diff --git a/src/aot/aot-compiler.ts b/src/aot/aot-compiler.ts
index d1b6409d..5dc26b50 100644
--- a/src/aot/aot-compiler.ts
+++ b/src/aot/aot-compiler.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ export class AotCompiler {
       try {
         modifiedFileContent = replaceBootstrap(mainFile.path, mainFile.content, AppNgModuleTokens[0], AppNgModuleTokens[1]);
       } catch (ex) {
+        Logger.debug(`Failed to parse bootstrap: `, ex.message);
         Logger.warn(`Failed to parse and update ${this.options.entryPoint} content for AoT compilation.
                     For now, the default fallback content will be used instead.
                     Please consider updating ${this.options.entryPoint} with the content from the following link:
diff --git a/src/aot/optimization.ts b/src/aot/optimization.ts
index 9d3af19e..d4f25d1d 100644
--- a/src/aot/optimization.ts
+++ b/src/aot/optimization.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { removeDecorators } from '../util/typescript-utils';
 export function optimizeJavascript(filePath: string, fileContent: string) {
   fileContent = removeDecorators(filePath, fileContent);
   fileContent = purgeDecoratorStatements(filePath, fileContent, ['@angular']);
-  fileContent = purgeCtorStatements(filePath, fileContent, ['@angular']);
+  // TODO - needs more testing to fully understand
+  // fileContent = purgeCtorStatements(filePath, fileContent, ['@angular']);
   fileContent = purgeKnownContent(filePath, fileContent, ['@angular']);
 
   return fileContent;
diff --git a/src/aot/utils.ts b/src/aot/utils.ts
index 82656b4b..81065bc6 100644
--- a/src/aot/utils.ts
+++ b/src/aot/utils.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   ScriptTarget
 } from 'typescript';
 
-import { getTypescriptSourceFile, findNodes, replaceImportModuleSpecifier, replaceNamedImport, replaceNode } from '../util/typescript-utils';
+import { appendBefore, checkIfFunctionIsCalled, getTypescriptSourceFile, findNodes, insertNamedImportIfNeeded, replaceImportModuleSpecifier, replaceNamedImport, replaceNode } from '../util/typescript-utils';
 
 export function getFallbackMainContent() {
   return `
@@ -86,6 +86,34 @@ function replaceBootstrapModuleFactory(filePath: string, fileContent: string) {
   return modifiedContent;
 }
 
+function getPlatformBrowserFunctionNode(filePath: string, fileContent: string) {
+  let modifiedFileContent = fileContent;
+  const sourceFile = getTypescriptSourceFile(filePath, modifiedFileContent, ScriptTarget.Latest, false);
+  const allCalls = findNodes(sourceFile, sourceFile, SyntaxKind.CallExpression, true) as CallExpression[];
+  const callsToPlatformBrowser = allCalls.filter(call => call.expression && call.expression.kind === SyntaxKind.Identifier && (call.expression as Identifier).text === 'platformBrowser');
+  const toAppend = `enableProdMode();\n`;
+  if (callsToPlatformBrowser.length) {
+    modifiedFileContent = appendBefore(filePath, modifiedFileContent, callsToPlatformBrowser[0].expression, toAppend);
+  } else {
+    // just throw it at the bottom
+    modifiedFileContent + toAppend;
+  }
+  return modifiedFileContent;
+}
+
+function importAndEnableProdMode(filePath: string, fileContent: string) {
+  let modifiedFileContent = fileContent;
+  modifiedFileContent = insertNamedImportIfNeeded(filePath, modifiedFileContent, 'enableProdMode', '@angular/core');
+
+  const isCalled = checkIfFunctionIsCalled(filePath, modifiedFileContent, 'enableProdMode');
+  if (!isCalled) {
+    // go ahead and insert this
+    modifiedFileContent = getPlatformBrowserFunctionNode(filePath, modifiedFileContent);
+  }
+
+  return modifiedFileContent;
+}
+
 export function replaceBootstrap(filePath: string, fileContent: string, appNgModulePath: string, appNgModuleClassName: string) {
   if (!fileContent.match(/\bbootstrapModule\b/)) {
     throw new Error(`Could not find bootstrapModule in ${filePath}`);
@@ -103,7 +131,6 @@ export function replaceBootstrap(filePath: string, fileContent: string, appNgMod
 
