diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
index 4d3bf089c1..c2cceba0c1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/component.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import {Injector} from '../di/injector';
 import {ComponentRef as viewEngine_ComponentRef} from '../linker/component_factory';
 
 import {assertNotNull} from './assert';
-import {queueLifecycleHooks} from './hooks';
-import {CLEAN_PROMISE, _getComponentHostLElementNode, createLView, createTView, directiveCreate, enterView, getDirectiveInstance, getRootView, hostElement, initChangeDetectorIfExisting, locateHostElement, renderComponentOrTemplate} from './instructions';
+import {queueInitHooks, queueLifecycleHooks} from './hooks';
+import {CLEAN_PROMISE, _getComponentHostLElementNode, baseDirectiveCreate, createLView, createTView, enterView, getRootView, hostElement, initChangeDetectorIfExisting, locateHostElement, renderComponentOrTemplate} from './instructions';
 import {ComponentDef, ComponentType} from './interfaces/definition';
 import {LElementNode} from './interfaces/node';
 import {RElement, RendererFactory3, domRendererFactory3} from './interfaces/renderer';
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {stringify} from './util';
 import {createViewRef} from './view_ref';
 
 
+
 /** Options that control how the component should be bootstrapped. */
 export interface CreateComponentOptions {
   /** Which renderer factory to use. */
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ export function renderComponent<T>(
     // Create element node at index 0 in data array
     elementNode = hostElement(hostNode, componentDef);
     // Create directive instance with n() and store at index 1 in data array (el is 0)
-    component = rootContext.component = directiveCreate(1, componentDef.factory(), componentDef) as T;
+    component = rootContext.component = baseDirectiveCreate(1, componentDef.factory(), componentDef) as T;
     initChangeDetectorIfExisting(elementNode.nodeInjector, component);
   } finally {
     // We must not use leaveView here because it will set creationMode to false too early,
@@ -164,6 +165,9 @@ export function renderComponent<T>(
  */
 export function LifecycleHooksFeature(component: any, def: ComponentDef<any>): void {
   const elementNode = _getComponentHostLElementNode(component);
+
+  // Root component is always created at dir index 1, after host element at 0
+  queueInitHooks(1, def.onInit, def.doCheck, elementNode.view.tView);
   queueLifecycleHooks(elementNode.flags, elementNode.view);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
index c92cc33e1e..18422aabae 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions.ts
@@ -1096,6 +1096,34 @@ export function textBinding<T>(index: number, value: T | NO_CHANGE): void {
 export function directiveCreate<T>(
     index: number, directive: T, directiveDef: DirectiveDef<T>,
     localNames?: (string | number)[] | null): T {
+  const instance = baseDirectiveCreate(index, directive, directiveDef);
+
+  ngDevMode && assertNotNull(previousOrParentNode.tNode, 'previousOrParentNode.tNode');
+  const tNode: TNode|null = previousOrParentNode.tNode !;
+
+  if (currentView.tView.firstTemplatePass && localNames) {
+    tNode.localNames = tNode.localNames ? tNode.localNames.concat(localNames) : localNames;
+  }
+
+  if (tNode && tNode.attrs) {
+    setInputsFromAttrs<T>(instance, directiveDef !.inputs, tNode);
+  }
+
+  // Init hooks are queued now so ngOnInit is called in host components before
+  // any projected components.
+  queueInitHooks(index, directiveDef.onInit, directiveDef.doCheck, currentView.tView);
+
+  return instance;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A lighter version of directiveCreate() that is used for the root component
+ *
+ * This version does not contain features that we don't already support at root in
+ * current Angular. Example: local refs and inputs on root component.
+ */
+export function baseDirectiveCreate<T>(
+    index: number, directive: T, directiveDef: DirectiveDef<T>): T {
   let instance;
   ngDevMode &&
       assertNull(currentView.bindingStartIndex, 'directives should be created before any bindings');
@@ -1117,11 +1145,6 @@ export function directiveCreate<T>(
 
   if (index >= tData.length) {
     tData[index] = directiveDef !;
-    if (localNames) {
-      ngDevMode && assertNotNull(previousOrParentNode.tNode, 'previousOrParentNode.tNode');
-      const tNode = previousOrParentNode !.tNode !;
-      tNode.localNames = tNode.localNames ? tNode.localNames.concat(localNames) : localNames;
-    }
   }
 
   const diPublic = directiveDef !.diPublic;
@@ -1135,15 +1158,6 @@ export function directiveCreate<T>(
         (previousOrParentNode as LElementNode).native, directiveDef !.attributes as string[]);
   }
 
-  const tNode: TNode|null = previousOrParentNode.tNode !;
-  if (tNode && tNode.attrs) {
-    setInputsFromAttrs<T>(instance, directiveDef !.inputs, tNode);
-  }
-
-  // Init hooks are queued now so ngOnInit is called in host components before
-  // any projected components.
-  queueInitHooks(index, directiveDef.onInit, directiveDef.doCheck, currentView.tView);
-
   return instance;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index 3409017e0e..e46681f06a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
   {
     "name": "appendChild"
   },
+  {
+    "name": "baseDirectiveCreate"
+  },
   {
     "name": "bindingUpdated"
   },
@@ -74,9 +77,6 @@
   {
     "name": "detectChangesInternal"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "directiveCreate"
-  },
   {
     "name": "domRendererFactory3"
   },
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@
   {
     "name": "findNextRNodeSibling"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "generateInitialInputs"
-  },
   {
     "name": "getDirectiveInstance"
   },
@@ -146,9 +143,6 @@
   {
     "name": "locateHostElement"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "queueInitHooks"
-  },
   {
     "name": "refreshChildComponents"
   },
@@ -179,9 +173,6 @@
   {
     "name": "setHostBindings"
   },
-  {
-    "name": "setInputsFromAttrs"
-  },
   {
     "name": "setUpAttributes"
   },
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/change_detection_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/change_detection_spec.ts
index 076d722a24..e2238bbe07 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/change_detection_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/change_detection_spec.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {withBody} from '@angular/core/testing';
 
