diff --git a/src/lib/core/portal/dom-portal-host.ts b/src/lib/core/portal/dom-portal-host.ts
index 7a2ebf360779..c2244fd4d551 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/portal/dom-portal-host.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/portal/dom-portal-host.ts
@@ -29,21 +29,17 @@ export class DomPortalHost extends BasePortalHost {
    */
   attachComponentPortal<T>(portal: ComponentPortal<T>): ComponentRef<T> {
     let componentFactory = this._componentFactoryResolver.resolveComponentFactory(portal.component);
-    let componentRef: ComponentRef<T>;
+    let componentRef = componentFactory.create(portal.injector || this._defaultInjector);
+    componentRef.hostView.detectChanges();
 
     // If the portal specifies a ViewContainerRef, we will use that as the attachment point
     // for the component (in terms of Angular's component tree, not rendering).
     // When the ViewContainerRef is missing, we use the factory to create the component directly
     // and then manually attach the view to the application.
     if (portal.viewContainerRef) {
-      componentRef = portal.viewContainerRef.createComponent(
-          componentFactory,
-          portal.viewContainerRef.length,
-          portal.injector || portal.viewContainerRef.parentInjector);
-
+      portal.viewContainerRef.insert(componentRef.hostView);
       this.setDisposeFn(() => componentRef.destroy());
     } else {
-      componentRef = componentFactory.create(portal.injector || this._defaultInjector);
       this._appRef.attachView(componentRef.hostView);
       this.setDisposeFn(() => {
         this._appRef.detachView(componentRef.hostView);
diff --git a/src/lib/core/portal/portal.spec.ts b/src/lib/core/portal/portal.spec.ts
index 6ba347c833b1..16dc8c8058e5 100644
--- a/src/lib/core/portal/portal.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/core/portal/portal.spec.ts
@@ -368,6 +368,12 @@ describe('Portals', () => {
 
       expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    it('should run change detection in the created component when a ComponentPortal is attached',
+      () => {
+        host.attach(new ComponentPortal(ComponentWithBoundVariable, someViewContainerRef));
+        expect(someDomElement.textContent).toContain('initial value');
+      });
   });
 });
 
@@ -404,6 +410,15 @@ class ArbitraryViewContainerRefComponent {
   constructor(public viewContainerRef: ViewContainerRef, public injector: Injector) { }
 }
 
+/** Simple component with a bound variable in the template */
+@Component({
+  selector: 'bound-text',
+  template: '<p>{{text}}</p>'
+})
+class ComponentWithBoundVariable {
+  text: string = 'initial value';
+}
+
 
 /** Test-bed component that contains a portal host and a couple of template portals. */
 @Component({
@@ -453,7 +468,12 @@ class PortalTestApp {
 
 // Create a real (non-test) NgModule as a workaround for
 // https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/10760
-const TEST_COMPONENTS = [PortalTestApp, ArbitraryViewContainerRefComponent, PizzaMsg];
+const TEST_COMPONENTS = [
+  PortalTestApp,
+  ArbitraryViewContainerRefComponent,
+  PizzaMsg,
+  ComponentWithBoundVariable
+];
 @NgModule({
   imports: [CommonModule, PortalModule],
   exports: TEST_COMPONENTS,
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-content.html b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-content.html
index 0f3a70ec7dff..86829a041fec 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-content.html
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker-content.html
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 <md-calendar cdkTrapFocus
-    [id]="datepicker.id"
-    [startAt]="datepicker.startAt"
-    [startView]="datepicker.startView"
-    [minDate]="datepicker._minDate"
-    [maxDate]="datepicker._maxDate"
-    [dateFilter]="datepicker._dateFilter"
-    [selected]="datepicker._selected"
-    (selectedChange)="datepicker._selectAndClose($event)">
+    [id]="datepicker?.id"
+    [startAt]="datepicker?.startAt"
+    [startView]="datepicker?.startView"
+    [minDate]="datepicker?._minDate"
+    [maxDate]="datepicker?._maxDate"
+    [dateFilter]="datepicker?._dateFilter"
+    [selected]="datepicker?._selected"
+    (selectedChange)="datepicker?._selectAndClose($event)">
 </md-calendar>
diff --git a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
index 41302c21c0e3..5297b91adaab 100644
--- a/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
+++ b/src/lib/datepicker/datepicker.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ let datepickerUid = 0;
   styleUrls: ['datepicker-content.css'],
   host: {
     'class': 'mat-datepicker-content',
-    '[class.mat-datepicker-content-touch]': 'datepicker.touchUi',
+    '[class.mat-datepicker-content-touch]': 'datepicker?.touchUi',
     '(keydown)': '_handleKeydown($event)',
   },
   encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,