diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.spec.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.spec.ts
index 66e42601212b..28d07e46842c 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.spec.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ describe('FocusTrap', () => {
         SimpleFocusTrap,
         FocusTrapTargets,
         FocusTrapWithSvg,
+        FocusTrapWithoutFocusableElements,
       ],
       providers: [InteractivityChecker, Platform, FocusTrapFactory]
     });
@@ -35,22 +36,37 @@ describe('FocusTrap', () => {
     it('wrap focus from end to start', () => {
       // Because we can't mimic a real tab press focus change in a unit test, just call the
       // focus event handler directly.
-      focusTrapInstance.focusFirstTabbableElement();
+      const result = focusTrapInstance.focusFirstTabbableElement();
 
       expect(document.activeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase())
           .toBe('input', 'Expected input element to be focused');
+      expect(result).toBe(true, 'Expected return value to be true if focus was shifted.');
     });
 
     it('should wrap focus from start to end', () => {
       // Because we can't mimic a real tab press focus change in a unit test, just call the
       // focus event handler directly.
-      focusTrapInstance.focusLastTabbableElement();
+      const result = focusTrapInstance.focusLastTabbableElement();
 
       // In iOS button elements are never tabbable, so the last element will be the input.
-      let lastElement = new Platform().IOS ? 'input' : 'button';
+      const lastElement = new Platform().IOS ? 'input' : 'button';
 
       expect(document.activeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase())
           .toBe(lastElement, `Expected ${lastElement} element to be focused`);
+
+      expect(result).toBe(true, 'Expected return value to be true if focus was shifted.');
+    });
+
+    it('should return false if it did not manage to find a focusable element', () => {
+      fixture.destroy();
+
+      const newFixture = TestBed.createComponent(FocusTrapWithoutFocusableElements);
+      newFixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const focusTrap = newFixture.componentInstance.focusTrapDirective.focusTrap;
+      const result = focusTrap.focusFirstTabbableElement();
+
+      expect(result).toBe(false);
     });
 
     it('should be enabled by default', () => {
@@ -199,3 +215,14 @@ class FocusTrapTargets {
 class FocusTrapWithSvg {
   @ViewChild(FocusTrapDirective) focusTrapDirective: FocusTrapDirective;
 }
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <div cdkTrapFocus>
+      <p>Hello</p>
+    </div>
+    `
+})
+class FocusTrapWithoutFocusableElements {
+  @ViewChild(FocusTrapDirective) focusTrapDirective: FocusTrapDirective;
+}
diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.ts
index a4045fccd58f..cb09557accba 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/focus-trap.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,13 @@ export class FocusTrap {
     }
 
     this._ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => {
-      this._startAnchor!.addEventListener('focus', () => this.focusLastTabbableElement());
-      this._endAnchor!.addEventListener('focus', () => this.focusFirstTabbableElement());
+      this._startAnchor!.addEventListener('focus', () => {
+        this.focusLastTabbableElement();
+      });
+
+      this._endAnchor!.addEventListener('focus', () => {
+        this.focusFirstTabbableElement();
+      });
 
       if (this._element.parentNode) {
         this._element.parentNode.insertBefore(this._startAnchor!, this._element);
@@ -100,26 +105,38 @@ export class FocusTrap {
 
   /**
    * Waits for the zone to stabilize, then either focuses the first element that the
-   * user specified, or the first tabbable element..
+   * user specified, or the first tabbable element.
+   * @returns Returns a promise that resolves with a boolean, depending
+   * on whether focus was moved successfuly.
    */
-  focusInitialElementWhenReady() {
-    this._executeOnStable(() => this.focusInitialElement());
+  focusInitialElementWhenReady(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return new Promise<boolean>(resolve => {
+      this._executeOnStable(() => resolve(this.focusInitialElement()));
+    });
   }
 
   /**
    * Waits for the zone to stabilize, then focuses
    * the first tabbable element within the focus trap region.
+   * @returns Returns a promise that resolves with a boolean, depending
+   * on whether focus was moved successfuly.
    */
-  focusFirstTabbableElementWhenReady() {
-    this._executeOnStable(() => this.focusFirstTabbableElement());
+  focusFirstTabbableElementWhenReady(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return new Promise<boolean>(resolve => {
+      this._executeOnStable(() => resolve(this.focusFirstTabbableElement()));
+    });
   }
 
   /**
    * Waits for the zone to stabilize, then focuses
    * the last tabbable element within the focus trap region.
+   * @returns Returns a promise that resolves with a boolean, depending
+   * on whether focus was moved successfuly.
    */
-  focusLastTabbableElementWhenReady() {
-    this._executeOnStable(() => this.focusLastTabbableElement());
+  focusLastTabbableElementWhenReady(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return new Promise<boolean>(resolve => {
+      this._executeOnStable(() => resolve(this.focusLastTabbableElement()));
+    });
   }
 
   /**
@@ -146,30 +163,47 @@ export class FocusTrap {
         markers[markers.length - 1] : this._getLastTabbableElement(this._element);
   }
 
-  /** Focuses the element that should be focused when the focus trap is initialized. */
-  focusInitialElement() {
-    let redirectToElement = this._element.querySelector('[cdk-focus-initial]') as HTMLElement;
+  /**
+   * Focuses the element that should be focused when the focus trap is initialized.
+   * @returns Returns whether focus was moved successfuly.
+   */
+  focusInitialElement(): boolean {
+    const redirectToElement = this._element.querySelector('[cdk-focus-initial]') as HTMLElement;
+
     if (redirectToElement) {
       redirectToElement.focus();
-    } else {
-      this.focusFirstTabbableElement();
+      return true;
     }
+
+    return this.focusFirstTabbableElement();
   }
 
-  /** Focuses the first tabbable element within the focus trap region. */
-  focusFirstTabbableElement() {
-    let redirectToElement = this._getRegionBoundary('start');
+  /**
+   * Focuses the first tabbable element within the focus trap region.
+   * @returns Returns whether focus was moved successfuly.
+   */
+  focusFirstTabbableElement(): boolean {
+    const redirectToElement = this._getRegionBoundary('start');
+
     if (redirectToElement) {
       redirectToElement.focus();
     }
+
+    return !!redirectToElement;
   }
 
-  /** Focuses the last tabbable element within the focus trap region. */
-  focusLastTabbableElement() {
-    let redirectToElement = this._getRegionBoundary('end');
+  /**
+   * Focuses the last tabbable element within the focus trap region.
+   * @returns Returns whether focus was moved successfuly.
+   */
+  focusLastTabbableElement(): boolean {
+    const redirectToElement = this._getRegionBoundary('end');
+
     if (redirectToElement) {
       redirectToElement.focus();
     }
+
+    return !!redirectToElement;
   }
 
   /** Get the first tabbable element from a DOM subtree (inclusive). */