diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index.ts
index de140e803377..a912c328294c 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index.ts
@@ -115,21 +115,63 @@ function wrapBootstrapCall(options: UniversalOptions): Rule {
     let currentCall = bootstrapCall;
     while (bootstrapCallExpression === null && currentCall.parent) {
       currentCall = currentCall.parent;
-      if (currentCall.kind === ts.SyntaxKind.ExpressionStatement) {
+      if (ts.isExpressionStatement(currentCall) || ts.isVariableStatement(currentCall)) {
         bootstrapCallExpression = currentCall;
       }
     }
     bootstrapCall = currentCall;
 
+    // In case the bootstrap code is a variable statement
+    // we need to determine it's usage
+    if (bootstrapCallExpression && ts.isVariableStatement(bootstrapCallExpression)) {
+      const declaration = bootstrapCallExpression.declarationList.declarations[0];
+      const bootstrapVar = (declaration.name as ts.Identifier).text;
+      const sf = bootstrapCallExpression.getSourceFile();
+      bootstrapCall = findCallExpressionNode(sf, bootstrapVar) || currentCall;
+    }
+
+    // indent contents
+    const triviaWidth = bootstrapCall.getLeadingTriviaWidth();
+    const beforeText = `document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {\n`
+      + ' '.repeat(triviaWidth > 2 ? triviaWidth + 1 : triviaWidth);
+    const afterText = `\n${triviaWidth > 2 ? ' '.repeat(triviaWidth - 1) : ''});`;
+
+    // in some cases we need to cater for a trailing semicolon such as;
+    // bootstrap().catch(err => console.log(err));
+    const lastToken = bootstrapCall.parent.getLastToken();
+    let endPos = bootstrapCall.getEnd();
+    if (lastToken && lastToken.kind === ts.SyntaxKind.SemicolonToken) {
+      endPos = lastToken.getEnd();
+    }
+
     const recorder = host.beginUpdate(mainPath);
-    const beforeText = `document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {\n  `;
-    const afterText = `\n});`;
     recorder.insertLeft(bootstrapCall.getStart(), beforeText);
-    recorder.insertRight(bootstrapCall.getEnd(), afterText);
+    recorder.insertRight(endPos, afterText);
     host.commitUpdate(recorder);
   };
 }
 
+function findCallExpressionNode(node: ts.Node, text: string): ts.Node | null {
+  if (
+    ts.isCallExpression(node)
+    && ts.isIdentifier(node.expression)
+    && node.expression.text === text
+  ) {
+    return node;
+  }
+
+  let foundNode: ts.Node | null = null;
+  ts.forEachChild(node, childNode => {
+    foundNode = findCallExpressionNode(childNode, text);
+
+    if (foundNode) {
+      return true;
+    }
+  });
+
+  return foundNode;
+}
+
 function addServerTransition(options: UniversalOptions): Rule {
   return (host: Tree) => {
     const clientProject = getProject(host, options.clientProject);
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index_spec.ts
index 9f228e3529d9..e1a85803b928 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/universal/index_spec.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,36 @@ describe('Universal Schematic', () => {
     expect(contents).toMatch(/document.addEventListener\('DOMContentLoaded', \(\) => {/);
   });
 
+  it('should wrap the bootstrap decleration in a DOMContentLoaded event handler', () => {
+    const filePath = '/projects/bar/src/main.ts';
+    appTree.overwrite(
+      filePath,
+      `
+      import { enableProdMode } from '@angular/core';
+      import { platformBrowserDynamic } from '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic';
+      import { AppModule } from './app/app.module';
+      import { environment } from './environments/environment';
+      import { hmrBootstrap } from './hmr';
+
+      if (environment.production) {
+        enableProdMode();
+      }
+
+      const bootstrap = () => platformBrowserDynamic().bootstrapModule(AppModule);
+
+      if (!hmrBootstrap) {
+        bootstrap().catch(err => console.log(err));
+      }
+      `,
+    );
+
+    const tree = schematicRunner.runSchematic('universal', defaultOptions, appTree);
+    const contents = tree.readContent(filePath);
+    expect(contents).toMatch(
+      /document.addEventListener\('DOMContentLoaded', \(\) => {[\n\r\s]+bootstrap\(\)/,
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should install npm dependencies', () => {
     schematicRunner.runSchematic('universal', defaultOptions, appTree);
     expect(schematicRunner.tasks.length).toBe(1);