diff --git a/lib/common/utils.ts b/lib/common/utils.ts
index 65f1096e7..5b2e82fbb 100644
--- a/lib/common/utils.ts
+++ b/lib/common/utils.ts
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ export function makeZoneAwareListeners(fnName: string) {
   return function zoneAwareEventListeners(self: any, args: any[]) {
     const eventName: string = args[0];
     const target = self || _global;
+    if (!target[EVENT_TASKS]) {
+      return [];
+    }
     return target[EVENT_TASKS]
         .filter(task => task.data.eventName === eventName)
         .map(task => task.data.handler);
diff --git a/test/node/events.spec.ts b/test/node/events.spec.ts
index c32f76a9a..ae856ca61 100644
--- a/test/node/events.spec.ts
+++ b/test/node/events.spec.ts
@@ -58,4 +58,9 @@ describe('nodejs EventEmitter', () => {
     });
     expect(emitter.listeners('test')).toEqual([expectZoneA, shouldNotRun]);
   });
+  it('should return empty array when an event has no listeners', () => {
+    zoneA.run(() => {
+      expect(emitter.listeners('test')).toEqual([]);
+    });
+  })
 });
\ No newline at end of file