diff --git a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
index 295438c0b4f..25ff8e1a1fc 100644
--- a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
+++ b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
@@ -283,18 +283,9 @@ ApplicationInstance.reopenClass({
   */
   setupRegistry(registry, options = new BootOptions()) {
     registry.register('-environment:main', options.toEnvironment(), { instantiate: false });
-    registry.injection('view', '_environment', '-environment:main');
-    registry.injection('route', '_environment', '-environment:main');
-
     registry.register('service:-document', options.document, { instantiate: false });
 
-    if (options.isInteractive) {
-      registry.injection('view', 'renderer', 'renderer:-dom');
-      registry.injection('component', 'renderer', 'renderer:-dom');
-    } else {
-      registry.injection('view', 'renderer', 'renderer:-inert');
-      registry.injection('component', 'renderer', 'renderer:-inert');
-    }
+    this._super(registry, options);
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/engine-instance.js b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/engine-instance.js
index 6475f642650..a792b04c236 100644
--- a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/engine-instance.js
+++ b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/engine-instance.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ const EngineInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
     @param options {Object}
     @return {Promise<Ember.EngineInstance,Error>}
   */
-  boot(options = {}) {
+  boot(options) {
     if (this._bootPromise) { return this._bootPromise; }
 
     this._bootPromise = new RSVP.Promise(resolve => resolve(this._bootSync(options)));
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ const EngineInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
       this.cloneParentDependencies();
     }
 
+    this.setupRegistry(options);
+
     this.base.runInstanceInitializers(this);
 
     this._booted = true;
@@ -112,6 +114,10 @@ const EngineInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
     return this;
   },
 
+  setupRegistry(options = this.__container__.lookup('-environment:main')) {
+    this.constructor.setupRegistry(this.__registry__, options);
+  },
+
   /**
    Unregister a factory.
 
@@ -136,6 +142,30 @@ const EngineInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
   }
 });
 
+EngineInstance.reopenClass({
+  /**
+   @private
+   @method setupRegistry
+   @param {Registry} registry
+   @param {BootOptions} options
+   */
+  setupRegistry(registry, options) {
+    // when no options/environment is present, do nothing
+    if (!options) { return; }
+
+    registry.injection('view', '_environment', '-environment:main');
+    registry.injection('route', '_environment', '-environment:main');
+
+    if (options.isInteractive) {
+      registry.injection('view', 'renderer', 'renderer:-dom');
+      registry.injection('component', 'renderer', 'renderer:-dom');
+    } else {
+      registry.injection('view', 'renderer', 'renderer:-inert');
+      registry.injection('component', 'renderer', 'renderer:-inert');
+    }
+  }
+});
+
 if (isEnabled('ember-application-engines')) {
   EngineInstance.reopen({
     /**
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/environment.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/environment.js
index 0eefb4d8276..3ec6a8cf310 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/environment.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/environment.js
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ export default class Environment extends GlimmerEnvironment {
     let name = path[0];
     let blockMeta = symbolTable.getMeta();
     let owner = blockMeta.owner;
-    let source = `template:${blockMeta.moduleName}`;
+    let source = blockMeta.moduleName && `template:${blockMeta.moduleName}`;
 
     return this._definitionCache.get({ name, source, owner });
   }
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/setup-registry.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/setup-registry.js
index eea23851f79..c7390c7bcf0 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/setup-registry.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/setup-registry.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import TextField from './components/text_field';
 import TextArea from './components/text_area';
 import Checkbox from './components/checkbox';
 import LinkToComponent from './components/link-to';
+import Component from './component';
 import ComponentTemplate from './templates/component';
 import RootTemplate from './templates/root';
 import OutletTemplate from './templates/outlet';
@@ -50,4 +51,5 @@ export function setupEngineRegistry(registry) {
   registry.register('component:-text-area', TextArea);
   registry.register('component:-checkbox', Checkbox);
   registry.register('component:link-to', LinkToComponent);
+  registry.register(P`component:-default`, Component);
 }
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/syntax/curly-component.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/syntax/curly-component.js
index 44c905b5435..13d50acf2ba 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/syntax/curly-component.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/syntax/curly-component.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import assign from 'ember-metal/assign';
 import get from 'ember-metal/property_get';
 import { _instrumentStart } from 'ember-metal/instrumentation';
 import { ComponentDefinition } from 'glimmer-runtime';
-import Component from '../component';
 import { OWNER } from 'container/owner';
 
 const DEFAULT_LAYOUT = P`template:components/-default`;
@@ -188,7 +187,6 @@ class CurlyComponentManager {
     aliasIdToElementId(args, props);
 
     props.parentView = parentView;
-    props.renderer = parentView.renderer;
     props[HAS_BLOCK] = hasBlock;
 
     // dynamicScope here is inherited from the parent dynamicScope,
@@ -370,7 +368,7 @@ function ariaRole(vm) {
 
 export class CurlyComponentDefinition extends ComponentDefinition {
   constructor(name, ComponentClass, template, args) {
-    super(name, MANAGER, ComponentClass || Component);
+    super(name, MANAGER, ComponentClass);
     this.template = template;
     this.args = args;
   }
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/application/engine-test.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/application/engine-test.js
index c3bbcd40d03..2b8a9ba57e9 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/application/engine-test.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/application/engine-test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { strip } from '../../utils/abstract-test-case';
 import { compile } from '../../utils/helpers';
 import Controller from 'ember-runtime/controllers/controller';
 import Engine from 'ember-application/system/engine';
+import Route from 'ember-routing/system/route';
 import isEnabled from 'ember-metal/features';
 
