diff --git a/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts b/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
index 493490d8b6bf..3942603b532f 100644
--- a/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ describe('MatDrawer', () => {
         DrawerSetToOpenedFalse,
         DrawerSetToOpenedTrue,
         DrawerDynamicPosition,
-        DrawerWitFocusableElements,
+        DrawerWithFocusableElements,
         DrawerOpenBinding,
+        DrawerWithoutFocusableElements,
       ],
     });
 
@@ -370,14 +371,14 @@ describe('MatDrawer', () => {
   });
 
   describe('focus trapping behavior', () => {
-    let fixture: ComponentFixture<DrawerWitFocusableElements>;
-    let testComponent: DrawerWitFocusableElements;
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<DrawerWithFocusableElements>;
+    let testComponent: DrawerWithFocusableElements;
     let drawer: MatDrawer;
     let firstFocusableElement: HTMLElement;
     let lastFocusableElement: HTMLElement;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
-      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(DrawerWitFocusableElements);
+      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(DrawerWithFocusableElements);
       testComponent = fixture.debugElement.componentInstance;
       drawer = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatDrawer)).componentInstance;
       firstFocusableElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('.link1')).nativeElement;
@@ -417,6 +418,21 @@ describe('MatDrawer', () => {
 
       expect(document.activeElement).toBe(lastFocusableElement);
     }));
+
+    it('should focus the drawer if there are no focusable elements', fakeAsync(() => {
+      fixture.destroy();
+
+      const nonFocusableFixture = TestBed.createComponent(DrawerWithoutFocusableElements);
+      const drawerEl = nonFocusableFixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatDrawer));
+      nonFocusableFixture.detectChanges();
+
+      drawerEl.componentInstance.open();
+      nonFocusableFixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
+
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe(drawerEl.nativeElement);
+    }));
+
   });
 });
 
@@ -676,10 +692,19 @@ class DrawerDynamicPosition {
       <a class="link2" href="#">link2</a>
     </mat-drawer-container>`,
 })
-class DrawerWitFocusableElements {
+class DrawerWithFocusableElements {
   mode: string = 'over';
 }
 
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <mat-drawer-container>
+      <mat-drawer position="start" mode="over">
+        <button disabled>Not focusable</button>
+      </mat-drawer>
+    </mat-drawer-container>`,
+})
+class DrawerWithoutFocusableElements {}
 
 @Component({
   template: `
diff --git a/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.ts b/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.ts
index 9a5fbbc86c1a..729c1aa2f73b 100644
--- a/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.ts
+++ b/src/lib/sidenav/drawer.ts
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ export class MatDrawer implements AfterContentInit, AfterContentChecked, OnDestr
               private _focusMonitor: FocusMonitor,
               private _platform: Platform,
               @Optional() @Inject(DOCUMENT) private _doc: any) {
+
     this.openedChange.subscribe((opened: boolean) => {
       if (opened) {
         if (this._doc) {
@@ -268,7 +269,7 @@ export class MatDrawer implements AfterContentInit, AfterContentChecked, OnDestr
         }
 
         if (this._isFocusTrapEnabled && this._focusTrap) {
-          this._focusTrap.focusInitialElementWhenReady();
+          this._trapFocus();
         }
       } else {
         this._restoreFocus();
@@ -276,6 +277,17 @@ export class MatDrawer implements AfterContentInit, AfterContentChecked, OnDestr
     });
   }
 
+  /** Traps focus inside the drawer. */
+  private _trapFocus() {
+    this._focusTrap.focusInitialElementWhenReady().then(hasMovedFocus => {
+      // If there were no focusable elements, focus the sidenav itself so the keyboard navigation
+      // still works. We need to check that `focus` is a function due to Universal.
+      if (!hasMovedFocus && typeof this._elementRef.nativeElement.focus === 'function') {
+        this._elementRef.nativeElement.focus();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   /**
    * If focus is currently inside the drawer, restores it to where it was before the drawer
    * opened.