diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/host.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/host.ts
index 58a9d551b3f61..578ff10424c8e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/host.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/host.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,16 @@ export class GeneratedShimsHostWrapper implements ts.CompilerHost {
           (delegate.resolveTypeReferenceDirectives as ts3ResolveTypeReferenceDirectives) !(
               names, containingFile);
     }
+    if (delegate.directoryExists !== undefined) {
+      this.directoryExists = (directoryName: string) => delegate.directoryExists !(directoryName);
+    }
   }
 
   resolveTypeReferenceDirectives?:
       (names: string[], containingFile: string) => ts.ResolvedTypeReferenceDirective[];
 
+  directoryExists?: (directoryName: string) => boolean;
+
   getSourceFile(
       fileName: string, languageVersion: ts.ScriptTarget,
       onError?: ((message: string) => void)|undefined,
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
index 54ecd951f8656..6fbf828c73d86 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ export class NgtscTestEnvironment {
         "skipLibCheck": true,
         "noImplicitAny": true,
         "strictNullChecks": true,
-        "types": [],
         "outDir": "built",
         "rootDir": ".",
         "baseUrl": ".",
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
index 11a070e63c0e4..79192f1d0127a 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
@@ -1046,4 +1046,36 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  it('should compile programs with typeRoots', () => {
+    // Write out a custom tsconfig.json that includes 'typeRoots' and 'files'. 'files' is necessary
+    // because otherwise TS picks up the testTypeRoot/test/index.d.ts file into the program
+    // automatically. Shims are also turned on (via allowEmptyCodegenFiles) because the shim
+    // ts.CompilerHost wrapper can break typeRoot functionality (which this test is meant to
+    // detect).
+    env.write('tsconfig.json', `{
+      "extends": "./tsconfig-base.json",
+      "angularCompilerOptions": {
+        "allowEmptyCodegenFiles": true
+      },
+      "compilerOptions": {
+        "typeRoots": ["./testTypeRoot"],
+      },
+      "files": ["./test.ts"]
+    }`);
+    env.write('test.ts', `
+      import {Test} from 'ambient';
+      console.log(Test);
+    `);
+    env.write('testTypeRoot/.exists', '');
+    env.write('testTypeRoot/test/index.d.ts', `
+      declare module 'ambient' {
+        export const Test = 'This is a test';
+      }
+    `);
+
+    env.driveMain();
+
+    // Success is enough to indicate that this passes.
+  });
 });