diff --git a/src/app/app.component.ts b/src/app/app.component.ts
index 3cb7904..28a9d90 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import { TanStackRouterDevtoolsComponent } from '../router/router-devtools';
   template: `
     <h1>Welcome to {{ title }}!</h1>
 
-    <a link to="/">Home</a> | <a link to="/about">About</a> |
-    <a link to="/parent/$id" [params]="{ id: '1' }">Parent 1</a>
+    <a link="/">Home</a> | <a link="/about">About</a> |
+    <a [link]="{ to: '/parent/$id', params: { id: '1' } }">Parent 1</a>
     <hr />
 
     <outlet />
diff --git a/src/app/parent.component.ts b/src/app/parent.component.ts
index b7b62f6..ebbb386 100644
--- a/src/app/parent.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/parent.component.ts
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ export const Route = createRoute({
   imports: [Outlet, Link],
   template: `
     Parent -
-    <a link to="/parent/$id" [params]="{ id: 'child' }">Child</a> |
-    <a link to="/parent/$id" [params]="{ id: '1' }">Child 1</a> |
-    <a link to="/parent/$id" [params]="{ id: '2' }">Child 2</a>
+    <a [link]="{ to: '/parent/$id', params: { id: 'child' } }">Child</a> |
+    <a [link]="{ to: '/parent/$id', params: { id: '1' } }">Child 1</a> |
+    <a [link]="{ to: '/parent/$id', params: { id: '2' } }">Child 2</a>
     <hr />
 
     <outlet />
diff --git a/src/router/create-router.ts b/src/router/create-router.ts
index c5a139a..95b01ae 100644
--- a/src/router/create-router.ts
+++ b/src/router/create-router.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export class NgRouter<
     >
   ) {
     super(options);
-    this.load({ sync: true });
+    void this.load({ sync: true });
     this.__store.subscribe(() => {
       this.routerState.set(this.state);
     });
diff --git a/src/router/link.ts b/src/router/link.ts
index 2ca444b..dd18190 100644
--- a/src/router/link.ts
+++ b/src/router/link.ts
@@ -4,32 +4,27 @@ import { injectRouter } from './router';
 
 @Directive({
   selector: 'a[link]',
+  exportAs: 'link',
   host: {
     '(click)': 'navigate($event)',
-    '[attr.href]': '_href()',
+    '[attr.href]': 'hostHref()',
   },
 })
 export class Link {
-  to = input<NavigateOptions['to']>();
-  from = input<NavigateOptions['from']>();
-  params = input<NavigateOptions['params']>();
-  search = input<NavigateOptions['search']>();
-  hash = input<NavigateOptions['hash']>();
-  options = input<NavigateOptions>();
+  toOptions = input.required<
+    | (Omit<NavigateOptions, 'to'> & { to: NonNullable<NavigateOptions['to']> })
+    | NonNullable<NavigateOptions['to']>
+  >({ alias: 'link' });
+
   router = injectRouter();
-  private navigateOptions = computed(() => {
-    const options: NavigateOptions = {
-      to: this.to(),
-      from: this.from(),
-      params: this.params(),
-      search: this.search(),
-      hash: this.hash(),
-      ...this.options(),
-    };
 
-    return options;
+  private navigateOptions = computed(() => {
+    const to = this.toOptions();
+    if (typeof to === 'object') return to;
+    return { to };
   });
-  _href = computed(
+
+  protected hostHref = computed(
     () => this.router.buildLocation(this.navigateOptions()).href
   );
 
diff --git a/src/router/outlet.ts b/src/router/outlet.ts
index e7b61ea..f3db3ce 100644
--- a/src/router/outlet.ts
+++ b/src/router/outlet.ts
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
 import {
+  ComponentRef,
+  DestroyRef,
   Directive,
   effect,
   inject,
   Type,
   ViewContainerRef,
 } from '@angular/core';
-
-import { AnyRoute } from '@tanstack/router-core';
-import { injectRouteContext, injectRouter } from './router';
+import { AnyRoute, RouterState } from '@tanstack/router-core';
 
 import { context } from './context';
+import { injectRouteContext, injectRouter } from './router';
 
-@Directive({
-  selector: 'outlet',
-})
+@Directive({ selector: 'outlet', exportAs: 'outlet' })
 export class Outlet {
-  private cmp!: Type<any>;
   private context? = injectRouteContext();
   private router = injectRouter();
   private vcr = inject(ViewContainerRef);
 
+  private cmp: Type<any> | null = null;
+  private cmpRef: ComponentRef<any> | null = null;
+
   constructor() {
     effect(() => {
       const routerState = this.router.routerState();
@@ -47,19 +48,25 @@ export class Outlet {
 
       if (this.cmp !== currentCmp) {
         this.vcr.clear();
-        this.vcr.createComponent(currentCmp, {
+        this.cmpRef = this.vcr.createComponent(currentCmp, {
           injector,
           environmentInjector,
         });
         this.cmp = currentCmp;
+      } else {
+        this.cmpRef?.changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
       }
     });
+
+    inject(DestroyRef).onDestroy(() => {
+      this.vcr.clear();
+      this.cmp = null;
+      this.cmpRef = null;
+    });
   }
 
-  getMatch(matches: any[]): any {
+  getMatch(matches: RouterState['matches']) {
     const idx = matches.findIndex((match) => match.id === this.context?.id);
-    const matchesToRender = matches[idx + 1];
-
-    return matchesToRender;
+    return matches[idx + 1];
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/router/route.ts b/src/router/route.ts
index 9325971..79f4796 100644
--- a/src/router/route.ts
+++ b/src/router/route.ts
@@ -189,17 +189,15 @@ export function createRoute<
   TChildren
 > {
   if (options.loader) {
-    const originalLoader = options.loader;
-    options.loader = (...args: Parameters<typeof originalLoader>) => {
-      const { context, route } = args[0];
-      const routeInjector = (
-        context as RouterContext<TRouterContext>
-      ).getRouteInjector(route.id);
-      return runInInjectionContext(
-        routeInjector,
-        originalLoader.bind(null, ...args)
-      );
-    };
+    options.loader = runFnInInjectionContext(options.loader);
+  }
+
+  if (options.shouldReload && typeof options.shouldReload === 'function') {
+    options.shouldReload = runFnInInjectionContext(options.shouldReload);
+  }
+
+  if (options.beforeLoad) {
+    options.beforeLoad = runFnInInjectionContext(options.beforeLoad);
   }
 
   return new Route<
@@ -292,6 +290,18 @@ export function createRootRoute<
   unknown,
   unknown
 > {
+  if (options?.loader) {
+    options.loader = runFnInInjectionContext(options.loader);
+  }
+
+  if (options?.shouldReload && typeof options.shouldReload === 'function') {
+    options.shouldReload = runFnInInjectionContext(options.shouldReload);
+  }
+
+  if (options?.beforeLoad) {
+    options.beforeLoad = runFnInInjectionContext(options.beforeLoad);
+  }
+
   return new RootRoute<
     TSearchValidator,
     TRouterContext,
@@ -358,3 +368,12 @@ export class NotFoundRoute<
     });
   }
 }
+
+function runFnInInjectionContext<TFn extends (...args: any[]) => any>(fn: TFn) {
+  const originalFn = fn;
+  return (...args: Parameters<TFn>) => {
+    const { context, route } = args[0];
+    const routeInjector = context.getRouteInjector(route.id);
+    return runInInjectionContext(routeInjector, originalFn.bind(null, ...args));
+  };
+}