   let modifiedFileContent = fileContent;
   modifiedFileContent = replaceNgModuleClassName(filePath, modifiedFileContent, appNgModuleClassName);
-
   modifiedFileContent = replacePlatformBrowser(filePath, modifiedFileContent);
   modifiedFileContent = replaceBootstrapModuleFactory(filePath, modifiedFileContent);
 
@@ -112,5 +139,8 @@ export function replaceBootstrap(filePath: string, fileContent: string, appNgMod
   modifiedFileContent = replaceImportModuleSpecifier(filePath, modifiedFileContent, '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic', '@angular/platform-browser');
   modifiedFileContent = replaceImportModuleSpecifier(filePath, modifiedFileContent, originalImport, ngFactryImport);
 
+  // check if prod mode is imported and enabled
+  modifiedFileContent = importAndEnableProdMode(filePath, modifiedFileContent);
+
   return modifiedFileContent;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/typescript-utils.ts b/src/util/typescript-utils.ts
index f0c895b3..f076dce5 100644
--- a/src/util/typescript-utils.ts
+++ b/src/util/typescript-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import {
+  CallExpression,
   createSourceFile,
+  Identifier,
   ImportClause,
   ImportDeclaration,
   ImportSpecifier,
@@ -58,12 +60,17 @@ export function appendAfter(source: string, node: Node, toAppend: string): strin
   return stringSplice(source, node.getEnd(), 0, toAppend);
 }
 
-export function insertNamedImport(filePath: string, fileContent: string, namedImport: string, fromPath: string) {
+export function appendBefore(filePath: string, fileContent: string, node: Node, toAppend: string): string {
+  const sourceFile = getTypescriptSourceFile(filePath, fileContent, ScriptTarget.Latest, false);
+  return stringSplice(fileContent, node.getStart(sourceFile), 0, toAppend);
+}
+
+export function insertNamedImportIfNeeded(filePath: string, fileContent: string, namedImport: string, fromModule: string) {
   const sourceFile = getTypescriptSourceFile(filePath, fileContent, ScriptTarget.Latest, false);
   const allImports = findNodes(sourceFile, sourceFile, SyntaxKind.ImportDeclaration);
   const maybeImports = allImports.filter((node: ImportDeclaration) => {
     return node.moduleSpecifier.kind === SyntaxKind.StringLiteral
-            && (node.moduleSpecifier as StringLiteral).text === fromPath;
+            && (node.moduleSpecifier as StringLiteral).text === fromModule;
   }).filter((node: ImportDeclaration) => {
     // Remove import statements that are either `import 'XYZ'` or `import * as X from 'XYZ'`.
         const clause = node.importClause as ImportClause;
@@ -93,7 +100,7 @@ export function insertNamedImport(filePath: string, fileContent: string, namedIm
   } else {
     // Find the last import and insert after.
     fileContent = appendAfter(fileContent, allImports[allImports.length - 1],
-        `import {${namedImport}} from '${fromPath}';`);
+        `\nimport { ${namedImport} } from '${fromModule}';`);
   }
 
   return fileContent;
@@ -131,3 +138,10 @@ export function replaceImportModuleSpecifier(filePath: string, fileContent: stri
   });
   return modifiedContent;
 }
+
+export function checkIfFunctionIsCalled(filePath: string, fileContent: string, functionName: string) {
+  const sourceFile = getTypescriptSourceFile(filePath, fileContent, ScriptTarget.Latest, false);
+  const allCalls = findNodes(sourceFile, sourceFile, SyntaxKind.CallExpression, true) as CallExpression[];
+  const functionCallList = allCalls.filter(call => call.expression && call.expression.kind === SyntaxKind.Identifier && (call.expression as Identifier).text === functionName);
+  return functionCallList.length > 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file