diff --git a/ui/builder/component-builder.d.ts b/ui/builder/component-builder.d.ts
index 69379f79a..7245a15ec 100644
--- a/ui/builder/component-builder.d.ts
+++ b/ui/builder/component-builder.d.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ declare module "ui/builder/component-builder" {
     export function getComponentModule(elementName: string, namespace: string, attributes: Object, exports: Object): ComponentModule;
     export function setPropertyValue(instance: view.View, instanceModuleExports: Object, pageExports: Object, propertyName: string, propertyValue: string) : void;
 
+    export var specialProperties: Array<string>;
+    export function setSpecialPropertyValue(instance: view.View, propertyName: string, propertyValue: string): boolean;
+
     export interface ComponentModule {
         component: view.View;
         exports: any;
diff --git a/ui/builder/component-builder.ts b/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
index 5c7be9671..5730a6a2d 100644
--- a/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
+++ b/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ var DOCK = "dock";
 var LEFT = "left";
 var TOP = "top";
 
+export var specialProperties: Array<string> = [
+    ROW,
+    COL,
+    COL_SPAN,
+    ROW_SPAN,
+    DOCK,
+    LEFT,
+    TOP,
+]
+
 var eventHandlers = {};
 
 export function getComponentModule(elementName: string, namespace: string, attributes: Object, exports: Object): definition.ComponentModule {
@@ -112,6 +122,28 @@ export function getComponentModule(elementName: string, namespace: string, attri
     return componentModule;
 }
 
+export function setSpecialPropertyValue(instance: view.View, propertyName: string, propertyValue: string) {
+    if (propertyName === ROW) {
+        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setRow(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === COL) {
+        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setColumn(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === COL_SPAN) {
+        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setColumnSpan(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === ROW_SPAN) {
+        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setRowSpan(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === LEFT) {
+        absoluteLayoutDef.AbsoluteLayout.setLeft(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === TOP) {
+        absoluteLayoutDef.AbsoluteLayout.setTop(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
+    } else if (propertyName === DOCK) {
+        console.log('set dock: ' + propertyName + ' -> ' + propertyValue);
+        dockLayoutDef.DockLayout.setDock(instance, propertyValue);
+    } else {
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 export function setPropertyValue(instance: view.View, instanceModule: Object, exports: Object, propertyName: string, propertyValue: string) {
     // Note: instanceModule can be null if we are loading custom compnenet with no code-behind.
     var isEventOrGesture: boolean = isKnownEventOrGesture(propertyName, instance);
@@ -136,20 +168,8 @@ export function setPropertyValue(instance: view.View, instanceModule: Object, ex
         if (types.isFunction(handler)) {
             instance.on(propertyName, handler);
         }
-    } else if (propertyName === ROW) {
-        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setRow(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === COL) {
-        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setColumn(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === COL_SPAN) {
-        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setColumnSpan(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === ROW_SPAN) {
-        gridLayoutModule.GridLayout.setRowSpan(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === LEFT) {
-        absoluteLayoutDef.AbsoluteLayout.setLeft(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === TOP) {
-        absoluteLayoutDef.AbsoluteLayout.setTop(instance, !isNaN(+propertyValue) && +propertyValue);
-    } else if (propertyName === DOCK) {
-        dockLayoutDef.DockLayout.setDock(instance, propertyValue);
+    } else if (setSpecialPropertyValue(instance, propertyName, propertyValue)) {
+        // Already set by setSpecialPropertyValue
     } else {
         var attrHandled = false;
 
@@ -211,4 +231,4 @@ function isBinding(value: string): boolean {
     }
 
     return isBinding;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}