 import {ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, DoCheck} from '../../src/core';
 import {getRenderedText, whenRendered} from '../../src/render3/component';
-import {defineComponent, defineDirective, injectChangeDetectorRef} from '../../src/render3/index';
+import {LifecycleHooksFeature, defineComponent, defineDirective, injectChangeDetectorRef} from '../../src/render3/index';
 import {bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, detectChanges, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, interpolation1, interpolation2, listener, markDirty, text, textBinding, tick} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 
 import {containerEl, renderComponent, requestAnimationFrame} from './render_util';
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
     }
 
     it('should mark a component dirty and schedule change detection', withBody('my-comp', () => {
-         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent);
+         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
          expect(getRenderedText(myComp)).toEqual('works');
          myComp.value = 'updated';
          markDirty(myComp);
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
        }));
 
     it('should detectChanges on a component', withBody('my-comp', () => {
-         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent);
+         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
          expect(getRenderedText(myComp)).toEqual('works');
          myComp.value = 'updated';
          detectChanges(myComp);
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
 
     it('should detectChanges only once if markDirty is called multiple times',
        withBody('my-comp', () => {
-         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent);
+         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
          expect(getRenderedText(myComp)).toEqual('works');
          expect(myComp.doCheckCount).toBe(1);
          myComp.value = 'ignore';
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
        }));
 
     it('should notify whenRendered', withBody('my-comp', async() => {
-         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent);
+         const myComp = renderComponent(MyComponent, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
          await whenRendered(myComp);
          myComp.value = 'updated';
          markDirty(myComp);
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
 
       it('should check the component view when called by component (even when OnPush && clean)',
          () => {
-           const comp = renderComponent(MyComp);
+           const comp = renderComponent(MyComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
            expect(getRenderedText(comp)).toEqual('Nancy');
 
            comp.name = 'Bess';  // as this is not an Input, the component stays clean
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
          });
 
       it('should NOT call component doCheck when called by a component', () => {
-        const comp = renderComponent(MyComp);
+        const comp = renderComponent(MyComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
         expect(comp.doCheckCount).toEqual(1);
 
         // NOTE: in current Angular, detectChanges does not itself trigger doCheck, but you
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
       });
 
       it('should NOT check the component parent when called by a child component', () => {
-        const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp);
+        const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
         expect(getRenderedText(parentComp)).toEqual('1 - Nancy');
 
         parentComp.doCheckCount = 100;
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
 
       it('should check component children when called by component if dirty or check-always',
          () => {
-           const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp);
+           const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
            expect(parentComp.doCheckCount).toEqual(1);
 
            myComp.name = 'Bess';
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
          });
 
       it('should not group detectChanges calls (call every time)', () => {
-        const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp);
+        const parentComp = renderComponent(ParentComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
         expect(myComp.doCheckCount).toEqual(1);
 
         parentComp.cdr.detectChanges();
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
           });
         }
 
-        const comp = renderComponent(DetectChangesComp);
+        const comp = renderComponent(DetectChangesComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
         expect(getRenderedText(comp)).toEqual('1');
       });
 
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
           });
         }
 
-        const comp = renderComponent(DetectChangesComp);
+        const comp = renderComponent(DetectChangesComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
         expect(getRenderedText(comp)).toEqual('1');
       });
 
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
       }
 
       it('should throw if bindings in current view have changed', () => {
-        const comp = renderComponent(NoChangesComp);
+        const comp = renderComponent(NoChangesComp, {hostFeatures: [LifecycleHooksFeature]});
 
         expect(() => comp.cdr.checkNoChanges()).not.toThrow();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
index e6fb60e50a..74f22b736b 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import {defineComponent, defineDirective} from '../../src/render3/index';
 import {NO_CHANGE, bind, container, containerRefreshEnd, containerRefreshStart, elementAttribute, elementClassNamed, elementEnd, elementProperty, elementStart, elementStyleNamed, embeddedViewEnd, embeddedViewStart, interpolation1, interpolation2, interpolation3, interpolation4, interpolation5, interpolation6, interpolation7, interpolation8, interpolationV, load, projection, projectionDef, text, textBinding} from '../../src/render3/instructions';
 
-import {containerEl, renderToHtml} from './render_util';
+import {ComponentFixture, containerEl, renderToHtml} from './render_util';
 
 describe('render3 integration test', () => {
 
@@ -269,6 +269,21 @@ describe('render3 integration test', () => {
       expect(renderToHtml(Template, {})).toEqual('<todo title="two">two</todo>');
     });
 
+    it('should support root component with host attribute', () => {
+      class HostAttributeComp {
+        static ngComponentDef = defineComponent({
+          type: HostAttributeComp,
+          tag: 'host-attr-comp',
+          factory: () => new HostAttributeComp(),
+          template: (ctx: HostAttributeComp, cm: boolean) => {},
+          attributes: ['role', 'button']
+        });
+      }
+
+      const fixture = new ComponentFixture(HostAttributeComp);
+      expect(fixture.hostElement.getAttribute('role')).toEqual('button');
+    });
+
     it('should support component with bindings in template', () => {
       /** <p> {{ name }} </p>*/
       class MyComp {