diff --git b/components-chromium/iron-iconset-svg/iron-iconset-svg.js a/components-chromium/iron-iconset-svg/iron-iconset-svg.js
index 9bd6935fa7a9f..603f83c270ca6 100644
--- b/components-chromium/iron-iconset-svg/iron-iconset-svg.js
+++ a/components-chromium/iron-iconset-svg/iron-iconset-svg.js
@@ -127,13 +127,26 @@ Polymer({
         iconName, this.rtlMirroring && this._targetIsRTL(element));
     if (svg) {
       // insert svg element into shadow root, if it exists
-      var pde = dom(element.root || element);
+      var pde = element.shadowRoot ?
+          element.shadowRoot : dom(element.root || element);
       pde.insertBefore(svg, pde.childNodes[0]);
       return element._svgIcon = svg;
     }
     return null;
   },
 
+  /**
+   * Produce installable clone of the SVG element matching `id` in this
+   * iconset, or `undefined` if there is no matching element.
+   * @param {string} iconName Name of the icon to apply.
+   * @param {boolean} targetIsRTL Whether the target element is RTL.
+   * @return {Element} Returns an installable clone of the SVG element
+   *     matching `id`.
+   */
+  createIcon: function(iconName, targetIsRTL) {
+    return this._cloneIcon(iconName, this.rtlMirroring && targetIsRTL);
+  },
+
   /**
    * Remove an icon from the given element by undoing the changes effected
    * by `applyIcon`.
@@ -143,7 +156,9 @@ Polymer({
   removeIcon: function(element) {
     // Remove old svg element
     if (element._svgIcon) {
-      dom(element.root || element).removeChild(element._svgIcon);
+      var root = element.shadowRoot ?
+          element.shadowRoot : dom(element.root || element);
+      root.removeChild(element._svgIcon);
       element._svgIcon = null;
     }
   },
@@ -185,9 +200,7 @@ Polymer({
     this._meta.key = this.name;
     this._meta.value = this;
 
-    this.async(function() {
-      this.fire('iron-iconset-added', this, {node: window});
-    });
+    this.fire('iron-iconset-added', this, {node: window});
   },
 
   /**