diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
index 562fad7b2e..e12d4b84bb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/query.ts
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ function geIdxOfMatchingDirective(node: LNode, type: Type<any>): number|null {
 }
 
 function readFromNodeInjector(
-    nodeInjector: LInjector, node: LNode, read: QueryReadType<any>| Type<any>| null,
-    directiveIdx: number = -1): any {
+    nodeInjector: LInjector, node: LNode, read: QueryReadType<any>| Type<any>,
+    directiveIdx: number): any {
   if (read instanceof ReadFromInjectorFn) {
     return read.read(nodeInjector, node, directiveIdx);
   } else {
@@ -246,13 +246,12 @@ function add(predicate: QueryPredicate<any>| null, node: LNode) {
     if (type) {
       const directiveIdx = geIdxOfMatchingDirective(node, type);
       if (directiveIdx !== null) {
-        if (predicate.read !== null) {
-          const requestedRead = readFromNodeInjector(nodeInjector, node, predicate.read);
-          if (requestedRead !== null) {
-            addMatch(predicate, requestedRead);
-          }
-        } else {
-          addMatch(predicate, node.view.data[directiveIdx]);
+        // a node is matching a predicate - determine what to read
+        // if read token and / or strategy is not specified, use type as read token
+        const result =
+            readFromNodeInjector(nodeInjector, node, predicate.read || type, directiveIdx);
+        if (result !== null) {
+          addMatch(predicate, result);
         }
       }
     } else {
@@ -260,15 +259,13 @@ function add(predicate: QueryPredicate<any>| null, node: LNode) {
       for (let i = 0; i < selector.length; i++) {
         ngDevMode && assertNotNull(node.tNode, 'node.tNode');
         const directiveIdx = getIdxOfMatchingSelector(node.tNode !, selector[i]);
-        // is anything on a node matching a selector?
         if (directiveIdx !== null) {
-          if (predicate.read !== null) {
-            const result = readFromNodeInjector(nodeInjector, node, predicate.read !, directiveIdx);
-            if (result !== null) {
-              addMatch(predicate, result);
-            }
-          } else {
-            addMatch(predicate, node.view.data[directiveIdx]);
+          // a node is matching a predicate - determine what to read
+          // note that queries using name selector must specify read strategy
+          ngDevMode && assertNotNull(predicate.read, 'predicate.read');
+          const result = readFromNodeInjector(nodeInjector, node, predicate.read !, directiveIdx);
+          if (result !== null) {
+            addMatch(predicate, result);
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
index 12301b80ef..11ad7b8a28 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/query_spec.ts
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
 
   describe('local names predicate', () => {
 
-    it('should query for a single element and read ElementRef', () => {
+    it('should query for a single element and read ElementRef by default', () => {
 
       let elToQuery;
       /**
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo'], false, QUERY_READ_ELEMENT_REF));
+          m(0, Q(['foo'], false, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           elToQuery = E(1, 'div', null, null, ['foo', '']);
           e();
           E(2, 'div');
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       expect(query.first.nativeElement).toEqual(elToQuery);
     });
 
-    it('should query for multiple elements and read ElementRef', () => {
+    it('should query for multiple elements and read ElementRef by default', () => {
 
       let el1ToQuery;
       let el2ToQuery;
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo', 'bar'], undefined, QUERY_READ_ELEMENT_REF));
+          m(0, Q(['foo', 'bar'], undefined, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           el1ToQuery = E(1, 'div', null, null, ['foo', '']);
           e();
           E(2, 'div');
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo'], undefined, QUERY_READ_TEMPLATE_REF));
+          m(0, Q(['foo'], undefined, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           C(1, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, ['foo', '']);
         }
         qR(tmp = m<QueryList<any>>(0)) && (ctx.query = tmp as QueryList<any>);
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo']));
+          m(0, Q(['foo'], true, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           E(1, Child, null, null, ['foo', '']);
           { childInstance = m(2); }
           e();
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
          const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
            let tmp: any;
            if (cm) {
-             m(0, Q(['foo']));
+             m(0, Q(['foo'], true, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
              E(1, 'div', null, [Child], ['foo', 'child']);
              childInstance = m(2);
              e();
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo', 'bar']));
+          m(0, Q(['foo', 'bar'], true, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           E(1, 'div', null, [Child1, Child2], ['foo', 'child1', 'bar', 'child2']);
           {
             child1Instance = m(2);
@@ -783,8 +783,8 @@ describe('query', () => {
       const Cmpt = createComponent('cmpt', function(ctx: any, cm: boolean) {
         let tmp: any;
         if (cm) {
-          m(0, Q(['foo'], true));
-          m(1, Q(['foo'], false));
+          m(0, Q(['foo'], true, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
+          m(1, Q(['foo'], false, QUERY_READ_FROM_NODE));
           C(2);
           E(3, 'span', null, null, ['foo', '']);
           e();