diff --git a/packages/@ngtools/webpack/src/plugin.ts b/packages/@ngtools/webpack/src/plugin.ts
index 4ac9b891de69..bedf13c604b6 100644
--- a/packages/@ngtools/webpack/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/@ngtools/webpack/src/plugin.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@ export interface AotPluginOptions {
   entryModule?: string;
   mainPath?: string;
   typeChecking?: boolean;
-
   skipCodeGeneration?: boolean;
+  i18nFile?: string;
+  i18nFormat?: string;
+  locale?: string;
 }
 
 
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ export class AotPlugin implements Tapable {
   private _basePath: string;
   private _genDir: string;
 
+  private _i18nFile: string;
+  private _i18nFormat: string;
+  private _locale: string;
 
   constructor(options: AotPluginOptions) {
     this._setupOptions(options);
@@ -93,6 +98,9 @@ export class AotPlugin implements Tapable {
   get program() { return this._program; }
   get skipCodeGeneration() { return this._skipCodeGeneration; }
   get typeCheck() { return this._typeCheck; }
+  get i18nFile() { return this._i18nFile; }
+  get i18nFormat() { return this._i18nFormat; }
+  get locale() { return this._locale; }
 
   private _setupOptions(options: AotPluginOptions) {
     // Fill in the missing options.
@@ -153,6 +161,16 @@ export class AotPlugin implements Tapable {
     this._reflectorHost = new ngCompiler.ReflectorHost(
       this._program, this._compilerHost, this._angularCompilerOptions);
     this._reflector = new ngCompiler.StaticReflector(this._reflectorHost);
+
+    if (options.hasOwnProperty('i18nFile')) {
+      this._i18nFile = options.i18nFile;
+    }
+    if (options.hasOwnProperty('i18nFormat')) {
+      this._i18nFormat = options.i18nFormat;
+    }
+    if (options.hasOwnProperty('locale')) {
+      this._locale = options.locale;
+    }
   }
 
   // registration hook for webpack plugin
@@ -222,9 +240,9 @@ export class AotPlugin implements Tapable {
     this._resourceLoader = new WebpackResourceLoader(compilation);
 
     const i18nOptions: ngCompiler.NgcCliOptions = {
-      i18nFile: undefined,
-      i18nFormat: undefined,
-      locale: undefined,
+      i18nFile: this.i18nFile,
+      i18nFormat: this.i18nFormat,
+      locale: this.locale,
       basePath: this.basePath
     };
 
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/build.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/build.ts
index 97ba333527cf..821b74e10d81 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/build.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/build.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ export interface BuildOptions {
   vendorChunk?: boolean;
   verbose?: boolean;
   progress?: boolean;
+  i18nFile?: string;
+  i18nFormat?: string;
+  locale?: string;
 }
 
 const BuildCommand = Command.extend({
@@ -39,7 +42,10 @@ const BuildCommand = Command.extend({
     { name: 'sourcemap',      type: Boolean, default: true, aliases: ['sm'] },
     { name: 'vendor-chunk',   type: Boolean, default: true },
     { name: 'verbose',        type: Boolean, default: false },
-    { name: 'progress',       type: Boolean, default: true }
+    { name: 'progress',       type: Boolean, default: true },
+    { name: 'i18n-file',      type: String, default: null },
+    { name: 'i18n-format',    type: String, default: null },
+    { name: 'locale',         type: String, default: null }
   ],
 
   run: function (commandOptions: BuildOptions) {
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
index e22c91c71030..38836cf50e46 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ export interface ServeTaskOptions {
   open?: boolean;
   vendorChunk?: boolean;
   hmr?: boolean;
+  i18nFile?: string;
+  i18nFormat?: string;
+  locale?: string;
 }
 
 const ServeCommand = Command.extend({
@@ -103,6 +106,9 @@ const ServeCommand = Command.extend({
       default: false,
       description: 'Enable hot module replacement',
     },
+    { name: 'i18n-file',       type: String, default: null },
+    { name: 'i18n-format',     type: String, default: null },
+    { name: 'locale',         type: String, default: null }
   ],
 
   run: function(commandOptions: ServeTaskOptions) {
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-build-typescript.ts b/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-build-typescript.ts
index 8371e79c9364..40de6bb09dd9 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-build-typescript.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-build-typescript.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ export const getWebpackNonAotConfigPartial = function(projectRoot: string, appCo
   };
 };
 
