diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
index 03078b8c52..5c2b8d6e59 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/di.ts
@@ -326,10 +326,9 @@ export function injectAttributeImpl(tNode: TNode, attrNameToInject: string): str
  * @returns the value from the injector, `null` when not found, or `notFoundValue` if provided
  */
 export function getOrCreateInjectable<T>(
-    tNode: TElementNode | TContainerNode | TElementContainerNode | null, lView: LView,
-    token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>, flags: InjectFlags = InjectFlags.Default,
-    notFoundValue?: any): T|null {
-  if (tNode) {
+    tNode: TDirectiveHostNode | null, lView: LView, token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>,
+    flags: InjectFlags = InjectFlags.Default, notFoundValue?: any): T|null {
+  if (tNode !== null) {
     const bloomHash = bloomHashBitOrFactory(token);
     // If the ID stored here is a function, this is a special object like ElementRef or TemplateRef
     // so just call the factory function to create it.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
index 4d52f2ea59..fc97298d17 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/di.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import {InjectFlags, InjectionToken, resolveForwardRef} from '../../di';
 import {ɵɵinject} from '../../di/injector_compatibility';
 import {Type} from '../../interface/type';
 import {getOrCreateInjectable, injectAttributeImpl} from '../di';
-import {TContainerNode, TElementContainerNode, TElementNode} from '../interfaces/node';
+import {TDirectiveHostNode, TNodeType} from '../interfaces/node';
+import {assertNodeOfPossibleTypes} from '../node_assert';
 import {getLView, getPreviousOrParentTNode} from '../state';
 
 /**
@@ -40,15 +41,15 @@ export function ɵɵdirectiveInject<T>(token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>): T;
 export function ɵɵdirectiveInject<T>(token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>, flags: InjectFlags): T;
 export function ɵɵdirectiveInject<T>(
     token: Type<T>| InjectionToken<T>, flags = InjectFlags.Default): T|null {
-  token = resolveForwardRef(token);
   const lView = getLView();
   // Fall back to inject() if view hasn't been created. This situation can happen in tests
   // if inject utilities are used before bootstrapping.
   if (lView == null) return ɵɵinject(token, flags);
-
+  const tNode = getPreviousOrParentTNode();
+  ngDevMode && assertNodeOfPossibleTypes(
+                   tNode, TNodeType.Container, TNodeType.Element, TNodeType.ElementContainer);
   return getOrCreateInjectable<T>(
-      getPreviousOrParentTNode() as TElementNode | TContainerNode | TElementContainerNode, lView,
-      token, flags);
+      tNode as TDirectiveHostNode, lView, resolveForwardRef(token), flags);
 }
 
 /**