diff --git a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/references.js b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/references.js
index fda919586ab..b4fcf2998a7 100644
--- a/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/references.js
+++ b/packages/ember-glimmer/lib/utils/references.js
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export class NestedPropertyReference extends PropertyReference {
       return parentValue.length;
     }
 
-    if (typeof parentValue === 'object' && parentValue) {
+    if ((typeof parentValue === 'object' || typeof parentValue === 'function') && parentValue) {
       if (MANDATORY_SETTER) {
         watchKey(parentValue, _propertyKey);
       }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ export class SimpleHelperReference extends CachedReference {
 
       let result = helper(positionalValue, namedValue);
 
-      if (typeof result === 'object' && result !== null) {
+      if (typeof result === 'object' && result !== null || typeof result === 'function') {
         return new RootReference(result);
       } else {
         return PrimitiveReference.create(result);
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ export class InternalHelperReference extends CachedReference {
 // @implements PathReference
 export class UnboundReference extends ConstReference {
   static create(value) {
-    if (typeof value === 'object' && value !== null) {
+    if (typeof value === 'object' && value !== null || typeof result === 'function') {
       return new UnboundReference(value);
     } else {
       return PrimitiveReference.create(value);
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/property_set.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/property_set.js
index e1d3a510674..716608b0df9 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/property_set.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/property_set.js
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ export function set(obj, keyName, value, tolerant) {
 
     propertyDidChange(obj, keyName, meta);
   }
-
   return value;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/tags.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/tags.js
index 5e265cd9ad4..31d82c77bc3 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/tags.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/tags.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function makeTag() {
 }
 
 export function tagForProperty(object, propertyKey, _meta) {
-  if (typeof object !== 'object' || object === null) { return CONSTANT_TAG; }
+  if ((typeof object !== 'object' && typeof object !== 'function') || object === null) { return CONSTANT_TAG; }
 
   let meta = _meta || metaFor(object);
   if (meta.isProxy()) {
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_key.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_key.js
index 36304f07cd8..d0fc69f7692 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_key.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_key.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
 let handleMandatorySetter;
 
 export function watchKey(obj, keyName, meta) {
-  if (typeof obj !== 'object' || obj === null) { return; }
+  if (typeof obj !== 'object' && typeof obj !== 'function' || obj === null) { return; }
 
   let m = meta || metaFor(obj);
   let count = m.peekWatching(keyName) || 0;
@@ -81,9 +81,8 @@ if (MANDATORY_SETTER) {
 }
 
 export function unwatchKey(obj, keyName, _meta) {
-  if (typeof obj !== 'object' || obj === null) {
-    return;
-  }
+  if (typeof obj !== 'object' && typeof obj !== 'function' || obj === null) { return; }
+
   let meta = _meta || peekMeta(obj);
 
   // do nothing of this object has already been destroyed
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_path.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_path.js
index 988a716c914..83cb6abbb60 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_path.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watch_path.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export function makeChainNode(obj) {
 }
 
 export function watchPath(obj, keyPath, meta) {
-  if (typeof obj !== 'object' || obj === null) { return; }
+  if (typeof obj !== 'object' && typeof obj !== 'function' || obj === null) { return; }
   let m = meta || metaFor(obj);
   let counter = m.peekWatching(keyPath) || 0;
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export function watchPath(obj, keyPath, meta) {
 }
 
 export function unwatchPath(obj, keyPath, meta) {
-  if (typeof obj !== 'object' || obj === null) { return; }
+  if (typeof obj !== 'object' && typeof obj !== 'function' || obj === null) { return; }
   let m = meta || peekMeta(obj);
   if (m === undefined) { return; }
   let counter = m.peekWatching(keyPath) || 0;
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watching.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watching.js
index 2ea610b6f24..d18b69837a1 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/watching.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/watching.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export function watch(obj, _keyPath, m) {
 }
 
 export function isWatching(obj, key) {
-  if (typeof obj !== 'object' || obj === null) {
+  if (typeof obj !== 'object' && typeof obj !== 'function' || obj === null) {
     return false;
   }
   let meta = peekMeta(obj);