-export const getWebpackAotConfigPartial = function(projectRoot: string, appConfig: any) {
+export const getWebpackAotConfigPartial = function(projectRoot: string, appConfig: any,
+  i18nFile: string, i18nFormat: string, locale: string) {
   return {
     module: {
       rules: [
@@ -43,7 +44,10 @@ export const getWebpackAotConfigPartial = function(projectRoot: string, appConfi
     plugins: [
       new AotPlugin({
         tsConfigPath: path.resolve(projectRoot, appConfig.root, appConfig.tsconfig),
-        mainPath: path.join(projectRoot, appConfig.root, appConfig.main)
+        mainPath: path.join(projectRoot, appConfig.root, appConfig.main),
+        i18nFile: i18nFile,
+        i18nFormat: i18nFormat,
+        locale: locale
       }),
     ]
   };
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-config.ts b/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-config.ts
index 439e8e7e88e6..b93a3bc24a37 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-config.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/models/webpack-config.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export class NgCliWebpackConfig {
     public environment: string,
     outputDir?: string,
     baseHref?: string,
+    i18nFile?: string,
+    i18nFormat?: string,
+    locale?: string,
     isAoT = false,
     sourcemap = true,
     vendorChunk = false,
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ export class NgCliWebpackConfig {
       this.ngCliProject.root, appConfig, sourcemap, verbose
     );
     const typescriptConfigPartial = isAoT
-      ? getWebpackAotConfigPartial(this.ngCliProject.root, appConfig)
+      ? getWebpackAotConfigPartial(this.ngCliProject.root, appConfig, i18nFile, i18nFormat, locale)
       : getWebpackNonAotConfigPartial(this.ngCliProject.root, appConfig);
 
     if (appConfig.mobile) {
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack-watch.ts b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack-watch.ts
index 7e6958a90fbe..4a793dc5d9bd 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack-watch.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack-watch.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ export default Task.extend({
       runTaskOptions.environment,
       outputDir,
       runTaskOptions.baseHref,
+      runTaskOptions.i18nFile,
+      runTaskOptions.i18nFormat,
+      runTaskOptions.locale,
       runTaskOptions.aot,
       runTaskOptions.sourcemap,
       runTaskOptions.vendorChunk,
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack.ts b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack.ts
index d17af6c72964..5e76299c55dc 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/build-webpack.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export default <any>Task.extend({
       runTaskOptions.environment,
       outputDir,
       runTaskOptions.baseHref,
+      runTaskOptions.i18nFile,
+      runTaskOptions.i18nFormat,
+      runTaskOptions.locale,
       runTaskOptions.aot,
       runTaskOptions.sourcemap,
       runTaskOptions.vendorChunk,
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/serve-webpack.ts b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/serve-webpack.ts
index c5d8ff615bd0..4aedab2b0800 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/tasks/serve-webpack.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/tasks/serve-webpack.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ export default Task.extend({
       serveTaskOptions.environment,
       undefined,
       undefined,
+      serveTaskOptions.i18nFile,
+      serveTaskOptions.i18nFormat,
+      serveTaskOptions.locale,
       serveTaskOptions.aot,
       serveTaskOptions.sourcemap,
       serveTaskOptions.vendorChunk,
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/utilities/completion.sh b/packages/angular-cli/utilities/completion.sh
index f1af947e61fb..3b867977d059 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/utilities/completion.sh
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/utilities/completion.sh
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@
 
 ng_opts='b build completion doc e2e g generate get github-pages:deploy gh-pages:deploy h help i init install lint make-this-awesome new s serve server set t test v version'
 
