diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/output/ts_emitter.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/output/ts_emitter.ts
index 97af8c74bf..d4d4e259f0 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/output/ts_emitter.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/output/ts_emitter.ts
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ class _TsEmitterVisitor extends AbstractEmitterVisitor implements o.TypeVisitor
 
   private _visitClassField(field: o.ClassField, ctx: EmitterVisitorContext) {
     if (field.hasModifier(o.StmtModifier.Private)) {
-      ctx.print(`private `);
+      // comment out as a workaround for #10967
+      ctx.print(`/*private*/ `);
     }
     ctx.print(field.name);
     ctx.print(':');
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/output/ts_emitter_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/output/ts_emitter_spec.ts
index afe1a4f7c8..e9fa32e695 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/test/output/ts_emitter_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/test/output/ts_emitter_spec.ts
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ export function main() {
                    'SomeClass', null,
                    [new o.ClassField('someField', o.INT_TYPE, [o.StmtModifier.Private])], [], null,
                    [])))
-            .toEqual(['class SomeClass {', '  private someField:number;', '}'].join('\n'));
+            .toEqual(['class SomeClass {', '  /*private*/ someField:number;', '}'].join('\n'));
       });
 
       it('should support declaring getters', () => {