diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-monitor/focus-monitor.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-monitor/focus-monitor.ts
index 58f207e2a47f..e7befafe4422 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-monitor/focus-monitor.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-monitor/focus-monitor.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   Output,
   SkipSelf,
 } from '@angular/core';
-import {Observable, of as observableOf, Subject, Subscription} from 'rxjs';
+import {Observable, of as observableOf, Subject, Subscription, Observer} from 'rxjs';
 import {coerceElement} from '@angular/cdk/coercion';
 
 
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ export interface FocusOptions {
 type MonitoredElementInfo = {
   unlisten: Function,
   checkChildren: boolean,
-  subject: Subject<FocusOrigin>
+  subject: Subject<FocusOrigin>,
+  observable: Observable<FocusOrigin>
 };
 
 /**
@@ -169,17 +170,30 @@ export class FocusMonitor implements OnDestroy {
     }
 
     // Create monitored element info.
-    let info: MonitoredElementInfo = {
+    const subject = new Subject<FocusOrigin>();
+    const info: MonitoredElementInfo = {
       unlisten: () => {},
-      checkChildren: checkChildren,
-      subject: new Subject<FocusOrigin>()
+      checkChildren,
+      subject,
+      // Note that we want the observable to emit inside the NgZone, however we don't want to
+      // trigger change detection if nobody has subscribed to it. We do so by creating the
+      // observable manually.
+      observable: new Observable((observer: Observer<FocusOrigin>) => {
+        const subscription = subject.subscribe(origin => {
+          this._ngZone.run(() => observer.next(origin));
+        });
+
+        return () => {
+          subscription.unsubscribe();
+        };
+      })
     };
     this._elementInfo.set(nativeElement, info);
     this._incrementMonitoredElementCount();
 
     // Start listening. We need to listen in capture phase since focus events don't bubble.
-    let focusListener = (event: FocusEvent) => this._onFocus(event, nativeElement);
-    let blurListener = (event: FocusEvent) => this._onBlur(event, nativeElement);
+    const focusListener = (event: FocusEvent) => this._onFocus(event, nativeElement);
+    const blurListener = (event: FocusEvent) => this._onBlur(event, nativeElement);
     this._ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => {
       nativeElement.addEventListener('focus', focusListener, true);
       nativeElement.addEventListener('blur', blurListener, true);
@@ -191,7 +205,7 @@ export class FocusMonitor implements OnDestroy {
       nativeElement.removeEventListener('blur', blurListener, true);
     };
 
-    return info.subject.asObservable();
+    return info.observable;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -358,7 +372,7 @@ export class FocusMonitor implements OnDestroy {
     }
 
     this._setClasses(element, origin);
-    this._emitOrigin(elementInfo.subject, origin);
+    elementInfo.subject.next(origin);
     this._lastFocusOrigin = origin;
   }
 
@@ -378,11 +392,7 @@ export class FocusMonitor implements OnDestroy {
     }
 
     this._setClasses(element);
-    this._emitOrigin(elementInfo.subject, null);
-  }
-
-  private _emitOrigin(subject: Subject<FocusOrigin>, origin: FocusOrigin) {
-    this._ngZone.run(() => subject.next(origin));
+    elementInfo.subject.next(null);
   }
 
   private _incrementMonitoredElementCount() {