diff --git a/src/lib/custom-style.html b/src/lib/custom-style.html
index de7f039039..4c78e526d9 100644
--- a/src/lib/custom-style.html
+++ b/src/lib/custom-style.html
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 
     is: 'custom-style',
     extends: 'style',
+    _template: null,
 
     properties: {
       // include is a property so that it deserializes
diff --git a/src/lib/template/array-selector.html b/src/lib/template/array-selector.html
index f728e3fd33..1f1a696634 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/array-selector.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/array-selector.html
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 
   Polymer({
     is: 'array-selector',
+    _template: null,
 
     properties: {
 
diff --git a/src/lib/template/dom-bind.html b/src/lib/template/dom-bind.html
index 1cbfb4879e..8b0aeb81d1 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/dom-bind.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/dom-bind.html
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
     is: 'dom-bind',
 
     extends: 'template',
+    _template: null,
 
     created: function() {
       // Ensure dom-bind doesn't stamp until all possible dependencies
diff --git a/src/lib/template/dom-if.html b/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
index cca4ad0d76..a9d45eb705 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
     is: 'dom-if',
     extends: 'template',
+    _template: null,
 
     /**
      * Fired whenever DOM is added or removed/hidden by this template (by
diff --git a/src/lib/template/dom-repeat.html b/src/lib/template/dom-repeat.html
index 17383b5ac6..8082469384 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/dom-repeat.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/dom-repeat.html
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
 
     is: 'dom-repeat',
     extends: 'template',
+    _template: null,
 
     /**
      * Fired whenever DOM is added or removed by this template (by
diff --git a/src/lib/template/dom-template.html b/src/lib/template/dom-template.html
index e726f6d065..6931bd29f5 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/dom-template.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/dom-template.html
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
     is: 'dom-template',
     extends: 'template',
+    _template: null,
 
     behaviors: [
       Polymer.Templatizer
diff --git a/src/mini/template.html b/src/mini/template.html
index 9f652bc387..d36686884a 100644
--- a/src/mini/template.html
+++ b/src/mini/template.html
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@
 
     _prepTemplate: function() {
       // locate template using dom-module
-      this._template =
-        this._template || Polymer.DomModule.import(this.is, 'template');
+      if (this._template === undefined) {
+        this._template = Polymer.DomModule.import(this.is, 'template');  
+      }
       // stick finger in footgun
       if (this._template && this._template.hasAttribute('is')) {
         this._warn(this._logf('_prepTemplate', 'top-level Polymer template ' +
diff --git a/src/standard/styling.html b/src/standard/styling.html
index 438efc212f..f4fa704dbe 100644
--- a/src/standard/styling.html
+++ b/src/standard/styling.html
@@ -40,16 +40,20 @@
           this._encapsulateStyle = !nativeShadow &&
             Boolean(this._template);
         }
-        this._styles = this._collectStyles();
-        var cssText = styleTransformer.elementStyles(this);
-        if (cssText && this._template) {
-          var style = styleUtil.applyCss(cssText, this.is,
-            nativeShadow ? this._template.content : null);
-          // keep track of style when in document scope (polyfill) so we can
-          // attach property styles after it.
-          if (!nativeShadow) {
-            this._scopeStyle = style;
+        if (this._template) {
+          this._styles = this._collectStyles();
+          var cssText = styleTransformer.elementStyles(this);
+          if (cssText) {
+            var style = styleUtil.applyCss(cssText, this.is,
+              nativeShadow ? this._template.content : null);
+            // keep track of style when in document scope (polyfill) so we can
+            // attach property styles after it.
+            if (!nativeShadow) {
+              this._scopeStyle = style;
+            }
           }
+        } else {
+          this._styles = [];
         }
       },