diff --git a/modules/angular2/platform/browser.ts b/modules/angular2/platform/browser.ts
index 50ee08bfc0..ee4f4498fe 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/platform/browser.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/platform/browser.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export {AngularEntrypoint} from 'angular2/src/core/angular_entrypoint';
 export {
   BROWSER_PROVIDERS,
+  CACHED_TEMPLATE_PROVIDER,
   ELEMENT_PROBE_PROVIDERS,
   ELEMENT_PROBE_PROVIDERS_PROD_MODE,
   inspectNativeElement,
diff --git a/modules/angular2/platform/testing/browser.ts b/modules/angular2/platform/testing/browser.ts
index 8aeb60f7cd..d344afb44c 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/platform/testing/browser.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/platform/testing/browser.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ import {
   TEST_BROWSER_STATIC_PLATFORM_PROVIDERS,
   ADDITIONAL_TEST_BROWSER_PROVIDERS
 } from 'angular2/platform/testing/browser_static';
-
 import {BROWSER_APP_PROVIDERS} from 'angular2/platform/browser';
-
-
 import {CONST_EXPR} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
 
+/**
+ * Providers for using template cache to avoid actual XHR.
+ * Re-exported here so that tests import from a single place.
+ */
+export {CACHED_TEMPLATE_PROVIDER} from 'angular2/platform/browser';
+
 /**
  * Default patform providers for testing.
  */
diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.dart b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df6619db93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+library angular2.src.services.xhr_cache;
+
+import 'dart:async' show Future;
+import 'dart:html';
+import 'dart:js' as js;
+import 'package:angular2/core.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/compiler/xhr.dart';
+import 'package:angular2/src/facade/exceptions.dart' show BaseException;
+
+/**
+ * An implementation of XHR that uses a template cache to avoid doing an actual
+ * XHR.
+ *
+ * The template cache needs to be built and loaded into window.$templateCache
+ * via a separate mechanism.
+ */
+@Injectable()
+class CachedXHR extends XHR {
+  js.JsObject _cache;
+  String _baseUri;
+
+  CachedXHR() {
+    if (js.context.hasProperty(r'$templateCache')) {
+      this._cache = js.context[r'$templateCache'];
+    } else {
+      throw new BaseException(
+        r'CachedXHR: Template cache was not found in $templateCache.');
+    }
+    this._baseUri = window.location.protocol +
+      '//' +
+      window.location.host +
+      window.location.pathname;
+    int lastSlash = this._baseUri.lastIndexOf('/');
+    this._baseUri = this._baseUri.substring(0, lastSlash + 1);
+  }
+
+  Future<String> get(String url) {
+    if (url.startsWith(this._baseUri)) {
+      url = url.substring(this._baseUri.length);
+    }
+    if (this._cache.hasProperty(url)) {
+      return new Future.value(this._cache[url]);
+    } else {
+      return new Future.error(
+        'CachedXHR: Did not find cached template for ' + url);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.ts b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a06d4d1b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import {XHR} from 'angular2/src/compiler/xhr';
+import {BaseException} from 'angular2/src/facade/exceptions';
+import {global} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
+import {PromiseWrapper} from 'angular2/src/facade/promise';
+
+/**
+ * An implementation of XHR that uses a template cache to avoid doing an actual
+ * XHR.
+ *
+ * The template cache needs to be built and loaded into window.$templateCache
+ * via a separate mechanism.
