diff --git a/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.js b/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.js
index fae9ba475e..92f5cf06ee 100644
--- a/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.js
+++ b/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.js
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ module.exports = function autoLinkCode(getDocFromAlias) {
     };
   }
   function foundValidDoc(docs) {
-    return docs.length === 1 && autoLinkCodeImpl.docTypes.indexOf(docs[0].docType) !== -1;
+    return docs.length === 1 &&
+           !docs[0].internal &&
+           autoLinkCodeImpl.docTypes.indexOf(docs[0].docType) !== -1;
   }
 
   function createLinkNode(doc, text) {
diff --git a/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.spec.js b/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.spec.js
index f300487aed..c5fabf43d3 100644
--- a/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.spec.js
+++ b/aio/tools/transforms/angular-base-package/post-processors/auto-link-code.spec.js
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ describe('autoLinkCode post-processor', () => {
                                         '</code>');
   });
 
+  it('should ignore code items that match an internal API doc', () => {
+    aliasMap.addDoc({ docType: 'class', id: 'MyClass', aliases: ['MyClass'], path: 'a/b/myclass', internal: true });
+    const doc = { docType: 'test-doc', renderedContent: '<code>MyClass</code>' };
+    processor.$process([doc]);
+    expect(doc.renderedContent).toEqual('<code>MyClass</code>');
+  });
+
   it('should insert anchors for individual text nodes within a code block', () => {
     aliasMap.addDoc({ docType: 'class', id: 'MyClass', aliases: ['MyClass'], path: 'a/b/myclass' });
     const doc = { docType: 'test-doc', renderedContent: '<code><span>MyClass</span><span>MyClass</span></code>' };