diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/material-release.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/material-release.ts
index ae093792b75..9762bb529c7 100644
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/material-release.ts
+++ b/tools/gulp/tasks/material-release.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {task, src, dest} from 'gulp';
 import {join} from 'path';
-import {writeFileSync} from 'fs';
+import {writeFileSync, mkdirpSync} from 'fs-extra';
 import {Bundler} from 'scss-bundle';
 import {sequenceTask} from '../util/task_helpers';
 import {composeRelease} from '../packaging/build-release';
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ const {packagesDir, outputDir} = buildConfig;
 /** Path to the directory where all releases are created. */
 const releasesDir = join(outputDir, 'releases');
 
+/** Path to the output of the Material package. */
+const materialOutputPath = join(outputDir, 'packages', 'material');
+
 // Path to the sources of the Material package.
 const materialPath = join(packagesDir, 'lib');
 // Path to the release output of material.
@@ -23,7 +26,7 @@ const themingEntryPointPath = join(materialPath, 'core', 'theming', '_all-theme.
 // Output path for the scss theming bundle.
 const themingBundlePath = join(releasePath, '_theming.scss');
 // Matches all pre-built theme css files
-const prebuiltThemeGlob = join(materialPath, '**/theming/prebuilt/*.css?(.map)');
+const prebuiltThemeGlob = join(materialOutputPath, '**/theming/prebuilt/*.css?(.map)');
 // Matches all SCSS files in the library.
 const allScssGlob = join(materialPath, '**/*.scss');
 
@@ -54,7 +57,10 @@ task('material:bundle-theming-scss', () => {
   // Instantiates the SCSS bundler and bundles all imports of the specified entry point SCSS file.
   // A glob of all SCSS files in the library will be passed to the bundler. The bundler takes an
   // array of globs, which will match SCSS files that will be only included once in the bundle.
-  new Bundler().Bundle(themingEntryPointPath, [allScssGlob]).then(result => {
+  return new Bundler().Bundle(themingEntryPointPath, [allScssGlob]).then(result => {
+    // The release directory is not created yet because the composing of the release happens when
+    // this task finishes.
+    mkdirpSync(releasePath);
     writeFileSync(themingBundlePath, result.bundledContent);
   });
 });
diff --git a/tools/gulp/tasks/validate-release.ts b/tools/gulp/tasks/validate-release.ts
index 7c845325aa2..81249c2850f 100644
--- a/tools/gulp/tasks/validate-release.ts
+++ b/tools/gulp/tasks/validate-release.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import {task} from 'gulp';
-import {readFileSync} from 'fs';
+import {readFileSync, existsSync} from 'fs';
 import {join} from 'path';
 import {green, red} from 'chalk';
 import {sequenceTask} from '../util/task_helpers';
 import {releasePackages} from './publish';
+import {sync as glob} from 'glob';
 import {buildConfig} from '../packaging/build-config';
 
 /** Path to the directory where all releases are created. */
@@ -19,27 +20,27 @@ task('validate-release', sequenceTask(':publish:build-releases', 'validate-relea
 
 /** Task that checks the release bundles for any common mistakes before releasing to the public. */
 task('validate-release:check-bundles', () => {
-  const bundleFailures = releasePackages
-    .map(packageName => join(releasesDir, packageName, '@angular', `${packageName}.js`))
-    .map(packageBundle => checkPackageBundle(packageBundle))
+  const releaseFailures = releasePackages
+    .map(packageName => checkReleasePackage(packageName))
     .map((failures, index) => ({failures, packageName: releasePackages[index]}));
 
-  bundleFailures.forEach(({failures, packageName}) => {
+  releaseFailures.forEach(({failures, packageName}) => {
     failures.forEach(failure => console.error(red(`Failure (${packageName}): ${failure}`)));
   });
 
-  if (bundleFailures.some(({failures}) => failures.length > 0)) {
+  if (releaseFailures.some(({failures}) => failures.length > 0)) {
     // Throw an error to notify Gulp about the failures that have been detected.
-    throw 'Release bundles are not valid and ready for being released.';
+    throw 'Release output is not valid and not ready for being released.';
   } else {
-    console.log(green('Release bundles have been checked and are looking fine.'));
+    console.log(green('Release output has been checked and everything looks fine.'));
   }
 });
 
-/** Task that checks the given release bundle for common mistakes. */
-function checkPackageBundle(bundlePath: string): string[] {
+/** Task that validates the given release package before releasing. */
+function checkReleasePackage(packageName: string): string[] {
+  const bundlePath = join(releasesDir, packageName, '@angular', `${packageName}.js`);
   const bundleContent = readFileSync(bundlePath, 'utf8');
-  const failures = [];
+  let failures = [];
 
   if (inlineStylesSourcemapRegex.exec(bundleContent) !== null) {
     failures.push('Bundles contain sourcemap references in component styles.');
@@ -49,5 +50,27 @@ function checkPackageBundle(bundlePath: string): string[] {
     failures.push('Bundles are including references to external resources (templates or styles)');
   }
 
+  if (packageName === 'material') {
+    failures = failures.concat(checkMaterialPackage());
+  }
+
+  return failures;
+}
+
+/** Function that includes special checks for the Material package. */
+function checkMaterialPackage(): string[] {
+  const packagePath = join(releasesDir, 'material');
+  const prebuiltThemesPath = join(packagePath, 'prebuilt-themes');
+  const themingFilePath = join(packagePath, '_theming.scss');
+  const failures = [];
+
+  if (glob('*.css', {cwd: prebuiltThemesPath}).length === 0) {
+    failures.push('Prebuilt themes are not present in the Material release output.');
+  }
+
+  if (!existsSync(themingFilePath)) {
+    failures.push('The theming SCSS file is not present in the Material release output.');
+  }
+
   return failures;
 }