diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_compiler_compliance_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_compiler_compliance_spec.ts
index b9b96fcff574e..1df894c1c0a52 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_compiler_compliance_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_compiler_compliance_spec.ts
@@ -2542,7 +2542,7 @@ describe('compiler compliance', () => {
             type: LifecycleComp,
             selectors: [["lifecycle-comp"]],
             inputs: {nameMin: ["name", "nameMin"]},
-            features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature()],
+            features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature],
             decls: 0,
             vars: 0,
             template:  function LifecycleComp_Template(rf, ctx) {},
@@ -2662,7 +2662,7 @@ describe('compiler compliance', () => {
               ForOfDirective.ɵdir = $r3$.ɵɵdefineDirective({
                 type: ForOfDirective,
                 selectors: [["", "forOf", ""]],
-                features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature()],
+                features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature],
                 inputs: {forOf: "forOf"}
               });
             `;
@@ -2742,7 +2742,7 @@ describe('compiler compliance', () => {
           ForOfDirective.ɵdir = $r3$.ɵɵdefineDirective({
             type: ForOfDirective,
             selectors: [["", "forOf", ""]],
-            features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature()],
+            features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature],
             inputs: {forOf: "forOf"}
           });
         `;
@@ -3767,7 +3767,7 @@ describe('compiler compliance', () => {
       // ...
       BaseClass.ɵdir = $r3$.ɵɵdefineDirective({
         type: BaseClass,
-        features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature()]
+        features: [$r3$.ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature]
       });
       // ...
       `;
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
index e105af2d17ca7..a481bdb67482b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function baseDirectiveFields(
  */
 function addFeatures(
     definitionMap: DefinitionMap, meta: R3DirectiveMetadata | R3ComponentMetadata) {
-  // e.g. `features: [NgOnChangesFeature()]`
+  // e.g. `features: [NgOnChangesFeature]`
   const features: o.Expression[] = [];
 
   const providers = meta.providers;
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function addFeatures(
     features.push(o.importExpr(R3.CopyDefinitionFeature));
   }
   if (meta.lifecycle.usesOnChanges) {
-    features.push(o.importExpr(R3.NgOnChangesFeature).callFn(EMPTY_ARRAY));
+    features.push(o.importExpr(R3.NgOnChangesFeature));
   }
   if (features.length) {
     definitionMap.set('features', o.literalArr(features));
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/features/ng_onchanges_feature.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/features/ng_onchanges_feature.ts
index efc69de2ffd4c..7d749c624fdd7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/features/ng_onchanges_feature.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/features/ng_onchanges_feature.ts
@@ -35,26 +35,26 @@ type OnChangesExpando = OnChanges & {
  * static ɵcmp = defineComponent({
  *   ...
  *   inputs: {name: 'publicName'},
- *   features: [NgOnChangesFeature()]
+ *   features: [NgOnChangesFeature]
  * });
  * ```
  *
  * @codeGenApi
  */
-export function ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature<T>(): DirectiveDefFeature {
-  // This option ensures that the ngOnChanges lifecycle hook will be inherited
-  // from superclasses (in InheritDefinitionFeature).
-  (NgOnChangesFeatureImpl as DirectiveDefFeature).ngInherit = true;
-  return NgOnChangesFeatureImpl;
-}
 
-function NgOnChangesFeatureImpl<T>(definition: DirectiveDef<T>): void {
+export function ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature<T>(definition: DirectiveDef<T>): void {
   if (definition.type.prototype.ngOnChanges) {
     definition.setInput = ngOnChangesSetInput;
     (definition as{onChanges: Function}).onChanges = wrapOnChanges();
   }
 }
 
+// This option ensures that the ngOnChanges lifecycle hook will be inherited
+// from superclasses (in InheritDefinitionFeature).
+/** @nocollapse */
+// tslint:disable-next-line:no-toplevel-property-access
+(ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature as DirectiveDefFeature).ngInherit = true;
+
 function wrapOnChanges() {
   return function wrapOnChangesHook_inPreviousChangesStorage(this: OnChanges) {
     const simpleChangesStore = getSimpleChangesStore(this);
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
index 9a40985fcdd7d..96904c1b8e5cc 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/common_with_def.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ NgIf.ɵfac = () =>
 NgTemplateOutlet.ɵdir = ɵɵdefineDirective({
   type: NgTemplateOutletDef,
   selectors: [['', 'ngTemplateOutlet', '']],
-  features: [ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature()],
+  features: [ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature],
   inputs:
       {ngTemplateOutlet: 'ngTemplateOutlet', ngTemplateOutletContext: 'ngTemplateOutletContext'}
 });
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
index 2184ce1cf1e2b..d927be91d16cd 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ export declare function ɵɵnextContext<T = any>(level?: number): T;
 
 export declare type ɵɵNgModuleDefWithMeta<T, Declarations, Imports, Exports> = NgModuleDef<T>;
 
-export declare function ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature<T>(): DirectiveDefFeature;
+export declare function ɵɵNgOnChangesFeature<T>(definition: DirectiveDef<T>): void;
 
 export declare function ɵɵpipe(index: number, pipeName: string): any;