diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/expression_parser/ast.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/expression_parser/ast.ts
index 8c5724ca11..87accce967 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/expression_parser/ast.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/expression_parser/ast.ts
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ export class AstTransformer implements AstVisitor {
   }
 
   visitPropertyWrite(ast: PropertyWrite, context: any): AST {
-    return new PropertyWrite(ast.span, ast.receiver.visit(this), ast.name, ast.value);
+    return new PropertyWrite(ast.span, ast.receiver.visit(this), ast.name, ast.value.visit(this));
   }
 
   visitSafePropertyRead(ast: SafePropertyRead, context: any): AST {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
index a4a2ffdefe..d092065fcd 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
@@ -619,6 +619,14 @@ export function main() {
              expect(ctx.componentInstance.a).toEqual(2);
            }));
 
+        it('should support empty literals', fakeAsync(() => {
+             const ctx = _bindSimpleProp('(event)="a=[{},[]]"');
+             const childEl = ctx.debugElement.children[0];
+             childEl.triggerEventHandler('event', 'EVENT');
+
+             expect(ctx.componentInstance.a).toEqual([{}, []]);
+           }));
+
         it('should throw when trying to assign to a local', fakeAsync(() => {
              expect(() => {
                _bindSimpleProp('(event)="$event=1"');