diff --git a/apps/tests/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts b/apps/tests/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
index f7f9759c4..283cc308b 100644
--- a/apps/tests/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
+++ b/apps/tests/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
@@ -245,6 +245,18 @@ export function test_parse_ShouldFindEventHandlersInExports() {
     TKUnit.assert(loaded, "Parse should find event handlers in exports.");
 };
 
+export function test_parse_ShouldFindEventHandlersWithOnInExports() {
+    var loaded;
+    var page = builder.parse("<Page onloaded='myLoaded'></Page>", {
+        myLoaded: args => {
+            loaded = true;
+        }
+    });
+    page._emit("loaded");
+
+    TKUnit.assert(loaded, "Parse should find event handlers in exports.");
+};
+
 export function test_parse_ShouldSetGridAttachedProperties() {
     var p = <Page>builder.parse("<Page><GridLayout><Label row='1' col='2' rowSpan='3' colSpan='4' /></GridLayout></Page>");
     var grid = <gridLayoutModule.GridLayout>p.content;
@@ -368,6 +380,18 @@ export function test_parse_ShouldParseBindingsToEvents() {
     TKUnit.assert(btn.hasListeners("tap"), "Expected result: true.");
 };
 
+export function test_parse_ShouldParseBindingsToEventsWithOn() {
+    var p = <Page>builder.parse("<Page><Button ontap='{{ myTap }}' /></Page>");
+    p.bindingContext = {
+        myTap: function (args) {
+            //
+        }
+    };
+    var btn = <buttonModule.Button>p.content;
+
+    TKUnit.assert(btn.hasListeners("tap"), "Expected result: true.");
+};
+
 export function test_parse_ShouldParseBindingsToGestures() {
     var p = <Page>builder.parse("<Page><Label tap='{{ myTap }}' /></Page>");
     var context = {
@@ -385,6 +409,23 @@ export function test_parse_ShouldParseBindingsToGestures() {
     TKUnit.assert(observer.context === context, "Context should be equal to binding context. Actual result: " + observer.context);
 };
 
+export function test_parse_ShouldParseBindingsToGesturesWithOn() {
+    var p = <Page>builder.parse("<Page><Label ontap='{{ myTap }}' /></Page>");
+    var context = {
+        myTap: function (args) {
+            //
+        }
+    };
+
+    p.bindingContext = context;
+    var lbl = <Label>p.content;
+
+    var observer = (<view.View>lbl).getGestureObservers(gesturesModule.GestureTypes.tap)[0];
+
+    TKUnit.assert(observer !== undefined, "Expected result: true.");
+    TKUnit.assert(observer.context === context, "Context should be equal to binding context. Actual result: " + observer.context);
+};
+
 export function test_parse_ShouldParseSubProperties() {
     var p = <Page>builder.parse("<Page><Switch style.visibility='collapsed' checked='{{ myProp }}' /></Page>");
     var obj = new observable.Observable();
diff --git a/ui/core/view-common.ts b/ui/core/view-common.ts
index 770fb3538..daed3d05f 100644
--- a/ui/core/view-common.ts
+++ b/ui/core/view-common.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,17 @@ registerSpecialProperty("class", (instance: definition.View, propertyValue: stri
     instance.className = propertyValue;
 });
 
+function getEventOrGestureName(name: string) : string {
+    return name.indexOf("on") === 0 ? name.substr(2, name.length - 2) : name;
+}
+
 export function isEventOrGesture(name: string, view: View): boolean {
     if (types.isString(name)) {
-        var evt = `${name}Event`;
+        var eventOrGestureName = getEventOrGestureName(name);
+        var evt = `${eventOrGestureName}Event`;
 
         return view.constructor && evt in view.constructor ||
-            gestures.fromString(name.toLowerCase()) !== undefined;
+            gestures.fromString(eventOrGestureName.toLowerCase()) !== undefined;
     }
 
     return false;
@@ -230,6 +235,9 @@ export class View extends proxy.ProxyObject implements definition.View {
 
     public addEventListener(arg: string | gestures.GestureTypes, callback: (data: observable.EventData) => void, thisArg?: any) {
         if (types.isString(arg)) {
+
+            arg = getEventOrGestureName(<string>arg);
+
             var gesture = gestures.fromString(<string>arg);
             if (gesture && !this._isEvent(<string>arg)) {
                 this.observe(gesture, callback, thisArg);