diff --git a/packages/forms/src/directives/ng_control_status.ts b/packages/forms/src/directives/ng_control_status.ts
index c8773097299..41aad8646de 100644
--- a/packages/forms/src/directives/ng_control_status.ts
+++ b/packages/forms/src/directives/ng_control_status.ts
@@ -6,39 +6,39 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {Directive, Self} from '@angular/core';
+import {Directive, Optional, Self} from '@angular/core';
 
 import {AbstractControlDirective} from './abstract_control_directive';
 import {ControlContainer} from './control_container';
 import {NgControl} from './ng_control';
 
 export class AbstractControlStatus {
-  private _cd: AbstractControlDirective;
+  private _cd: AbstractControlDirective|null;
 
-  constructor(cd: AbstractControlDirective) {
+  constructor(cd: AbstractControlDirective|null) {
     this._cd = cd;
   }
 
   get ngClassUntouched(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.untouched : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.untouched ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassTouched(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.touched : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.touched ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassPristine(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.pristine : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.pristine ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassDirty(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.dirty : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.dirty ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassValid(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.valid : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.valid ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassInvalid(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.invalid : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.invalid ?? false;
   }
   get ngClassPending(): boolean {
-    return this._cd.control ? this._cd.control.pending : false;
+    return this._cd?.control?.pending ?? false;
   }
 }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export class NgControlStatus extends AbstractControlStatus {
   host: ngControlStatusHost
 })
 export class NgControlStatusGroup extends AbstractControlStatus {
-  constructor(@Self() cd: ControlContainer) {
+  constructor(@Optional() @Self() cd: ControlContainer) {
     super(cd);
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts b/packages/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
index 72088ec4eee..ceb64250600 100644
--- a/packages/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/forms/test/reactive_integration_spec.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ const ValueAccessorB = createControlValueAccessor('[cva-b]');
       return TestBed.createComponent(component);
     }
 
+    function initReactiveFormsTest<T>(
+        component: Type<T>, ...directives: Type<any>[]): ComponentFixture<T> {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule(
+          {declarations: [component, ...directives], imports: [ReactiveFormsModule]});
+      return TestBed.createComponent(component);
+    }
+
     // Helper method that attaches a spy to a `validate` function on a Validator class.
     function validatorSpyOn(validatorClass: any) {
       return spyOn(validatorClass.prototype, 'validate').and.callThrough();
@@ -773,6 +780,49 @@ const ValueAccessorB = createControlValueAccessor('[cva-b]');
     });
 
     describe('setting status classes', () => {
+      it('should not assign status on standalone <form> element', () => {
+        @Component({
+          selector: 'form-comp',
+          template: `
+            <form></form>
+          `
+        })
+        class FormComp {
+        }
+
+        const fixture = initReactiveFormsTest(FormComp);
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        const form = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('form')).nativeElement;
+        // Expect no classes added to the <form> element since it has no
+        // reactive directives attached and only ReactiveForms module is used.
+        expect(sortedClassList(form)).toEqual([]);
+      });
+
+      it('should not assign status on standalone <form> element with form control inside', () => {
+        @Component({
+          selector: 'form-comp',
+          template: `
+            <form>
+              <input type="text" [formControl]="control">
+            </form>
+          `
+        })
+        class FormComp {
+          control = new FormControl('abc');
+        }
+        const fixture = initReactiveFormsTest(FormComp);
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        const form = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('form')).nativeElement;
+        // Expect no classes added to the <form> element since it has no
+        // reactive directives attached and only ReactiveForms module is used.
+        expect(sortedClassList(form)).toEqual([]);
+
+        const input = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('input')).nativeElement;
+        expect(sortedClassList(input)).toEqual(['ng-pristine', 'ng-untouched', 'ng-valid']);
+      });
+
       it('should work with single fields', () => {
         const fixture = initTest(FormControlComp);
         const control = new FormControl('', Validators.required);