+ */
+export class CachedXHR extends XHR {
+  private _cache: {[url: string]: string};
+
+  constructor() {
+    super();
+    this._cache = (<any>global).$templateCache;
+    if (this._cache == null) {
+      throw new BaseException('CachedXHR: Template cache was not found in $templateCache.');
+    }
+  }
+
+  get(url: string): Promise<string> {
+    if (this._cache.hasOwnProperty(url)) {
+      return PromiseWrapper.resolve(this._cache[url]);
+    } else {
+      return PromiseWrapper.reject('CachedXHR: Did not find cached template for ' + url, null);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser_common.ts b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser_common.ts
index 7eae9a1556..2495693f85 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser_common.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/src/platform/browser_common.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {CONST_EXPR, IS_DART} from 'angular2/src/facade/lang';
 import {provide, Provider, Injector, OpaqueToken} from 'angular2/src/core/di';
-
+import {XHR} from 'angular2/src/compiler/xhr';
 import {
   PLATFORM_INITIALIZER,
   PLATFORM_DIRECTIVES,
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {BrowserDetails} from "angular2/src/animate/browser_details";
 import {AnimationBuilder} from "angular2/src/animate/animation_builder";
 import {BrowserDomAdapter} from './browser/browser_adapter';
 import {BrowserGetTestability} from 'angular2/src/platform/browser/testability';
+import {CachedXHR} from 'angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache';
 import {wtfInit} from 'angular2/src/core/profile/wtf_init';
 import {EventManager, EVENT_MANAGER_PLUGINS} from "angular2/src/platform/dom/events/event_manager";
 import {
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ export const BROWSER_APP_COMMON_PROVIDERS: Array<any /*Type | Provider | any[]*/
   ELEMENT_PROBE_PROVIDERS
 ]);
 
+export const CACHED_TEMPLATE_PROVIDER: Array<any /*Type | Provider | any[]*/> =
+    CONST_EXPR([new Provider(XHR, {useClass: CachedXHR})]);
+
 export function initDomAdapter() {
   BrowserDomAdapter.makeCurrent();
   wtfInit();
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.dart b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45aa836fb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import 'dart:js' as js;
+
+void setTemplateCache(Map cache) {
+  if (cache == null) {
+    if (js.context.hasProperty(r'$templateCache')) {
+      js.context.deleteProperty(r'$templateCache');
+    }
+    return;
+  }
+
+  js.JsObject jsMap = new js.JsObject(js.context['Object']);
+  for (String key in cache.keys) {
+    jsMap[key] = cache[key];
+  }
+  js.context[r'$templateCache'] = jsMap;
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.ts b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e976333bd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_setter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export function setTemplateCache(cache): void {
+  (<any>window).$templateCache = cache;
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_spec.ts b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63f080bedf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/platform/browser/xhr_cache_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import {Component, provide} from 'angular2/core';
+import {UrlResolver, XHR} from 'angular2/compiler';
+import {
+  AsyncTestCompleter,
+  beforeEach,
+  beforeEachProviders,
+  ComponentFixture,
+  ddescribe,
+  describe,
+  expect,
+  fakeAsync,
+  iit,
+  inject,
+  it,
+  TestComponentBuilder,
+  tick,
+  xit
+} from 'angular2/testing_internal';
+import {BaseException} from 'angular2/src/facade/exceptions';
+import {CachedXHR} from 'angular2/src/platform/browser/xhr_cache';
+import {setTemplateCache} from './xhr_cache_setter';
+
+export function main() {
+  describe('CachedXHR', () => {
+    var xhr: CachedXHR;
+
+    function createCachedXHR(): CachedXHR {
+      setTemplateCache({'test.html': '<div>Hello</div>'});
+      return new CachedXHR();
+    }
+    beforeEachProviders(() => [
+      provide(UrlResolver, {useClass: TestUrlResolver}),
+      provide(XHR, {useFactory: createCachedXHR})
+    ]);
+
+    it('should throw exception if $templateCache is not found', () => {
+      setTemplateCache(null);
+      expect(() => { xhr = new CachedXHR(); })
+          .toThrowErrorWith('CachedXHR: Template cache was not found in $templateCache.');
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve the Promise with the cached file content on success',
+       inject([AsyncTestCompleter], (async) => {
+         setTemplateCache({'test.html': '<div>Hello</div>'});
+         xhr = new CachedXHR();
+         xhr.get('test.html')
+             .then((text) => {
+               expect(text).toEqual('<div>Hello</div>');
+               async.done();
+             });
+       }));
+
+    it('should reject the Promise on failure', inject([AsyncTestCompleter], (async) => {
+         xhr = new CachedXHR();
+         xhr.get('unknown.html')
+             .then((text) => { throw new BaseException('Not expected to succeed.'); })
+             .catch((error) => { async.done(); });
+       }));
+
+    it('should allow fakeAsync Tests to load components with templateUrl synchronously',
+       inject([TestComponentBuilder], fakeAsync((tcb: TestComponentBuilder) => {
+                let fixture: ComponentFixture;
+                tcb.createAsync(TestComponent).then((f) => { fixture = f; });
+
+                // This should initialize the fixture.
+                tick();
+
+                expect(fixture.debugElement.children[0].nativeElement).toHaveText('Hello');
+              })));
+  });
+}
+
+@Component({selector: 'test-cmp', templateUrl: 'test.html'})
+class TestComponent {
+}
+
+class TestUrlResolver extends UrlResolver {
+  resolve(baseUrl: string, url: string): string {
+    // Don't use baseUrl to get the same URL as templateUrl.
+    // This is to remove any difference between Dart and TS tests.
+    return url;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/angular2/test/public_api_spec.ts b/modules/angular2/test/public_api_spec.ts
index 8b14a3b587..ec0b1e29e8 100644
--- a/modules/angular2/test/public_api_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/angular2/test/public_api_spec.ts
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ var NG_PLATFORM_BROWSER = [
   'BROWSER_PROVIDERS',
   'BrowserDomAdapter',
   'By',
+  'CACHED_TEMPLATE_PROVIDER',
   'DOCUMENT',
   'ELEMENT_PROBE_PROVIDERS',
   'ELEMENT_PROBE_PROVIDERS_PROD_MODE',