diff --git a/src/dev-app/mdc-card/mdc-card-demo.html b/src/dev-app/mdc-card/mdc-card-demo.html
index 612c56a51175..619ff35066c8 100644
--- a/src/dev-app/mdc-card/mdc-card-demo.html
+++ b/src/dev-app/mdc-card/mdc-card-demo.html
@@ -118,5 +118,16 @@ <h2>Cards with media area</h2>
     </mat-card-content>
   </mat-card>
 
+  <!-- Used to test header without an avatar. -->
+  <mat-card [appearance]="appearance">
+    <mat-card-header>
+      <mat-card-title>Header title</mat-card-title>
+      <mat-card-subtitle>Header subtitle</mat-card-subtitle>
+    </mat-card-header>
+    <img mat-card-image src="https://material.angularjs.org/latest/img/washedout.png">
+    <mat-card-content>
+      <p>Here is some content</p>
+    </mat-card-content>
+  </mat-card>
 
 </div>
diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-card/card.scss b/src/material-experimental/mdc-card/card.scss
index 163ad3fe09e3..c48cbfbee1f6 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-card/card.scss
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-card/card.scss
@@ -22,13 +22,15 @@ $mat-card-default-padding: 16px !default;
   // Custom elements default to `display: inline`. Reset to 'block'.
   display: block;
 
-  // Apply default padding for a text content region. Omit any bottom padding because we assume
-  // this region will be followed by another region that includes top padding.
-  padding: $mat-card-default-padding $mat-card-default-padding 0;
-
   // Titles and subtitles can be set on native header elements which come with
   // their own margin. Clear it since the spacing is done using `padding`.
   margin: 0;
+
+  .mat-mdc-card-avatar ~ .mat-mdc-card-header-text & {
+    // Apply default padding for a text content region. Omit any bottom padding because we assume
+    // this region will be followed by another region that includes top padding.
+    padding: $mat-card-default-padding $mat-card-default-padding 0;
+  }
 }
 
 // Header section at the top of a card. MDC does not have a pre-made header section for cards.
@@ -131,8 +133,11 @@ $mat-card-default-padding: 16px !default;
 // `mat-card-title-group` since the padding is captured by parent container already.
 .mat-mdc-card-subtitle ~ .mat-mdc-card-title,
 .mat-mdc-card-title ~ .mat-mdc-card-subtitle,
-.mat-mdc-card-header .mat-mdc-card-title,
-.mat-mdc-card-header .mat-mdc-card-subtitle,
+
+// The `.mat-mdc-card-header-text` here is redundant since the header text
+// wrapper is always there in the header, but we need the extra specificity.
+.mat-mdc-card-header .mat-mdc-card-header-text .mat-mdc-card-title,
+.mat-mdc-card-header .mat-mdc-card-header-text .mat-mdc-card-subtitle,
 .mat-mdc-card-title-group .mat-mdc-card-title,
 .mat-mdc-card-title-group .mat-mdc-card-subtitle {
   padding-top: 0;