ts
index f30398157d..b4f91c8632 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xliff.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xliff.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const _UNIT_TAG = 'trans-unit';
 
 // http://docs.oasis-open.org/xliff/v1.2/os/xliff-core.html
 // http://docs.oasis-open.org/xliff/v1.2/xliff-profile-html/xliff-profile-html-1.2.html
-export class Xliff implements Serializer {
+export class Xliff extends Serializer {
   write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string {
     const visitor = new _WriteVisitor();
     const visited: {[id: string]: boolean} = {};
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xmb.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xmb.ts
index 92842931a0..b947c9cd99 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xmb.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xmb.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import {decimalDigest} from '../digest';
 import * as i18n from '../i18n_ast';
 
-import {Serializer} from './serializer';
+import {PlaceholderMapper, Serializer} from './serializer';
 import * as xml from './xml_helper';
 
 const _MESSAGES_TAG = 'messagebundle';
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const _DOCTYPE = `<!ELEMENT messagebundle (msg)*>
 
 <!ELEMENT ex (#PCDATA)>`;
 
-export class Xmb implements Serializer {
+export class Xmb extends Serializer {
   write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string {
     const exampleVisitor = new ExampleVisitor();
     const visitor = new _Visitor();
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ export class Xmb implements Serializer {
       if (visited[id]) return;
       visited[id] = true;
 
+      const mapper = this.createNameMapper(message);
+
       const attrs: {[k: string]: string} = {id};
 
       if (message.description) {
@@ -62,7 +64,8 @@ export class Xmb implements Serializer {
       }
 
       rootNode.children.push(
-          new xml.CR(2), new xml.Tag(_MESSAGE_TAG, attrs, visitor.serialize(message.nodes)));
+          new xml.CR(2),
+          new xml.Tag(_MESSAGE_TAG, attrs, visitor.serialize(message.nodes, {mapper})));
     });
 
     rootNode.children.push(new xml.CR());
@@ -82,22 +85,29 @@ export class Xmb implements Serializer {
   }
 
   digest(message: i18n.Message): string { return digest(message); }
+
+
+  createNameMapper(message: i18n.Message): PlaceholderMapper {
+    return new XmbPlaceholderMapper(message);
+  }
 }
 
 class _Visitor implements i18n.Visitor {
-  visitText(text: i18n.Text, context?: any): xml.Node[] { return [new xml.Text(text.value)]; }
+  visitText(text: i18n.Text, ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
+    return [new xml.Text(text.value)];
+  }
 
-  visitContainer(container: i18n.Container, context?: any): xml.Node[] {
+  visitContainer(container: i18n.Container, ctx: any): xml.Node[] {
     const nodes: xml.Node[] = [];
-    container.children.forEach((node: i18n.Node) => nodes.push(...node.visit(this)));
+    container.children.forEach((node: i18n.Node) => nodes.push(...node.visit(this, ctx)));
     return nodes;
   }
 
-  visitIcu(icu: i18n.Icu, context?: any): xml.Node[] {
+  visitIcu(icu: i18n.Icu, ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
     const nodes = [new xml.Text(`{${icu.expressionPlaceholder}, ${icu.type}, `)];
 
     Object.keys(icu.cases).forEach((c: string) => {
-      nodes.push(new xml.Text(`${c} {`), ...icu.cases[c].visit(this), new xml.Text(`} `));
+      nodes.push(new xml.Text(`${c} {`), ...icu.cases[c].visit(this, ctx), new xml.Text(`} `));
     });
 
     nodes.push(new xml.Text(`}`));
@@ -105,30 +115,34 @@ class _Visitor implements i18n.Visitor {
     return nodes;
   }
 
-  visitTagPlaceholder(ph: i18n.TagPlaceholder, context?: any): xml.Node[] {
+  visitTagPlaceholder(ph: i18n.TagPlaceholder, ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
     const startEx = new xml.Tag(_EXEMPLE_TAG, {}, [new xml.Text(`<${ph.tag}>`)]);
-    const startTagPh = new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name: ph.startName}, [startEx]);
+    let name = ctx.mapper.toPublicName(ph.startName);
+    const startTagPh = new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name}, [startEx]);
     if (ph.isVoid) {
       // void tags have no children nor closing tags
       return [startTagPh];
     }
 
     const closeEx = new xml.Tag(_EXEMPLE_TAG, {}, [new xml.Text(`</${ph.tag}>`)]);
-    const closeTagPh = new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name: ph.closeName}, [closeEx]);
+    name = ctx.mapper.toPublicName(ph.closeName);
+    const closeTagPh = new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name}, [closeEx]);
 
