diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
index b08cf23af3..6459f1bdf7 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/directives/router_link_active.ts
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@ import {RouterLink, RouterLinkWithHref} from './router_link';
  */
 @Directive({selector: '[routerLinkActive]'})
 export class RouterLinkActive implements OnChanges, OnDestroy, AfterContentInit {
-  @ContentChildren(RouterLink) links: QueryList<RouterLink>;
-  @ContentChildren(RouterLinkWithHref) linksWithHrefs: QueryList<RouterLinkWithHref>;
+  @ContentChildren(RouterLink, {descendants: true}) links: QueryList<RouterLink>;
+  @ContentChildren(RouterLinkWithHref, {descendants: true})
+  linksWithHrefs: QueryList<RouterLinkWithHref>;
 
   private classes: string[] = [];
   private subscription: Subscription;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/test/router.spec.ts b/modules/@angular/router/test/router.spec.ts
index 93de765411..d6b632ee81 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/test/router.spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/test/router.spec.ts
@@ -1226,34 +1226,35 @@ describe('Integration', () => {
 
 
     it('should set the class on a parent element when the link is active',
-       fakeAsync(inject(
-           [Router, TestComponentBuilder, Location],
-           (router: Router, tcb: TestComponentBuilder, location: Location) => {
-             const fixture = createRoot(tcb, router, RootCmp);
+        fakeAsync(inject(
+            [Router, TestComponentBuilder, Location],
+            (router: Router, tcb: TestComponentBuilder, location: Location) => {
+              const fixture = createRoot(tcb, router, RootCmp);
 
-             router.resetConfig([{
-               path: 'team/:id',
-               component: TeamCmp,
-               children: [{
-                 path: 'link',
-                 component: DummyLinkWithParentCmp,
-                 children:
-                     [{path: 'simple', component: SimpleCmp}, {path: '', component: BlankCmp}]
-               }]
-             }]);
+              router.resetConfig([{
+                path: 'team/:id',
+                component: TeamCmp,
+                children: [{
+                  path: 'link',
+                  component: DummyLinkWithParentCmp,
+                  children: [
+                    {path: 'simple', component: SimpleCmp}, {path: '', component: BlankCmp}
+                  ]
+                }]
+              }]);
 
-             router.navigateByUrl('/team/22/link;exact=true');
-             advance(fixture);
-             expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/22/link;exact=true');
+              router.navigateByUrl('/team/22/link;exact=true');
+              advance(fixture);
+              expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/22/link;exact=true');
 
-             const native = fixture.debugElement.nativeElement.querySelector('link-parent');
-             expect(native.className).toEqual('active');
+              const native = fixture.debugElement.nativeElement.querySelector('link-parent');
+              expect(native.className).toEqual('active');
 
-             router.navigateByUrl('/team/22/link/simple');
-             advance(fixture);
-             expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/22/link/simple');
-             expect(native.className).toEqual('');
-           })));
+              router.navigateByUrl('/team/22/link/simple');
+              advance(fixture);
+              expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/22/link/simple');
+              expect(native.className).toEqual('');
+            })));
 
     it('should set the class when the link is active',
        fakeAsync(inject(
@@ -1439,17 +1440,6 @@ class DummyLinkCmp {
   constructor(route: ActivatedRoute) { this.exact = (<any>route.snapshot.params).exact === 'true'; }
 }
 
-@Component({
-  selector: 'link-cmp',
-  template:
-      `<router-outlet></router-outlet><link-parent routerLinkActive="active" [routerLinkActiveOptions]="{exact: exact}"><a [routerLink]="['./']">link</a></link-parent>`,
-  directives: ROUTER_DIRECTIVES
-})
-class DummyLinkWithParentCmp {
-  private exact: boolean;
-  constructor(route: ActivatedRoute) { this.exact = (<any>route.snapshot.params).exact === 'true'; }
-}
-
 @Component({
   selector: 'link-cmp',
   template: `<a [routerLink]="['../simple']">link</a>`,
@@ -1566,6 +1556,19 @@ class LinkInNgIf {
   alwaysTrue = true;
 }
 
+@Component({
+  selector: 'link-cmp',
+  template: `<router-outlet></router-outlet>
+                    <link-parent routerLinkActive="active" [routerLinkActiveOptions]="{exact: exact}">
+                      <div ngClass="{one: 'true'}"><a [routerLink]="['./']">link</a></div>
+                    </link-parent>`,
+  directives: ROUTER_DIRECTIVES
+})
+class DummyLinkWithParentCmp {
+  private exact: boolean;
+  constructor(route: ActivatedRoute) { this.exact = (<any>route.snapshot.params).exact === 'true'; }
+}
+
 @Component({
   selector: 'root-cmp',
   template: `<router-outlet></router-outlet>`,