diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
index d618b79523e6..4c3e3a326000 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
@@ -801,6 +801,25 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('should replace only the row whose row definition changed', () => {
+      setupTableTestApp(WhenRowChangeDetectionCdkTableApp);
+      const initialRows = getRows(tableElement);
+
+      initialRows.forEach(row => expect(row.classList).toContain('default-row'));
+
+      component.showAlternate = true;
+      component.table.renderRows();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+
+      const updatedRows = getRows(tableElement);
+      expect(updatedRows[0]).toBe(initialRows[0]);
+      expect(updatedRows[1]).not.toBe(initialRows[1]);
+      expect(updatedRows[2]).toBe(initialRows[2]);
+      expect(updatedRows[0].classList).toContain('default-row');
+      expect(updatedRows[1].classList).toContain('alternate-row');
+      expect(updatedRows[2].classList).toContain('default-row');
+    });
+
     it('should error if there is row data that does not have a matching row template', fakeAsync(() => {
       const whenRowWithoutDefaultFixture = TestBed.createComponent(
         WhenRowWithoutDefaultCdkTableApp,
@@ -2405,6 +2424,31 @@ class WhenRowCdkTableApp {
   }
 }
 
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <cdk-table [dataSource]="dataSource" [trackBy]="trackByIndex">
+      <ng-container cdkColumnDef="column_a">
+        <cdk-cell *cdkCellDef="let row"> {{row.a}} </cdk-cell>
+      </ng-container>
+
+      <cdk-row *cdkRowDef="let row; columns: ['column_a']" class="default-row"></cdk-row>
+      <cdk-row *cdkRowDef="let row; columns: ['column_a']; when: isAlternateRow"
+               class="alternate-row"></cdk-row>
+    </cdk-table>
+  `,
+  imports: [CdkTableModule],
+  changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.Eager,
+})
+class WhenRowChangeDetectionCdkTableApp {
+  dataSource = new FakeDataSource();
+  showAlternate = false;
+
+  @ViewChild(CdkTable) table!: CdkTable<TestData>;
+
+  trackByIndex = (index: number, _item: TestData) => index;
+  isAlternateRow = (index: number, _item: TestData) => this.showAlternate && index === 1;
+}
+
 @Component({
   template: `
     <cdk-table [dataSource]="dataSource" multiTemplateDataRows>
diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
index 0818d1ef981b..f09107661b44 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
@@ -423,6 +423,12 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
    */
   private _cachedRenderRowsMap = new Map<T, WeakMap<CdkRowDef<T>, RenderRow<T>[]>>();
 
+  /**
+   * Row definition used to create each rendered data-row view. Keying by the view keeps the
+   * association intact when the differ moves rows.
+   */
+  private _rowDefsByView = new WeakMap<EmbeddedViewRef<RowContext<T>>, CdkRowDef<T>>();
+
   /** Whether the table is applied to a native `<table>`. */
   protected _isNativeHtmlTable: boolean;
 
@@ -750,20 +756,32 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
       (change: _ViewRepeaterItemChange<RenderRow<T>, RowContext<T>>) => {
         if (change.operation === _ViewRepeaterOperation.INSERTED && change.context) {
           this._renderCellTemplateForItem(change.record.item.rowDef, change.context);
+          const rowView = viewContainer.get(change.record.currentIndex!) as RowViewRef<T>;
+          this._rowDefsByView.set(rowView, change.record.item.rowDef);
         }
       },
     );
 
-    // Update the meta context of a row's context data (index, count, first, last, ...)
-    this._updateRowIndexContext();
-
     // Update rows that did not get added/removed/moved but may have had their identity changed,
     // e.g. if trackBy matched data on some property but the actual data reference changed.
     changes.forEachIdentityChange((record: IterableChangeRecord<RenderRow<T>>) => {
-      const rowView = <RowViewRef<T>>viewContainer.get(record.currentIndex!);
-      rowView.context.$implicit = record.item.data;
+      const currentIndex = record.currentIndex!;
+      const rowView = viewContainer.get(currentIndex) as RowViewRef<T>;
+
+      if (this._rowDefsByView.get(rowView) !== record.item.rowDef) {
+        viewContainer.remove(currentIndex);
+        const newRowView = this._renderRow(this._rowOutlet, record.item.rowDef, currentIndex, {
+          $implicit: record.item.data,
+        });
+        this._rowDefsByView.set(newRowView, record.item.rowDef);
+      } else {
+        rowView.context.$implicit = record.item.data;
+      }
     });
 
+    // Update the meta context of a row's context data (index, count, first, last, ...)
+    this._updateRowIndexContext();
+
     this._updateNoDataRow();
 
     this.contentChanged.next();