-    return [startTagPh, ...this.serialize(ph.children), closeTagPh];
+    return [startTagPh, ...this.serialize(ph.children, ctx), closeTagPh];
   }
 
-  visitPlaceholder(ph: i18n.Placeholder, context?: any): xml.Node[] {
-    return [new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name: ph.name})];
+  visitPlaceholder(ph: i18n.Placeholder, ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
+    const name = ctx.mapper.toPublicName(ph.name);
+    return [new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name})];
   }
 
-  visitIcuPlaceholder(ph: i18n.IcuPlaceholder, context?: any): xml.Node[] {
-    return [new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name: ph.name})];
+  visitIcuPlaceholder(ph: i18n.IcuPlaceholder, ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
+    const name = ctx.mapper.toPublicName(ph.name);
+    return [new xml.Tag(_PLACEHOLDER_TAG, {name})];
   }
 
-  serialize(nodes: i18n.Node[]): xml.Node[] {
-    return [].concat(...nodes.map(node => node.visit(this)));
+  serialize(nodes: i18n.Node[], ctx: {mapper: PlaceholderMapper}): xml.Node[] {
+    return [].concat(...nodes.map(node => node.visit(this, ctx)));
   }
 }
 
@@ -158,3 +172,69 @@ class ExampleVisitor implements xml.IVisitor {
   visitDeclaration(decl: xml.Declaration): void {}
   visitDoctype(doctype: xml.Doctype): void {}
 }
+
+/**
+ * XMB/XTB placeholders can only contain A-Z, 0-9 and _
+ *
+ * Because such restrictions do not exist on placeholder names generated locally, the
+ * `PlaceholderMapper` is used to convert internal names to XMB names when the XMB file is
+ * serialized and back from XTB to internal names when an XTB is loaded.
+ */
+export class XmbPlaceholderMapper implements PlaceholderMapper, i18n.Visitor {
+  private internalToXmb: {[k: string]: string} = {};
+  private xmbToNextId: {[k: string]: number} = {};
+  private xmbToInternal: {[k: string]: string} = {};
+
+  // create a mapping from the message
+  constructor(message: i18n.Message) { message.nodes.forEach(node => node.visit(this)); }
+
+  toPublicName(internalName: string): string {
+    return this.internalToXmb.hasOwnProperty(internalName) ? this.internalToXmb[internalName] :
+                                                             null;
+  }
+
+  toInternalName(publicName: string): string {
+    return this.xmbToInternal.hasOwnProperty(publicName) ? this.xmbToInternal[publicName] : null;
+  }
+
+  visitText(text: i18n.Text, ctx?: any): any { return null; }
+
+  visitContainer(container: i18n.Container, ctx?: any): any {
+    container.children.forEach(child => child.visit(this));
+  }
+
+  visitIcu(icu: i18n.Icu, ctx?: any): any {
+    Object.keys(icu.cases).forEach(k => { icu.cases[k].visit(this); });
+  }
+
+  visitTagPlaceholder(ph: i18n.TagPlaceholder, ctx?: any): any {
+    this.addPlaceholder(ph.startName);
+    ph.children.forEach(child => child.visit(this));
+    this.addPlaceholder(ph.closeName);
+  }
+
+  visitPlaceholder(ph: i18n.Placeholder, ctx?: any): any { this.addPlaceholder(ph.name); }
+
+  visitIcuPlaceholder(ph: i18n.IcuPlaceholder, ctx?: any): any { this.addPlaceholder(ph.name); }
+
+  // XMB placeholders could only contains A-Z, 0-9 and _
+  private addPlaceholder(internalName: string): void {
+    if (!internalName || this.internalToXmb.hasOwnProperty(internalName)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let xmbName = internalName.toUpperCase().replace(/[^A-Z0-9_]/g, '_');
+
+    if (this.xmbToInternal.hasOwnProperty(xmbName)) {
+      // Create a new XMB when it has already been used
+      const nextId = this.xmbToNextId[xmbName];
+      this.xmbToNextId[xmbName] = nextId + 1;
+      xmbName = `${xmbName}_${nextId}`;
+    } else {
+      this.xmbToNextId[xmbName] = 1;
+    }
+
+    this.internalToXmb[internalName] = xmbName;
+    this.xmbToInternal[xmbName] = internalName;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xtb.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xtb.ts
index 5fee8229b4..7e333a46c7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xtb.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/serializers/xtb.ts
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ import {XmlParser} from '../../ml_parser/xml_parser';
 import * as i18n from '../i18n_ast';
 import {I18nError} from '../parse_util';
 
