diff --git a/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.js b/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.ts
similarity index 52%
rename from packages/mdc-auto-init/index.js
rename to packages/mdc-auto-init/index.ts
index a76766fcac6..18bcba6a74b 100644
--- a/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.js
+++ b/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.ts
@@ -21,16 +21,30 @@
  * THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-const registry = Object.create(null);
+// tslint:disable:only-arrow-functions
 
-const CONSOLE_WARN = console.warn.bind(console);
+import {MDCComponent, MDCFoundation} from '@material/base/index';
 
-function _emit(evtType, evtData, shouldBubble = false) {
+interface ComponentClass {
+  // tslint:disable-next-line:no-any a component can pass in anything it needs to the constructor
+  new<F extends MDCFoundation>(root: Element, foundation?: F, ...args: any[]): MDCComponent<F>;
+  attachTo<F extends MDCFoundation>(root: Element): MDCComponent<F>;
+}
+
+interface Registry {
+  [key: string]: ComponentClass;
+}
+
+const registry: Registry = {};
+
+const CONSOLE_WARN = console.warn.bind(console); // tslint:disable-line:no-console
+
+function _emit<T extends object>(evtType: string, evtData: T, shouldBubble = false) {
   let evt;
   if (typeof CustomEvent === 'function') {
-    evt = new CustomEvent(evtType, {
-      detail: evtData,
+    evt = new CustomEvent<T>(evtType, {
       bubbles: shouldBubble,
+      detail: evtData,
     });
   } else {
     evt = document.createEvent('CustomEvent');
@@ -40,36 +54,39 @@ function _emit(evtType, evtData, shouldBubble = false) {
   document.dispatchEvent(evt);
 }
 
+/* istanbul ignore next: optional argument is not a branch statement */
 /**
- * Auto-initializes all mdc components on a page.
+ * Auto-initializes all MDC components on a page.
  */
-export default function mdcAutoInit(root = document, warn = CONSOLE_WARN) {
+export function mdcAutoInit(root = document, warn = CONSOLE_WARN) {
   const components = [];
-  const nodes = root.querySelectorAll('[data-mdc-auto-init]');
-  for (let i = 0, node; (node = nodes[i]); i++) {
-    const ctorName = node.dataset.mdcAutoInit;
+  const nodes: Element[] = [].slice.call(root.querySelectorAll('[data-mdc-auto-init]'));
+
+  for (const node of nodes) {
+    const ctorName = node.getAttribute('data-mdc-auto-init');
     if (!ctorName) {
       throw new Error('(mdc-auto-init) Constructor name must be given.');
     }
 
-    const Ctor = registry[ctorName];
-    if (typeof Ctor !== 'function') {
+    const Constructor = registry[ctorName]; // tslint:disable-line:variable-name
+    if (typeof Constructor !== 'function') {
       throw new Error(
         `(mdc-auto-init) Could not find constructor in registry for ${ctorName}`);
     }
 
-    if (node[ctorName]) {
+    if (Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(node, ctorName)) {
       warn(`(mdc-auto-init) Component already initialized for ${node}. Skipping...`);
       continue;
     }
 
     // TODO: Should we make an eslint rule for an attachTo() static method?
-    const component = Ctor.attachTo(node);
+    // See https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/issues/14600 for discussion of static interface support in TS
+    const component = Constructor.attachTo(node);
     Object.defineProperty(node, ctorName, {
+      configurable: true,
+      enumerable: false,
       value: component,
       writable: false,
-      enumerable: false,
-      configurable: true,
     });
     components.push(component);
   }
@@ -78,22 +95,27 @@ export default function mdcAutoInit(root = document, warn = CONSOLE_WARN) {
   return components;
 }
 
