diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_api.ts b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_api.ts
index 9f2a48330b15d..97e06db4528c4 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_api.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_api.ts
@@ -207,4 +207,11 @@ export interface BoundTarget<DirectiveT extends DirectiveMeta> {
    * Get a list of all {#defer} blocks used by the target.
    */
   getDeferBlocks(): DeferredBlock[];
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the element that a specific deferred block trigger is targeting.
+   * @param block Block that the trigger belongs to.
+   * @param trigger Trigger whose target is being looked up.
+   */
+  getDeferredTriggerTarget(block: DeferredTrigger, trigger: DeferredTrigger): Element|null;
 }
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_binder.ts b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_binder.ts
index 147f2a5734513..ade2efa68caec 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_binder.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/t2_binder.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import {AST, BindingPipe, ImplicitReceiver, PropertyRead, PropertyWrite, RecursiveAstVisitor, SafePropertyRead} from '../../expression_parser/ast';
 import {SelectorMatcher} from '../../selector';
-import {BoundAttribute, BoundDeferredTrigger, BoundEvent, BoundText, Content, DeferredBlock, DeferredBlockError, DeferredBlockLoading, DeferredBlockPlaceholder, DeferredTrigger, Element, ForLoopBlock, ForLoopBlockEmpty, Icu, IfBlock, IfBlockBranch, Node, Reference, SwitchBlock, SwitchBlockCase, Template, Text, TextAttribute, Variable, Visitor} from '../r3_ast';
+import {BoundAttribute, BoundDeferredTrigger, BoundEvent, BoundText, Content, DeferredBlock, DeferredBlockError, DeferredBlockLoading, DeferredBlockPlaceholder, DeferredTrigger, Element, ForLoopBlock, ForLoopBlockEmpty, HoverDeferredTrigger, Icu, IfBlock, IfBlockBranch, InteractionDeferredTrigger, Node, Reference, SwitchBlock, SwitchBlockCase, Template, Text, TextAttribute, Variable, ViewportDeferredTrigger, Visitor} from '../r3_ast';
 
 import {BoundTarget, DirectiveMeta, ReferenceTarget, ScopedNode, Target, TargetBinder} from './t2_api';
 import {createCssSelector} from './template';
@@ -790,6 +790,79 @@ export class R3BoundTarget<DirectiveT extends DirectiveMeta> implements BoundTar
   getDeferBlocks(): DeferredBlock[] {
     return Array.from(this.deferredBlocks);
   }
+
+
+  getDeferredTriggerTarget(block: DeferredBlock, trigger: DeferredTrigger): Element|null {
+    // Only triggers that refer to DOM nodes can be resolved.
+    if (!(trigger instanceof InteractionDeferredTrigger) &&
+        !(trigger instanceof ViewportDeferredTrigger) &&
+        !(trigger instanceof HoverDeferredTrigger)) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const name = trigger.reference;
+
+    // TODO(crisbeto): account for `viewport` trigger without a `reference`.
+    if (name === null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const outsideRef = this.findEntityInScope(block, name);
+
+    // First try to resolve the target in the scope of the main deferred block. Note that we
+    // skip triggers defined inside the main block itself, because they might not exist yet.
+    if (outsideRef instanceof Reference && this.getDefinitionNodeOfSymbol(outsideRef) !== block) {
+      const target = this.getReferenceTarget(outsideRef);
+
+      if (target !== null) {
+        return this.referenceTargetToElement(target);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // If the trigger couldn't be found in the main block, check the
+    // placeholder  block which is shown before the main block has loaded.
+    if (block.placeholder !== null) {
+      const refInPlaceholder = this.findEntityInScope(block.placeholder, name);
+      const targetInPlaceholder =
+          refInPlaceholder instanceof Reference ? this.getReferenceTarget(refInPlaceholder) : null;
+
+      if (targetInPlaceholder !== null) {
+        return this.referenceTargetToElement(targetInPlaceholder);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Finds an entity with a specific name in a scope.
+   * @param rootNode Root node of the scope.
+   * @param name Name of the entity.
+   */
+  private findEntityInScope(rootNode: ScopedNode, name: string): Reference|Variable|null {
+    const entities = this.getEntitiesInScope(rootNode);
+
+    for (const entitity of entities) {
+      if (entitity.name === name) {
+        return entitity;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /** Coerces a `ReferenceTarget` to an `Element`, if possible. */
+  private referenceTargetToElement(target: ReferenceTarget<DirectiveT>): Element|null {
+    if (target instanceof Element) {
+      return target;
+    }
+
+    if (target instanceof Template) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return this.referenceTargetToElement(target.node);
+  }
 }
 
