diff --git a/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.spec.ts b/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.spec.ts
index 84bc1b947efd..864b6ac89d18 100644
--- a/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.spec.ts
+++ b/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {createFakeYtNamespace} from './fake-youtube-player';
 import {Subscription} from 'rxjs';
 
 const VIDEO_ID = 'a12345';
+const YT_LOADING_STATE_MOCK = {loading: 1, loaded: 0};
 
 describe('YoutubePlayer', () => {
   let playerCtorSpy: jasmine.Spy;
@@ -381,6 +382,8 @@ describe('YoutubePlayer', () => {
     });
 
     it('waits until the api is ready before initializing', () => {
+      (window.YT as any) = YT_LOADING_STATE_MOCK;
+
       fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TestApp);
       testComponent = fixture.debugElement.componentInstance;
       fixture.detectChanges();
diff --git a/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.ts b/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.ts
index a34a7f5b624a..8fa42c288acd 100644
--- a/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.ts
+++ b/src/youtube-player/youtube-player.ts
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ export class YouTubePlayer implements AfterViewInit, OnDestroy, OnInit {
     }
 
     let iframeApiAvailableObs: Observable<boolean> = observableOf(true);
-    if (!window.YT) {
+    if (!window.YT || !window.YT.Player) {
       if (this.showBeforeIframeApiLoads && (typeof ngDevMode === 'undefined' || ngDevMode)) {
         throw new Error('Namespace YT not found, cannot construct embedded youtube player. ' +
             'Please install the YouTube Player API Reference for iframe Embeds: ' +