diff --git a/src/compiler/emitter.ts b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
index d87157aa75362..cbff1fb2512f7 100644
--- a/src/compiler/emitter.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
@@ -393,7 +393,9 @@ namespace ts {
             declarationFilePath: string | undefined,
             declarationMapPath: string | undefined,
             relativeToBuildInfo: (path: string) => string) {
-            if (!sourceFileOrBundle || !declarationFilePath) {
+            if (!sourceFileOrBundle) return;
+            if (!declarationFilePath) {
+                if (emitOnlyDtsFiles || compilerOptions.emitDeclarationOnly) emitSkipped = true;
                 return;
             }
             const sourceFiles = isSourceFile(sourceFileOrBundle) ? [sourceFileOrBundle] : sourceFileOrBundle.sourceFiles;
diff --git a/src/services/services.ts b/src/services/services.ts
index acd06a8ac6dec..6d2a3d085314e 100644
--- a/src/services/services.ts
+++ b/src/services/services.ts
@@ -1638,12 +1638,12 @@ namespace ts {
             return NavigateTo.getNavigateToItems(sourceFiles, program.getTypeChecker(), cancellationToken, searchValue, maxResultCount, excludeDtsFiles);
         }
 
-        function getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles = false) {
+        function getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean, forceDtsEmit?: boolean) {
             synchronizeHostData();
 
             const sourceFile = getValidSourceFile(fileName);
             const customTransformers = host.getCustomTransformers && host.getCustomTransformers();
-            return getFileEmitOutput(program, sourceFile, emitOnlyDtsFiles, cancellationToken, customTransformers);
+            return getFileEmitOutput(program, sourceFile, !!emitOnlyDtsFiles, cancellationToken, customTransformers, forceDtsEmit);
         }
 
         // Signature help
diff --git a/src/services/types.ts b/src/services/types.ts
index 8bf2cf2504527..3c08ddf5fd689 100644
--- a/src/services/types.ts
+++ b/src/services/types.ts
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ namespace ts {
         organizeImports(scope: OrganizeImportsScope, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
         getEditsForFileRename(oldFilePath: string, newFilePath: string, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
 
-        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean): EmitOutput;
+        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean, forceDtsEmit?: boolean): EmitOutput;
 
         getProgram(): Program | undefined;
 
diff --git a/src/testRunner/unittests/services/languageService.ts b/src/testRunner/unittests/services/languageService.ts
index a5f38eb323bd5..d9a69dcd2e66b 100644
--- a/src/testRunner/unittests/services/languageService.ts
+++ b/src/testRunner/unittests/services/languageService.ts
@@ -15,10 +15,9 @@ class Carousel<T> extends Vue {
             "vue-class-component.d.ts": `import Vue from "./vue";
 export function Component(x: Config): any;`
         };
-        // Regression test for GH #18245 - bug in single line comment writer caused a debug assertion when attempting
-        //  to write an alias to a module's default export was referrenced across files and had no default export
-        it("should be able to create a language service which can respond to deinition requests without throwing", () => {
-            const languageService = createLanguageService({
+
+        function createLanguageService() {
+            return ts.createLanguageService({
                 getCompilationSettings() {
                     return {};
                 },
@@ -39,8 +38,45 @@ export function Component(x: Config): any;`
                     return getDefaultLibFilePath(options);
                 },
             });
+        }
+        // Regression test for GH #18245 - bug in single line comment writer caused a debug assertion when attempting
+        //  to write an alias to a module's default export was referrenced across files and had no default export
+        it("should be able to create a language service which can respond to deinition requests without throwing", () => {
+            const languageService = createLanguageService();
             const definitions = languageService.getDefinitionAtPosition("foo.ts", 160); // 160 is the latter `vueTemplateHtml` position
             expect(definitions).to.exist; // eslint-disable-line no-unused-expressions
         });
+
+        it("getEmitOutput on language service has way to force dts emit", () => {
+            const languageService = createLanguageService();
+            assert.deepEqual(
+                languageService.getEmitOutput(
+                    "foo.ts",
+                    /*emitOnlyDtsFiles*/ true
+                ),
+                {
+                    emitSkipped: true,
+                    outputFiles: emptyArray,
+                    exportedModulesFromDeclarationEmit: undefined
+                }
+            );
+
+            assert.deepEqual(
+                languageService.getEmitOutput(
+                    "foo.ts",
+                    /*emitOnlyDtsFiles*/ true,
+                    /*forceDtsEmit*/ true
+                ),
+                {
+                    emitSkipped: false,
+                    outputFiles: [{
+                        name: "foo.d.ts",
+                        text: "export {};\r\n",
+                        writeByteOrderMark: false
+                    }],
+                    exportedModulesFromDeclarationEmit: undefined
+                }
+            );
+        });
     });
 }
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
index a9808fc440c2a..aa1945e74b9d1 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/api/tsserverlibrary.d.ts
@@ -5073,7 +5073,7 @@ declare namespace ts {
         getEditsForRefactor(fileName: string, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, positionOrRange: number | TextRange, refactorName: string, actionName: string, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): RefactorEditInfo | undefined;
         organizeImports(scope: OrganizeImportsScope, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
         getEditsForFileRename(oldFilePath: string, newFilePath: string, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
-        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean): EmitOutput;
+        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean, forceDtsEmit?: boolean): EmitOutput;
         getProgram(): Program | undefined;
         dispose(): void;
     }
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts b/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
index 9d1ffdf5e57e1..7c756d8a0a3a3 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/api/typescript.d.ts
@@ -5073,7 +5073,7 @@ declare namespace ts {
         getEditsForRefactor(fileName: string, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, positionOrRange: number | TextRange, refactorName: string, actionName: string, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): RefactorEditInfo | undefined;
         organizeImports(scope: OrganizeImportsScope, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
         getEditsForFileRename(oldFilePath: string, newFilePath: string, formatOptions: FormatCodeSettings, preferences: UserPreferences | undefined): readonly FileTextChanges[];
-        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean): EmitOutput;
+        getEmitOutput(fileName: string, emitOnlyDtsFiles?: boolean, forceDtsEmit?: boolean): EmitOutput;
         getProgram(): Program | undefined;
         dispose(): void;
     }