-build_opts='--aot --base-href --environment --output-path --progress --sourcemap --suppress-sizes --target --vendor-chunk --verbose --watch --watcher -bh -dev -e -o -prod -sm -t -w'
+build_opts='--aot --base-href --environment --i18n-file --i18n-format --locale --output-path --progress --sourcemap --suppress-sizes --target --vendor-chunk --verbose --watch --watcher -bh -dev -e -o -prod -sm -t -w'
 generate_opts='class component directive enum module pipe route service c cl d e m p r s --help'
 github_pages_deploy_opts='--base-href --environment --gh-token --gh-username --message --skip-build --target --user-page -bh -e -t'
 help_opts='--json --verbose -v'
 init_opts='--dry-run inline-style inline-template --link-cli --mobile --name --prefix --routing --skip-bower --skip-npm --source-dir --style --verbose -d -is -it -lc -n -p -sb -sd -sn -v'
 new_opts='--directory --dry-run inline-style inline-template --link-cli --mobile --prefix --routing --skip-bower --skip-git --skip-npm --source-dir --style --verbose -d -dir -is -it -lc -p -sb -sd -sg -sn -v'
-serve_opts='--aot --environment --hmr --host --live-reload --live-reload-base-url --live-reload-host --live-reload-live-css --live-reload-port --open --port --proxy-config --sourcemap --ssl --ssl-cert --ssl-key --target --watcher -H -e -lr -lrbu -lrh -lrp -o -p -pc -sm -t -w'
+serve_opts='--aot --environment --hmr --host --i18n-file --i18n-format --live-reload --live-reload-base-url --live-reload-host --live-reload-live-css --live-reload-port --locale --open --port --proxy-config --sourcemap --ssl --ssl-cert --ssl-key --target --watcher -H -e -lr -lrbu -lrh -lrp -o -p -pc -sm -t -w'
 set_opts='--global -g'
 test_opts='--browsers --build --code-coverage --colors --lint --log-level --port --reporters --single-run --sourcemap --watch -cc -l -sm -sr -w'
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/tests/build/aot-i18n.ts b/tests/e2e/tests/build/aot-i18n.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a4479ba7bb4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/tests/build/aot-i18n.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import {ng} from '../../utils/process';
+import {expectFileToMatch, writeFile, createDir, appendToFile} from '../../utils/fs';
+import {expectToFail} from '../../utils/utils';
+
+export default function() {
+  return Promise.resolve()
+    .then(() => createDir('src/locale'))
+    .then(() => writeFile('src/locale/messages.fr.xlf', `
+      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
+        <xliff version="1.2" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:1.2">
+         <file source-language="en" datatype="plaintext" original="ng2.template">
+           <body>
+             <trans-unit id="8def8481e91291a52f9baa31cbdb313e6a6ca02b" datatype="html">
+               <source>Hello i18n!</source>
+               <target>Bonjour i18n!</target>
+               <note priority="1" from="description">An introduction header for this sample</note>
+             </trans-unit>
+           </body>
+         </file>
+        </xliff>`))
+    .then(() => appendToFile('src/app/app.component.html',
+      '<h1 i18n="An introduction header for this sample">Hello i18n!</h1>'))
+    .then(() => ng('build', '--aot', '--i18n-file', 'src/locale/messages.fr.xlf', '--i18n-format',
+      'xlf', '--locale', 'fr'))
+    .then(() => expectFileToMatch('dist/main.bundle.js', /Bonjour i18n!/))
+    .then(() => ng('build', '--aot'))
+    .then(() => expectToFail(() => expectFileToMatch('dist/main.bundle.js', /Bonjour i18n!/)))
+    .then(() => expectFileToMatch('dist/main.bundle.js', /Hello i18n!/));
+}