diff --git a/src/lib/template/dom-if.html b/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
index 9d699a22c7..c06ddef99f 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
+++ b/src/lib/template/dom-if.html
@@ -135,17 +135,17 @@
     },
 
     _ensureInstance: function() {
+      var refNode;
       var parentNode = Polymer.dom(this).parentNode;
+      // Affordance for 2.x hybrid mode
+      if (parentNode && parentNode.localName == this.is) {
+        refNode = parentNode;
+        parentNode = Polymer.dom(parentNode).parentNode;
+      } else {
+        refNode = this;
+      }
       // Guard against element being detached while render was queued
       if (parentNode) {
-        var refNode;
-        // Affordance for 2.x hybrid mode
-        if (parentNode.localName == this.is) {
-          refNode = parentNode;
-          parentNode = Polymer.dom(parentNode).parentNode;
-        } else {
-          refNode = this;
-        }
         if (!this._instance) {
           this._instance = this.stamp();
           var root = this._instance.root;
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
           var c$ = this._instance._children;
           if (c$ && c$.length) {
             // Detect case where dom-if was re-attached in new position
-            var lastChild = Polymer.dom(this).previousSibling;
+            var lastChild = Polymer.dom(refNode).previousSibling;
             if (lastChild !== c$[c$.length-1]) {
               for (var i=0, n; (i<c$.length) && (n=c$[i]); i++) {
                 Polymer.dom(parentNode).insertBefore(n, refNode);