diff --git a/src/operator/retryWhen.ts b/src/operator/retryWhen.ts
index e28b86c419..6d83344789 100644
--- a/src/operator/retryWhen.ts
+++ b/src/operator/retryWhen.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,5 @@
-import { Operator } from '../Operator';
-import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
 import { Observable } from '../Observable';
-import { Subject } from '../Subject';
-import { Subscription, TeardownLogic } from '../Subscription';
-import { tryCatch } from '../util/tryCatch';
-import { errorObject } from '../util/errorObject';
-
-import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
-import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
-import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
-
+import { retryWhen as higherOrder } from '../operators/retryWhen';
 /**
  * Returns an Observable that mirrors the source Observable with the exception of an `error`. If the source Observable
  * calls `error`, this method will emit the Throwable that caused the error to the Observable returned from `notifier`.
@@ -25,92 +15,5 @@ import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
  * @owner Observable
  */
 export function retryWhen<T>(this: Observable<T>, notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>): Observable<T> {
-  return this.lift(new RetryWhenOperator(notifier, this));
-}
-
-class RetryWhenOperator<T> implements Operator<T, T> {
-  constructor(protected notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>,
-              protected source: Observable<T>) {
-  }
-
-  call(subscriber: Subscriber<T>, source: any): TeardownLogic {
-    return source.subscribe(new RetryWhenSubscriber(subscriber, this.notifier, this.source));
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
- * @ignore
- * @extends {Ignored}
- */
-class RetryWhenSubscriber<T, R> extends OuterSubscriber<T, R> {
-
-  private errors: Subject<any>;
-  private retries: Observable<any>;
-  private retriesSubscription: Subscription;
-
-  constructor(destination: Subscriber<R>,
-              private notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>,
-              private source: Observable<T>) {
-    super(destination);
-  }
-
-  error(err: any) {
-    if (!this.isStopped) {
-
-      let errors = this.errors;
-      let retries: any = this.retries;
-      let retriesSubscription = this.retriesSubscription;
-
-      if (!retries) {
-        errors = new Subject();
-        retries = tryCatch(this.notifier)(errors);
-        if (retries === errorObject) {
-          return super.error(errorObject.e);
-        }
-        retriesSubscription = subscribeToResult(this, retries);
-      } else {
-        this.errors = null;
-        this.retriesSubscription = null;
-      }
-
-      this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
-
-      this.errors = errors;
-      this.retries = retries;
-      this.retriesSubscription = retriesSubscription;
-
-      errors.next(err);
-    }
-  }
-
-  protected _unsubscribe() {
-    const { errors, retriesSubscription } = this;
-    if (errors) {
-      errors.unsubscribe();
-      this.errors = null;
-    }
-    if (retriesSubscription) {
-      retriesSubscription.unsubscribe();
-      this.retriesSubscription = null;
-    }
-    this.retries = null;
-  }
-
-  notifyNext(outerValue: T, innerValue: R,
-             outerIndex: number, innerIndex: number,
-             innerSub: InnerSubscriber<T, R>): void {
-    const { errors, retries, retriesSubscription } = this;
-    this.errors = null;
-    this.retries = null;
-    this.retriesSubscription = null;
-
-    this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
-
-    this.errors = errors;
-    this.retries = retries;
-    this.retriesSubscription = retriesSubscription;
-
-    this.source.subscribe(this);
-  }
+  return higherOrder(notifier)(this);
 }
diff --git a/src/operators/index.ts b/src/operators/index.ts
index 8d2b9ce450..b68d14e5cb 100644
--- a/src/operators/index.ts
+++ b/src/operators/index.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export { reduce } from './reduce';
 export { repeat } from './repeat';
 export { repeatWhen } from './repeatWhen';
 export { retry } from './retry';
+export { retryWhen } from './retryWhen';
 export { refCount } from './refCount';
 export { scan } from './scan';
 export { subscribeOn } from './subscribeOn';
diff --git a/src/operators/retryWhen.ts b/src/operators/retryWhen.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0764c515b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/operators/retryWhen.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+import { Operator } from '../Operator';
+import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
+import { Observable } from '../Observable';
+import { Subject } from '../Subject';
+import { Subscription, TeardownLogic } from '../Subscription';
+import { tryCatch } from '../util/tryCatch';
+import { errorObject } from '../util/errorObject';
+
+import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
+import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
+import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
+
+import { MonoTypeOperatorFunction } from '../interfaces';
+
+/**
+ * Returns an Observable that mirrors the source Observable with the exception of an `error`. If the source Observable
+ * calls `error`, this method will emit the Throwable that caused the error to the Observable returned from `notifier`.
+ * If that Observable calls `complete` or `error` then this method will call `complete` or `error` on the child
+ * subscription. Otherwise this method will resubscribe to the source Observable.
+ *
+ * <img src="./img/retryWhen.png" width="100%">
+ *
+ * @param {function(errors: Observable): Observable} notifier - Receives an Observable of notifications with which a
+ * user can `complete` or `error`, aborting the retry.
+ * @return {Observable} The source Observable modified with retry logic.
+ * @method retryWhen
+ * @owner Observable
+ */
+export function retryWhen<T>(notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
+  return (source: Observable<T>) => source.lift(new RetryWhenOperator(notifier, source));
+}
+
+class RetryWhenOperator<T> implements Operator<T, T> {
+  constructor(protected notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>,
+              protected source: Observable<T>) {
+  }
+
+  call(subscriber: Subscriber<T>, source: any): TeardownLogic {
+    return source.subscribe(new RetryWhenSubscriber(subscriber, this.notifier, this.source));
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
+ * @ignore
+ * @extends {Ignored}
+ */
+class RetryWhenSubscriber<T, R> extends OuterSubscriber<T, R> {
+
+  private errors: Subject<any>;
+  private retries: Observable<any>;
+  private retriesSubscription: Subscription;
+
+  constructor(destination: Subscriber<R>,
+              private notifier: (errors: Observable<any>) => Observable<any>,
+              private source: Observable<T>) {
+    super(destination);
+  }
+
+  error(err: any) {
+    if (!this.isStopped) {
+
+      let errors = this.errors;
+      let retries: any = this.retries;
+      let retriesSubscription = this.retriesSubscription;
+
+      if (!retries) {
+        errors = new Subject();
+        retries = tryCatch(this.notifier)(errors);
+        if (retries === errorObject) {
+          return super.error(errorObject.e);
+        }
+        retriesSubscription = subscribeToResult(this, retries);
+      } else {
+        this.errors = null;
+        this.retriesSubscription = null;
+      }
+
+      this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
+
+      this.errors = errors;
+      this.retries = retries;
+      this.retriesSubscription = retriesSubscription;
+
+      errors.next(err);
+    }
+  }
+
+  protected _unsubscribe() {
+    const { errors, retriesSubscription } = this;
+    if (errors) {
+      errors.unsubscribe();
+      this.errors = null;
+    }
+    if (retriesSubscription) {
+      retriesSubscription.unsubscribe();
+      this.retriesSubscription = null;
+    }
+    this.retries = null;
+  }
+
+  notifyNext(outerValue: T, innerValue: R,
+             outerIndex: number, innerIndex: number,
+             innerSub: InnerSubscriber<T, R>): void {
+    const { errors, retries, retriesSubscription } = this;
+    this.errors = null;
+    this.retries = null;
+    this.retriesSubscription = null;
+
+    this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
+
+    this.errors = errors;
+    this.retries = retries;
+    this.retriesSubscription = retriesSubscription;
+
+    this.source.subscribe(this);
+  }
+}