diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
index c61daf9d48..d0bdbac933 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
@@ -1216,7 +1216,10 @@ export function generateExpandoInstructionBlock(
                    tView.firstCreatePass, true,
                    'Expando block should only be generated on first create pass.');
 
-  const elementIndex = -(tNode.index - HEADER_OFFSET);
+  // Important: In JS `-x` and `0-x` is not the same! If `x===0` then `-x` will produce `-0` which
+  // requires non standard math arithmetic and it can prevent VM optimizations.
+  // `0-0` will always produce `0` and will not cause a potential deoptimization in VM.
+  const elementIndex = HEADER_OFFSET - tNode.index;
   const providerStartIndex = tNode.providerIndexes & TNodeProviderIndexes.ProvidersStartIndexMask;
   const providerCount = tView.data.length - providerStartIndex;
   (tView.expandoInstructions || (tView.expandoInstructions = [