diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/helpers/action.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/helpers/action.js
index 4a8a6afdbb2..1fb35d107a5 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/helpers/action.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/helpers/action.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
 } from 'ember-metal';
 
 export const INVOKE = symbol('INVOKE');
+export const ACTION = symbol('ACTION');
 
 /**
   The `{{action}}` helper provides a way to pass triggers for behavior (usually
@@ -341,6 +342,7 @@ export function createClosureAction(target, action, valuePath, actionArgs) {
 
   if (actionArgLength > 0) {
     closureAction = function(...passedArguments) {
+
       let args = new Array(actionArgLength + passedArguments.length);
 
       for (let i = 0; i < actionArgLength; i++) {
@@ -373,5 +375,6 @@ export function createClosureAction(target, action, valuePath, actionArgs) {
     };
   }
 
+  closureAction[ACTION] = true;
   return closureAction;
 }
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/process-args.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/process-args.js
index 85cc3730c95..820fb09f692 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/process-args.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/process-args.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { CONSTANT_TAG } from 'glimmer-reference';
 import { ARGS } from '../component';
 import { UPDATE } from './references';
 import { MUTABLE_CELL } from 'ember-views';
+import { ACTION } from '../helpers/action';
 
 export default function processArgs(args, positionalParamsDefinition) {
   if (!positionalParamsDefinition || positionalParamsDefinition.length === 0 || args.positional.length === 0) {
@@ -50,7 +51,9 @@ class SimpleArgs {
       let ref = namedArgs.get(name);
       let value = attrs[name];
 
-      if (ref[UPDATE]) {
+      if (typeof value === 'function' && value[ACTION]) {
+        attrs[name] = value;
+      } else if (ref[UPDATE]) {
         attrs[name] = new MutableCell(ref, value);
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/helpers/closure-action-test.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/helpers/closure-action-test.js
index da754626693..12495ae5507 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/helpers/closure-action-test.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/helpers/closure-action-test.js
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ moduleFor('Helpers test: closure {{action}}', class extends RenderingTest {
     this.render('{{outer-component}}');
 
     this.runTask(() => {
-      innerComponent.fireAction();
+      actualReturnedValue = innerComponent.fireAction();
     });
 
     this.assert.equal(actualFirst, first, 'first argument is correct');