-import {Serializer} from './serializer';
-import {digest} from './xmb';
+import {PlaceholderMapper, Serializer} from './serializer';
+import {XmbPlaceholderMapper, digest} from './xmb';
 
 const _TRANSLATIONS_TAG = 'translationbundle';
 const _TRANSLATION_TAG = 'translation';
 const _PLACEHOLDER_TAG = 'ph';
 
-export class Xtb implements Serializer {
+export class Xtb extends Serializer {
   write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string { throw new Error('Unsupported'); }
 
   load(content: string, url: string): {[msgId: string]: i18n.Node[]} {
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ export class Xtb implements Serializer {
   }
 
   digest(message: i18n.Message): string { return digest(message); }
+
+  createNameMapper(message: i18n.Message): PlaceholderMapper {
+    return new XmbPlaceholderMapper(message);
+  }
 }
 
 // Extract messages as xml nodes from the xtb file
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/translation_bundle.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/translation_bundle.ts
index c21cbbbb3e..56852395a4 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/translation_bundle.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/i18n/translation_bundle.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {HtmlParser} from '../ml_parser/html_parser';
 
 import * as i18n from './i18n_ast';
 import {I18nError} from './parse_util';
-import {Serializer} from './serializers/serializer';
+import {PlaceholderMapper, Serializer} from './serializers/serializer';
 
 /**
  * A container for translated messages
@@ -21,16 +21,20 @@ export class TranslationBundle {
 
   constructor(
       private _i18nNodesByMsgId: {[msgId: string]: i18n.Node[]} = {},
-      public digest: (m: i18n.Message) => string) {
-    this._i18nToHtml = new I18nToHtmlVisitor(_i18nNodesByMsgId, digest);
+      public digest: (m: i18n.Message) => string,
+      public mapperFactory?: (m: i18n.Message) => PlaceholderMapper) {
+    this._i18nToHtml = new I18nToHtmlVisitor(_i18nNodesByMsgId, digest, mapperFactory);
   }
 
+  // Creates a `TranslationBundle` by parsing the given `content` with the `serializer`.
   static load(content: string, url: string, serializer: Serializer): TranslationBundle {
     const i18nNodesByMsgId = serializer.load(content, url);
     const digestFn = (m: i18n.Message) => serializer.digest(m);
-    return new TranslationBundle(i18nNodesByMsgId, digestFn);
+    const mapperFactory = (m: i18n.Message) => serializer.createNameMapper(m);
+    return new TranslationBundle(i18nNodesByMsgId, digestFn, mapperFactory);
   }
 
+  // Returns the translation as HTML nodes from the given source message.
   get(srcMsg: i18n.Message): html.Node[] {
     const html = this._i18nToHtml.convert(srcMsg);
 
@@ -46,15 +50,17 @@ export class TranslationBundle {
 
 class I18nToHtmlVisitor implements i18n.Visitor {
   private _srcMsg: i18n.Message;
-  private _srcMsgStack: i18n.Message[] = [];
+  private _contextStack: {msg: i18n.Message, mapper: (name: string) => string}[] = [];
   private _errors: I18nError[] = [];
+  private _mapper: (name: string) => string;
 
   constructor(
       private _i18nNodesByMsgId: {[msgId: string]: i18n.Node[]} = {},
-      private _digest: (m: i18n.Message) => string) {}
+      private _digest: (m: i18n.Message) => string,
+      private _mapperFactory: (m: i18n.Message) => PlaceholderMapper) {}
 
   convert(srcMsg: i18n.Message): {nodes: html.Node[], errors: I18nError[]} {
-    this._srcMsgStack.length = 0;
+    this._contextStack.length = 0;
     this._errors.length = 0;
     // i18n to text
     const text = this._convertToText(srcMsg);
@@ -88,7 +94,7 @@ class I18nToHtmlVisitor implements i18n.Visitor {
   }
 
   visitPlaceholder(ph: i18n.Placeholder, context?: any): string {
-    const phName = ph.name;
+    const phName = this._mapper(ph.name);
     if (this._srcMsg.placeholders.hasOwnProperty(phName)) {
       return this._srcMsg.placeholders[phName];
     }
@@ -105,14 +111,26 @@ class I18nToHtmlVisitor implements i18n.Visitor {
 
   visitIcuPlaceholder(ph: i18n.IcuPlaceholder, context?: any): any { throw 'unreachable code'; }
 
