diff --git a/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts b/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
index 91e4a40e80..24f173fdf6 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
@@ -302,11 +302,6 @@ export class PlatformRef {
       if (!exceptionHandler) {
         throw new Error('No ErrorHandler. Is platform module (BrowserModule) included?');
       }
-      // If the `LOCALE_ID` provider is defined at bootstrap we set the value for runtime i18n (ivy)
-      if (ivyEnabled) {
-        const localeId = moduleRef.injector.get(LOCALE_ID, DEFAULT_LOCALE_ID);
-        setLocaleId(localeId || DEFAULT_LOCALE_ID);
-      }
       moduleRef.onDestroy(() => remove(this._modules, moduleRef));
       ngZone !.runOutsideAngular(
           () => ngZone !.onError.subscribe(
@@ -315,6 +310,11 @@ export class PlatformRef {
         const initStatus: ApplicationInitStatus = moduleRef.injector.get(ApplicationInitStatus);
         initStatus.runInitializers();
         return initStatus.donePromise.then(() => {
+          if (ivyEnabled) {
+            // If the `LOCALE_ID` provider is defined at bootstrap then we set the value for ivy
+            const localeId = moduleRef.injector.get(LOCALE_ID, DEFAULT_LOCALE_ID);
+            setLocaleId(localeId || DEFAULT_LOCALE_ID);
+          }
           this._moduleDoBootstrap(moduleRef);
           return moduleRef;
         });
diff --git a/packages/core/test/application_ref_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/application_ref_spec.ts
index 54c4ae825d..8639cbe0db 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/application_ref_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/application_ref_spec.ts
@@ -346,11 +346,9 @@ class SomeComponent {
       it('should wait for APP_INITIALIZER to set providers for `LOCALE_ID`', async() => {
         let locale: string = '';
 
-        const promise = Promise.resolve().then(() => { locale = 'fr-FR'; });
-
         const testModule = createModule({
           providers: [
-            {provide: APP_INITIALIZER, useValue: () => promise, multi: true},
+            {provide: APP_INITIALIZER, useValue: () => locale = 'fr-FR', multi: true},
             {provide: LOCALE_ID, useFactory: () => locale}
           ]
         });