diff -u b/core/core.services.yml b/core/core.services.yml
--- b/core/core.services.yml
+++ b/core/core.services.yml
@@ -957,7 +957,7 @@
     class: Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\HtmlResponseSubscriber
     tags:
       - { name: event_subscriber }
-    arguments: ['@asset.resolver', '@config.factory', '@asset.css.collection_renderer', '@asset.js.collection_renderer', '@request_stack']
+    arguments: ['@asset.resolver', '@config.factory', '@asset.css.collection_renderer', '@asset.js.collection_renderer', '@request_stack', '@renderer']
   finish_response_subscriber:
     class: Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\FinishResponseSubscriber
     tags:
diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/HtmlResponseSubscriber.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/HtmlResponseSubscriber.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/HtmlResponseSubscriber.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/HtmlResponseSubscriber.php
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 /**
  * @file
- * Definition of Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\HtmlResponseSubscriber.
+ * Contains Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\HtmlResponseSubscriber.
  */
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber;
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Render\AttachmentsResponseInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Render\HtmlResponse;
+use Drupal\Core\Render\RendererInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RequestStack;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
@@ -63,22 +64,37 @@
   protected $requestStack;
 
   /**
+   * The renderer.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Render\RendererInterface
+   */
+  protected $renderer;
+
+  /**
    * Constructs a HtmlResponseSubscriber object.
    *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Asset\AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver
+   *   An asset resolver.
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory
    *   A config factory for retrieving required config objects.
-   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Asset\AssetCollectionRendererInterface $css_collection_renderer
+   *   A css collection renderer.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Asset\AssetCollectionRendererInterface $js_collection_renderer
+   *   A js collection renderer.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Render\RendererInterface $renderer
+   *   The renderer.
    */
-  public function __construct(AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver, ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $css_collection_renderer, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $js_collection_renderer, RequestStack $request_stack) {
+  public function __construct(AssetResolverInterface $asset_resolver, ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $css_collection_renderer, AssetCollectionRendererInterface $js_collection_renderer, RequestStack $request_stack, RendererInterface $renderer) {
     $this->assetResolver = $asset_resolver;
     $this->config = $config_factory->get('system.performance');
     $this->cssCollectionRenderer = $css_collection_renderer;
     $this->jsCollectionRenderer = $js_collection_renderer;
     $this->requestStack = $request_stack;
+    $this->renderer = $renderer;
   }
 
   /**
-   * Sets extra headers on HtmlResponse responses.
+   * Sets headers on HtmlResponse responses.
    *
    * @param Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Event\FilterResponseEvent $event
    *   The event to process.
@@ -90,12 +106,12 @@
 
     $response = $event->getResponse();
     if ($response instanceof HtmlResponse) {
-      $this->prepareAttachments($response);
+      $this->processAttachments($response);
     }
   }
 
   /**
-   * Prepare attachments contained in a HtmlResponse.
+   * Prorcess attachments contained in a HtmlResponse.
    *
    * This renders them into HTML markup and replaces the HTML response
    * placeholders in the content of the response.
@@ -105,7 +121,7 @@
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Render\AttachmentsResponseInterface $response
    *   The response containing attachments.
    */
-  public function prepareAttachments(AttachmentsResponseInterface $response) {
+  public function processAttachments(AttachmentsResponseInterface $response) {
     $attached = $response->getAttachments();
 
     // Get the placeholders from attached and then remove them.
@@ -115,17 +131,16 @@
     $variables = [];
     $variables += $this->processAssetLibraries($attached, $placeholders);
 
-    // Handle all non-asset attachments.
-    $all_attached = ['#attached' => $attached];
-    drupal_process_attached($all_attached);
-
     // Get HTML head elements - if present.
     if (isset($placeholders['head'])) {
+      // Handle all non-asset attachments.
+      $all_attached = ['#attached' => $attached];
+      drupal_process_attached($all_attached);
+
       $variables['head'] = drupal_get_html_head(FALSE);
     }
 
-    // Now replace the placeholders in the response content with the real
-    // data.
+    // Now replace the placeholders in the response content with the real data.
     $this->renderPlaceholders($response, $placeholders, $variables);
 
     // Finally set the headers on the response.
@@ -194,8 +209,8 @@
    */
   protected function renderPlaceholders(AttachmentsResponseInterface $response, array $placeholders, array $variables) {
     $content = $response->getContent();
-    foreach ($placeholders as $key => $placeholder) {
-      $content = str_replace($placeholder, render($variables[$key]), $content);
+    foreach ($placeholders as $type => $placeholder) {
+      $content = str_replace($placeholder, $this->renderer->renderPlain($variables[$type]), $content);
     }
     $response->setContent($content);
   }