diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.spec.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.spec.ts
index 2f1363d8e018..544f0f143c27 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.spec.ts
@@ -10,17 +10,17 @@ import {CdkVirtualScrollViewport} from './virtual-scroll-viewport';
 
 describe('CdkVirtualScrollViewport', () => {
   describe ('with FixedSizeVirtualScrollStrategy', () => {
-    let fixture: ComponentFixture<FixedVirtualScroll>;
-    let testComponent: FixedVirtualScroll;
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<FixedSizeVirtualScroll>;
+    let testComponent: FixedSizeVirtualScroll;
     let viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       TestBed.configureTestingModule({
         imports: [ScrollingModule],
-        declarations: [FixedVirtualScroll],
+        declarations: [FixedSizeVirtualScroll],
       }).compileComponents();
 
-      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(FixedVirtualScroll);
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(FixedSizeVirtualScroll);
       testComponent = fixture.componentInstance;
       viewport = testComponent.viewport;
     });
@@ -454,6 +454,45 @@ describe('CdkVirtualScrollViewport', () => {
       expect(testComponent.virtualForViewContainer.createEmbeddedView).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(5);
     }));
   });
+
+  describe ('with AutoSizeVirtualScrollStrategy', () => {
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<AutoSizeVirtualScroll>;
+    let testComponent: AutoSizeVirtualScroll;
+    let viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+        imports: [ScrollingModule],
+        declarations: [AutoSizeVirtualScroll],
+      }).compileComponents();
+
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(AutoSizeVirtualScroll);
+      testComponent = fixture.componentInstance;
+      viewport = testComponent.viewport;
+    });
+
+    it('should render initial state for uniform items', fakeAsync(() => {
+      finishInit(fixture);
+
+      const contentWrapper =
+          viewport.elementRef.nativeElement.querySelector('.cdk-virtual-scroll-content-wrapper');
+      expect(contentWrapper.children.length)
+          .toBe(4, 'should render 4 50px items to fill 200px space');
+    }));
+
+    it('should render extra content if first item is smaller than average', fakeAsync(() => {
+      testComponent.items = [50, 200, 200, 200, 200, 200];
+      finishInit(fixture);
+
+      const contentWrapper =
+          viewport.elementRef.nativeElement.querySelector('.cdk-virtual-scroll-content-wrapper');
+      expect(contentWrapper.children.length).toBe(4,
+          'should render 4 items to fill 200px space based on 50px estimate from first item');
+    }));
+
+    // TODO(mmalerba): Add test that it corrects the initial render if it didn't render enough,
+    // once it actually does that.
+  });
 });
 
 
@@ -506,7 +545,7 @@ function triggerScroll(viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport, offset?: number) {
   `],
   encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
 })
-class FixedVirtualScroll {
+class FixedSizeVirtualScroll {
   @ViewChild(CdkVirtualScrollViewport) viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport;
   @ViewChild(CdkVirtualForOf, {read: ViewContainerRef}) virtualForViewContainer: ViewContainerRef;
 
@@ -527,3 +566,46 @@ class FixedVirtualScroll {
     return this.orientation == 'horizontal' ? this.viewportCrossSize : this.viewportSize;
   }
 }
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport
+        autosize [minBufferPx]="minBufferSize" [addBufferPx]="addBufferSize"
+        [orientation]="orientation" [style.height.px]="viewportHeight" 
+        [style.width.px]="viewportWidth">
+      <div class="item" *cdkVirtualFor="let size of items; let i = index" [style.height.px]="size" 
+           [style.width.px]="size">
+        {{i}} - {{size}}
+      </div>
+    </cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>
+  `,
+  styles: [`
+    .cdk-virtual-scroll-content-wrapper {
+      display: flex;
+      flex-direction: column;
+    }
+
+    .cdk-virtual-scroll-orientation-horizontal .cdk-virtual-scroll-content-wrapper {
+      flex-direction: row;
+    }
+  `],
+  encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
+})
+class AutoSizeVirtualScroll {
+  @ViewChild(CdkVirtualScrollViewport) viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport;
+
+  @Input() orientation = 'vertical';
+  @Input() viewportSize = 200;
+  @Input() viewportCrossSize = 100;
+  @Input() minBufferSize = 0;
+  @Input() addBufferSize = 0;
+  @Input() items = Array(10).fill(50);
+
+  get viewportWidth() {
+    return this.orientation == 'horizontal' ? this.viewportSize : this.viewportCrossSize;
+  }
+
+  get viewportHeight() {
+    return this.orientation == 'horizontal' ? this.viewportCrossSize : this.viewportSize;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.ts b/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.ts
index a0ad24085591..33c95dbc7d97 100644
--- a/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.ts
+++ b/src/cdk-experimental/scrolling/virtual-scroll-viewport.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ export class CdkVirtualScrollViewport implements DoCheck, OnInit, OnDestroy {
    */
   private _renderedContentOffsetNeedsRewrite = false;
 
+  /** Observable that emits when the viewport is destroyed. */
+  private _destroyed = new Subject<void>();
+
   constructor(public elementRef: ElementRef, private _changeDetectorRef: ChangeDetectorRef,
               private _ngZone: NgZone, private _sanitizer: DomSanitizer,
               @Inject(VIRTUAL_SCROLL_STRATEGY) private _scrollStrategy: VirtualScrollStrategy) {}
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ export class CdkVirtualScrollViewport implements DoCheck, OnInit, OnDestroy {
         fromEvent(viewportEl, 'scroll')
             // Sample the scroll stream at every animation frame. This way if there are multiple
             // scroll events in the same frame we only need to recheck our layout once.
-            .pipe(sampleTime(0, animationFrameScheduler))
+            .pipe(sampleTime(0, animationFrameScheduler), takeUntil(this._destroyed))
             .subscribe(() => this._scrollStrategy.onContentScrolled());
       });
     });
@@ -135,10 +138,12 @@ export class CdkVirtualScrollViewport implements DoCheck, OnInit, OnDestroy {
   ngOnDestroy() {
     this.detach();
     this._scrollStrategy.detach();
+    this._destroyed.next();
 
     // Complete all subjects
     this._renderedRangeSubject.complete();
     this._detachedSubject.complete();
+    this._destroyed.complete();
   }
 
   /** Attaches a `CdkVirtualForOf` to this viewport. */
@@ -208,20 +213,17 @@ export class CdkVirtualScrollViewport implements DoCheck, OnInit, OnDestroy {
       this._ngZone.run(() => {
         this._renderedRangeSubject.next(this._renderedRange = range);
         this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
-        this._ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => this._ngZone.onStable.pipe(take(1)).subscribe(() => {
-          // Queue this up in a `Promise.resolve()` so that if the user makes a series of calls
-          // like:
-          //
-          // viewport.setRenderedRange(...);
-          // viewport.setTotalContentSize(...);
-          // viewport.setRenderedContentOffset(...);
-          //
-          // The call to `onContentRendered` will happen after all of the updates have been applied.
-          Promise.resolve().then(() => {
-            this._scrollStrategy.onContentRendered();
-          });
-        }));
       });
+      // Queue this up in a `Promise.resolve()` so that if the user makes a series of calls
+      // like:
+      //
+      // viewport.setRenderedRange(...);
+      // viewport.setTotalContentSize(...);
+      // viewport.setRenderedContentOffset(...);
+      //
+      // The call to `onContentRendered` will happen after all of the updates have been applied.
+      this._ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => this._ngZone.onStable.pipe(take(1)).subscribe(
+          () => Promise.resolve().then(() => this._scrollStrategy.onContentRendered())));
     }
   }