+  /**
+   * Convert a source message to a translated text string:
+   * - text nodes are replaced with their translation,
+   * - placeholders are replaced with their content,
+   * - ICU nodes are converted to ICU expressions.
+   */
   private _convertToText(srcMsg: i18n.Message): string {
     const digest = this._digest(srcMsg);
+    const mapper = this._mapperFactory ? this._mapperFactory(srcMsg) : null;
+
     if (this._i18nNodesByMsgId.hasOwnProperty(digest)) {
-      this._srcMsgStack.push(this._srcMsg);
+      this._contextStack.push({msg: this._srcMsg, mapper: this._mapper});
       this._srcMsg = srcMsg;
+      this._mapper = (name: string) => mapper ? mapper.toInternalName(name) : name;
+
       const nodes = this._i18nNodesByMsgId[digest];
       const text = nodes.map(node => node.visit(this)).join('');
-      this._srcMsg = this._srcMsgStack.pop();
+      const context = this._contextStack.pop();
+      this._srcMsg = context.msg;
+      this._mapper = context.mapper;
       return text;
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/integration_spec.ts
index 9013fcc5d4..849fd7d960 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/integration_spec.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,12 @@ const XTB = `
     <ph name="START_TAG_DIV_1"/><ph name="ICU"/><ph name="CLOSE_TAG_DIV"></ph>
 </translation>
   <translation id="1491627405349178954">ca <ph name="START_BOLD_TEXT"/>devrait<ph name="CLOSE_BOLD_TEXT"/> marcher</translation>
+  <translation id="i18n16">avec un ID explicite</translation>
+  <translation id="i18n17">{VAR_PLURAL, plural, =0 {zero} =1 {un} =2 {deux} other {<ph 
+  name="START_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;b&gt;</ex></ph>beaucoup<ph name="CLOSE_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;/b&gt;</ex></ph>} }</translation>
+  <translation id="4085484936881858615">{VAR_PLURAL, plural, =0 {Pas de réponse} =1 {une réponse} other {<ph name="INTERPOLATION"><ex>INTERPOLATION</ex></ph> réponse} }</translation>
+  <translation id="4035252431381981115">FOO<ph name="START_LINK"><ex>&lt;a&gt;</ex></ph>BAR<ph name="CLOSE_LINK"><ex>&lt;/a&gt;</ex></ph></translation>
+  <translation id="5339604010413301604"><ph name="MAP_NAME"><ex>MAP_NAME</ex></ph></translation>
 </translationbundle>`;
 
 // unused, for reference only
@@ -210,6 +216,11 @@ const XMB = `
     <ph name="START_TAG_DIV_1"><ex>&lt;div&gt;</ex></ph><ph name="ICU"/><ph name="CLOSE_TAG_DIV"><ex>&lt;/div&gt;</ex></ph>
 </msg>
   <msg id="1491627405349178954">it <ph name="START_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;b&gt;</ex></ph>should<ph name="CLOSE_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;/b&gt;</ex></ph> work</msg>
+  <msg id="i18n16">with an explicit ID</msg>
+  <msg id="i18n17">{VAR_PLURAL, plural, =0 {zero} =1 {one} =2 {two} other {<ph name="START_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;b&gt;</ex></ph>many<ph name="CLOSE_BOLD_TEXT"><ex>&lt;/b&gt;</ex></ph>} }</msg>
+  <msg id="4085484936881858615" desc="desc">{VAR_PLURAL, plural, =0 {Found no results} =1 {Found one result} other {Found <ph name="INTERPOLATION"><ex>INTERPOLATION</ex></ph> results} }</msg>
+  <msg id="4035252431381981115">foo<ph name="START_LINK"><ex>&lt;a&gt;</ex></ph>bar<ph name="CLOSE_LINK"><ex>&lt;/a&gt;</ex></ph></msg>
+  <msg id="5339604010413301604"><ph name="MAP_NAME"><ex>MAP_NAME</ex></ph></msg>;
 </messagebundle>`;
 
 const HTML = `
@@ -262,4 +273,6 @@ const HTML = `
 }</div>
 
 <div i18n id="i18n-18">foo<a i18n-title title="in a translatable section">bar</a></div>
+
+<div i18n>{{ 'test' //i18n(ph="map name") }}</div>
 `;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_bundle_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_bundle_spec.ts
index b82a30322b..5bd1a1a15a 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_bundle_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/i18n/message_bundle_spec.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export function main(): void {
   });
 }
 
-class _TestSerializer implements Serializer {
+class _TestSerializer extends Serializer {
   write(messages: i18n.Message[]): string {
     return messages.map(msg => `${serializeNodes(msg.nodes)} (${msg.meaning}|${msg.description})`)
         .join('//');