 // only run these tests for ember-glimmer when the feature is enabled, or for
@@ -56,5 +57,41 @@ if (shouldRun) {
         this.assertText('ApplicationController Data!EngineComponent!');
       });
     }
+
+    ['@test can use shouldRender: false'](assert) {
+      this.assert.expect(2);
+      let hooks = [];
+
+      this.registerRoute('application', Route.extend({
+        model() {
+          hooks.push('application - application');
+        }
+      }));
+
+      this.router.map(function() {
+        this.mount('blog');
+      });
+      this.application.register('route-map:blog', function() { });
+
+      this.registerEngine('blog', Engine.extend({
+        init() {
+          this._super(...arguments);
+
+          this.register('route:application', Route.extend({
+            model() {
+              hooks.push('engine - application');
+            }
+          }));
+        }
+      }));
+
+      return this.visit('/blog', { shouldRender: false }).then(() => {
+        this.assertText('');
+        this.assert.deepEqual(hooks, [
+          'application - application',
+          'engine - application'
+        ], 'the expected model hooks were fired');
+      });
+    }
   });
 }
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/components/curly-components-test.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/components/curly-components-test.js
index 5b3e2f1da39..8024a5fa341 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/components/curly-components-test.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/integration/components/curly-components-test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ moduleFor('Components test: curly components', class extends RenderingTest {
     this.assertComponentElement(this.firstChild, { content: 'hello' });
   }
 
+  ['@test it can render a template only component']() {
+    this.registerComponent('foo-bar', { template: 'hello' });
+
+    this.render('{{foo-bar}}');
+
+    this.assertComponentElement(this.firstChild, { content: 'hello' });
+
+    this.runTask(() => this.rerender());
+
+    this.assertComponentElement(this.firstChild, { content: 'hello' });
+  }
+
   ['@test it can have a custom id and it is not bound']() {
     this.registerComponent('foo-bar', { template: '{{id}} {{elementId}}' });
 
diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/utils/abstract-test-case.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/utils/abstract-test-case.js
index 346a559c7d8..88c4533c140 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/utils/abstract-test-case.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/tests/utils/abstract-test-case.js
@@ -266,13 +266,13 @@ export class AbstractApplicationTest extends TestCase {
     runDestroy(this.application);
   }
 
-  visit(url) {
+  visit(url, options) {
     let { applicationInstance } = this;
 
     if (applicationInstance) {
-      return run(applicationInstance, 'visit', url);
+      return run(applicationInstance, 'visit', url, options);
     } else {
-      return run(this.application, 'visit', url).then(instance => {
+      return run(this.application, 'visit', url, options).then(instance => {
         this.applicationInstance = instance;
       });
     }
diff --git a/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/setup-registry.js b/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/setup-registry.js
index 2bb9a4afe27..3c5ef274700 100644
--- a/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/setup-registry.js
+++ b/packages/ember-htmlbars/lib/setup-registry.js
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
+import { privatize as P } from 'container/registry';
 import { InteractiveRenderer, InertRenderer } from 'ember-htmlbars/renderer';
 import HTMLBarsDOMHelper from 'ember-htmlbars/system/dom-helper';
 import topLevelViewTemplate from 'ember-htmlbars/templates/top-level-view';
 import { OutletView as HTMLBarsOutletView } from 'ember-htmlbars/views/outlet';
 import EmberView from 'ember-views/views/view';
+import Component from 'ember-htmlbars/component';
 import TextField from 'ember-htmlbars/components/text_field';
 import TextArea from 'ember-htmlbars/components/text_area';
 import Checkbox from 'ember-htmlbars/components/checkbox';
 import LinkToComponent from 'ember-htmlbars/components/link-to';
 import TemplateSupport from 'ember-views/mixins/template_support';
 
-
 export function setupApplicationRegistry(registry) {
   registry.register('renderer:-dom', InteractiveRenderer);
   registry.register('renderer:-inert', InertRenderer);
@@ -32,4 +33,6 @@ export function setupEngineRegistry(registry) {
   registry.register('component:-text-area', TextArea);
   registry.register('component:-checkbox', Checkbox);
   registry.register('component:link-to', LinkToComponent);
+
+  registry.register(P`component:-default`, Component);
 }
diff --git a/packages/ember-views/lib/utils/lookup-component.js b/packages/ember-views/lib/utils/lookup-component.js
index a182a5c2450..0521c921d8e 100644
--- a/packages/ember-views/lib/utils/lookup-component.js
+++ b/packages/ember-views/lib/utils/lookup-component.js
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
+import { privatize as P } from 'container/registry';
+
 function lookupComponentPair(componentLookup, owner, name, options) {
   let component = componentLookup.componentFor(name, owner, options);
   let layout = componentLookup.layoutFor(name, owner, options);
-  return {
-    component,
-    layout
-  };
+
+  let result = { layout, component };
+
+  if (layout && !component) {
+    result.component = owner._lookupFactory(P`component:-default`);
+  }
+
+  return result;
 }
 
 export default function lookupComponent(owner, name, options) {