-mdcAutoInit.register = function(componentName, Ctor, warn = CONSOLE_WARN) {
-  if (typeof Ctor !== 'function') {
-    throw new Error(`(mdc-auto-init) Invalid Ctor value ${Ctor}. Expected function`);
+// Constructor is PascalCased because it is a direct reference to a class, rather than an instance of a class.
+// tslint:disable-next-line:variable-name
+mdcAutoInit.register = function(componentName: string, Constructor: ComponentClass, warn = CONSOLE_WARN) {
+  if (typeof Constructor !== 'function') {
+    throw new Error(`(mdc-auto-init) Invalid Ctor value ${Constructor}. Expected function`);
   }
   if (registry[componentName]) {
     warn(
-      `(mdc-auto-init) Overriding registration for ${componentName} with ${Ctor}. ` +
+      `(mdc-auto-init) Overriding registration for ${componentName} with ${Constructor}. ` +
       `Was: ${registry[componentName]}`);
   }
-  registry[componentName] = Ctor;
+  registry[componentName] = Constructor;
 };
 
-mdcAutoInit.deregister = function(componentName) {
+mdcAutoInit.deregister = function(componentName: string) {
   delete registry[componentName];
 };
 
 mdcAutoInit.deregisterAll = function() {
-  Object.keys(registry).forEach(this.deregister, this);
+  const keys = Object.keys(registry) as string[];
+  keys.forEach(this.deregister, this);
 };
+
+export default mdcAutoInit;
diff --git a/packages/mdc-auto-init/package.json b/packages/mdc-auto-init/package.json
index d6074449fc8..2c09174a18e 100644
--- a/packages/mdc-auto-init/package.json
+++ b/packages/mdc-auto-init/package.json
@@ -7,5 +7,8 @@
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/material-components/material-components-web.git"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@material/base": "^0.41.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/scripts/webpack/js-bundle-factory.js b/scripts/webpack/js-bundle-factory.js
index f5992945d81..b937085f35f 100644
--- a/scripts/webpack/js-bundle-factory.js
+++ b/scripts/webpack/js-bundle-factory.js
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class JsBundleFactory {
       bundleName: 'main-js-a-la-carte',
       chunks: {
         animation: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-animation/index.ts'),
-        autoInit: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.js'),
+        autoInit: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-auto-init/index.ts'),
         base: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-base/index.ts'),
         checkbox: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-checkbox/index.ts'),
         chips: getAbsolutePath('/packages/mdc-chips/index.ts'),
diff --git a/test/unit/mdc-auto-init/mdc-auto-init.test.js b/test/unit/mdc-auto-init/mdc-auto-init.test.js
index c531ab266ba..9347f078a4b 100644
--- a/test/unit/mdc-auto-init/mdc-auto-init.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/mdc-auto-init/mdc-auto-init.test.js
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ class FakeComponent {
   }
 }
 
+class InvalidComponent {
+  constructor(node) {
+    this.node = node;
+  }
+}
+
 const createFixture = () => bel`
   <div id="root">
     <p data-mdc-auto-init="FakeComponent" class="mdc-fake">Fake Element</p>
@@ -48,6 +54,12 @@ const setupTest = () => {
   return createFixture();
 };
 
+const setupInvalidTest = () => {
+  mdcAutoInit.deregisterAll();
+  mdcAutoInit.register('InvalidComponent', InvalidComponent);
+  return createFixture();
+};
+
 suite('MDCAutoInit');
 
 test('calls attachTo() on components registered for identifier on nodes w/ data-mdc-auto-init attr', () => {
@@ -57,6 +69,11 @@ test('calls attachTo() on components registered for identifier on nodes w/ data-
   assert.isOk(root.querySelector('.mdc-fake').FakeComponent instanceof FakeComponent);
 });
 
+test('throws when attachTo() is missing', () => {
+  const root = setupInvalidTest();
+  assert.throws(() => mdcAutoInit(root));
+});
+
 test('passes the node where "data-mdc-auto-init" was found to attachTo()', () => {
   const root = setupTest();
   mdcAutoInit(root);