diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index 4ddbaef0e1..224820e9c6 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -2268,7 +2268,7 @@ namespace ts {
         function resolveESModuleSymbol(moduleSymbol: Symbol | undefined, referencingLocation: Node, dontResolveAlias: boolean): Symbol | undefined {
             const symbol = resolveExternalModuleSymbol(moduleSymbol, dontResolveAlias);
             if (!dontResolveAlias && symbol) {
-                if (!(symbol.flags & (SymbolFlags.Module | SymbolFlags.Variable))) {
+                if (!(symbol.flags & (SymbolFlags.Module | SymbolFlags.Variable)) && !getDeclarationOfKind(symbol, SyntaxKind.SourceFile)) {
                     error(referencingLocation, Diagnostics.Module_0_resolves_to_a_non_module_entity_and_cannot_be_imported_using_this_construct, symbolToString(moduleSymbol!));
                     return symbol;
                 }
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.js b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea5ac25b1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+//// [tests/cases/compiler/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.ts] ////
+
+//// [file1.ts]
+import * as test from "./test.json"
+
+//// [test.json]
+{
+    "a": true,
+    "b": "hello"
+}
+
+//// [out/test.json]
+{
+    "a": true,
+    "b": "hello"
+}
+//// [out/file1.js]
+"use strict";
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f84e06ec8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/file1.ts ===
+import * as test from "./test.json"
+>test : Symbol(test, Decl(file1.ts, 0, 6))
+
+=== tests/cases/compiler/test.json ===
+{
+    "a": true,
+>"a" : Symbol("a", Decl(test.json, 0, 1))
+
+    "b": "hello"
+>"b" : Symbol("b", Decl(test.json, 1, 14))
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.types b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.types
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3bd9e1d98b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.types
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/file1.ts ===
+import * as test from "./test.json"
+>test : { "a": boolean; "b": string; }
+
+=== tests/cases/compiler/test.json ===
+{
+>{    "a": true,    "b": "hello"} : { "a": boolean; "b": string; }
+
+    "a": true,
+>"a" : boolean
+>true : true
+
+    "b": "hello"
+>"b" : string
+>"hello" : "hello"
+}
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3020c553a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/requireOfJsonFileWithoutEsModuleInterop.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// @module: commonjs
+// @moduleResolution: node
+// @target:es2017
+// @strict: true
+// @resolveJsonModule: true
+// @outdir: out/
+// @fullEmitPaths: true
+
+// @Filename: file1.ts
+import * as test from "./test.json"
+
+// @Filename: test.json
+{
+    "a": true,
+    "b": "hello"
+}
\ No newline at end of file