diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/src/location/location.ts b/modules/@angular/common/src/location/location.ts
index b778ce7d8a..05156be179 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/src/location/location.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/src/location/location.ts
@@ -52,10 +52,14 @@ export class Location {
   /** @internal */
   _baseHref: string;
 
-  constructor(public platformStrategy: LocationStrategy) {
-    var browserBaseHref = this.platformStrategy.getBaseHref();
+  /** @internal */
+  _platformStrategy: LocationStrategy;
+
+  constructor(platformStrategy: LocationStrategy) {
+    this._platformStrategy = platformStrategy;
+    var browserBaseHref = this._platformStrategy.getBaseHref();
     this._baseHref = Location.stripTrailingSlash(_stripIndexHtml(browserBaseHref));
-    this.platformStrategy.onPopState((ev) => {
+    this._platformStrategy.onPopState((ev) => {
       ObservableWrapper.callEmit(this._subject, {'url': this.path(), 'pop': true, 'type': ev.type});
     });
   }
@@ -63,7 +67,7 @@ export class Location {
   /**
    * Returns the normalized URL path.
    */
-  path(): string { return this.normalize(this.platformStrategy.path()); }
+  path(): string { return this.normalize(this._platformStrategy.path()); }
 
   /**
    * Normalizes the given path and compares to the current normalized path.
@@ -90,7 +94,7 @@ export class Location {
     if (url.length > 0 && !url.startsWith('/')) {
       url = '/' + url;
     }
-    return this.platformStrategy.prepareExternalUrl(url);
+    return this._platformStrategy.prepareExternalUrl(url);
   }
 
   // TODO: rename this method to pushState
@@ -99,7 +103,7 @@ export class Location {
    * new item onto the platform's history.
    */
   go(path: string, query: string = ''): void {
-    this.platformStrategy.pushState(null, '', path, query);
+    this._platformStrategy.pushState(null, '', path, query);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -107,18 +111,18 @@ export class Location {
    * the top item on the platform's history stack.
    */
   replaceState(path: string, query: string = ''): void {
-    this.platformStrategy.replaceState(null, '', path, query);
+    this._platformStrategy.replaceState(null, '', path, query);
   }
 
   /**
    * Navigates forward in the platform's history.
    */
-  forward(): void { this.platformStrategy.forward(); }
+  forward(): void { this._platformStrategy.forward(); }
 
   /**
    * Navigates back in the platform's history.
    */
-  back(): void { this.platformStrategy.back(); }
+  back(): void { this._platformStrategy.back(); }
 
   /**
    * Subscribe to the platform's `popState` events.
diff --git a/modules/@angular/common/testing/location_mock.ts b/modules/@angular/common/testing/location_mock.ts
index e017caa733..0d2089bd28 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/common/testing/location_mock.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/common/testing/location_mock.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import {Injectable, EventEmitter} from '@angular/core';
 import {ObservableWrapper} from '../src/facade/async';
 import {Location} from '../index';
+import {LocationStrategy} from "../src/location/location_strategy";
 
 /**
  * A spy for {@link Location} that allows tests to fire simulated location events.
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
   _subject: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
   /** @internal */
   _baseHref: string = '';
+  /** @internal */
+  _platformStrategy: LocationStrategy = null;
 
   setInitialPath(url: string) { this._history[this._historyIndex].path = url; }
 
@@ -101,8 +104,6 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
     return ObservableWrapper.subscribe(this._subject, onNext, onThrow, onReturn);
   }
 
-  // TODO: remove these once Location is an interface, and can be implemented cleanly
-  platformStrategy: any = null;
   normalize(url: string): string { return null; }
 }