 function extractScopedNodeEntities(rootScope: Scope):
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/render3/view/binding_spec.ts b/packages/compiler/test/render3/view/binding_spec.ts
index 12d2af1782f4c..18ecf307a69d0 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/test/render3/view/binding_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/render3/view/binding_spec.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function makeSelectorMatcher(): SelectorMatcher<DirectiveMeta[]> {
                          }]);
   matcher.addSelectables(CssSelector.parse('[dir]'), [{
                            name: 'Dir',
-                           exportAs: null,
+                           exportAs: ['dir'],
                            inputs: new IdentityInputMapping([]),
                            outputs: new IdentityInputMapping([]),
                            isComponent: false,
@@ -82,6 +82,16 @@ function makeSelectorMatcher(): SelectorMatcher<DirectiveMeta[]> {
                            selector: '[sameSelectorAsInput]',
                            animationTriggerNames: null,
                          }]);
+  matcher.addSelectables(CssSelector.parse('comp'), [{
+                           name: 'Comp',
+                           exportAs: null,
+                           inputs: new IdentityInputMapping([]),
+                           outputs: new IdentityInputMapping([]),
+                           isComponent: true,
+                           isStructural: false,
+                           selector: 'comp',
+                           animationTriggerNames: null,
+                         }]);
 
   const simpleDirectives = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f'];
   const deferBlockDirectives = ['loading', 'error', 'placeholder'];
@@ -376,6 +386,189 @@ describe('t2 binding', () => {
       expect(allDirs).toEqual(['DirA', 'DirB', 'DirC']);
       expect(eagerDirs).toEqual([]);
     });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element that is a parent of the deferred block', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+          <div #trigger>
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+          </div>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('div');
+    });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element outside of the deferred block', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            <div>
+              {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+            </div>
+
+            <div>
+              <div>
+                <button #trigger></button>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('button');
+    });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element in a parent embedded view', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            <div *ngFor="let item of items">
+              <button #trigger></button>
+
+              <div *ngFor="let child of item.children">
+                <div *ngFor="let grandchild of child.children">
+                  {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('button');
+    });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element inside the placeholder', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}
+              main
+              {:placeholder} <button #trigger></button>
+            {/defer}
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('button');
+    });
+
+    it('should not identify a trigger inside the main content block', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}<button #trigger></button>{/defer}
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element on a component', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+
+            <comp #trigger/>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('comp');
+    });
+
+    it('should identify a trigger element on a directive', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+
+            <button dir #trigger="dir"></button>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl?.name).toBe('button');
+    });
+
+    it('should not identify a trigger inside a sibling embedded view', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            <div *ngIf="cond">
+              <button #trigger></button>
+            </div>
+
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should not identify a trigger element in an embedded view inside the placeholder', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}
+              main
+              {:placeholder}
+                <div *ngIf="cond"><button #trigger></button></div>
+            {/defer}
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should not identify a trigger element inside the a deferred block within the placeholder',
+       () => {
+         const template = parseTemplate(
+             `
+                {#defer on viewport(trigger)}
+                  main
+                  {:placeholder}
+                    {#defer}<button #trigger></button>{/defer}
+                {/defer}
+              `,
+             '', templateOptions);
+         const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+         const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+         const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+         const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+         expect(triggerEl).toBeNull();
+       });
+
+    it('should not identify a trigger element on a template', () => {
+      const template = parseTemplate(
+          `
+            {#defer on viewport(trigger)}{/defer}
+
+            <ng-template #trigger></ng-template>
+          `,
+          '', templateOptions);
+      const binder = new R3TargetBinder(makeSelectorMatcher());
+      const bound = binder.bind({template: template.nodes});
+      const block = Array.from(bound.getDeferBlocks())[0];
+      const triggerEl = bound.getDeferredTriggerTarget(block, block.triggers.viewport!);
+      expect(triggerEl).toBeNull();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('used pipes', () => {