diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/checker.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/checker.ts
index 0badb22070..0a032a995c 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/checker.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/checker.ts
@@ -121,12 +121,12 @@ export class TemplateTypeCheckerImpl implements TemplateTypeChecker {
       throw new Error(`Error: no shim file in program: ${shimPath}`);
     }
 
-    let tcb: ts.Node|null = findTypeCheckBlock(shimSf, id);
+    let tcb: ts.Node|null = findTypeCheckBlock(shimSf, id, /*isDiagnosticsRequest*/ false);
 
     if (tcb === null) {
       // Try for an inline block.
       const inlineSf = getSourceFileOrError(program, sfPath);
-      tcb = findTypeCheckBlock(inlineSf, id);
+      tcb = findTypeCheckBlock(inlineSf, id, /*isDiagnosticsRequest*/ false);
     }
 
     let data: TemplateData|null = null;
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ export class TemplateTypeCheckerImpl implements TemplateTypeChecker {
     if (shimSf === undefined) {
       return null;
     }
-    return getTemplateMapping(shimSf, positionInShimFile, fileRecord.sourceManager);
+    return getTemplateMapping(
+        shimSf, positionInShimFile, fileRecord.sourceManager, /*isDiagnosticsRequest*/ false);
   }
 
   generateAllTypeCheckBlocks() {
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/diagnostics.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/diagnostics.ts
index 02a22ef292..cd828872b6 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/diagnostics.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/diagnostics.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ export function translateDiagnostic(
   if (diagnostic.file === undefined || diagnostic.start === undefined) {
     return null;
   }
-  const fullMapping = getTemplateMapping(diagnostic.file, diagnostic.start, resolver);
+  const fullMapping = getTemplateMapping(
+      diagnostic.file, diagnostic.start, resolver, /*isDiagnosticsRequest*/ true);
   if (fullMapping === null) {
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/tcb_util.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/tcb_util.ts
index 7bdc189dcb..ac4f3cfb5e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/tcb_util.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/tcb_util.ts
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ export function requiresInlineTypeCheckBlock(node: ClassDeclaration<ts.ClassDecl
 
 /** Maps a shim position back to a template location. */
 export function getTemplateMapping(
-    shimSf: ts.SourceFile, position: number, resolver: TemplateSourceResolver): FullTemplateMapping|
-    null {
+    shimSf: ts.SourceFile, position: number, resolver: TemplateSourceResolver,
+    isDiagnosticRequest: boolean): FullTemplateMapping|null {
   const node = getTokenAtPosition(shimSf, position);
-  const sourceLocation = findSourceLocation(node, shimSf);
+  const sourceLocation = findSourceLocation(node, shimSf, isDiagnosticRequest);
   if (sourceLocation === null) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -72,9 +72,10 @@ export function getTemplateMapping(
   return {sourceLocation, templateSourceMapping: mapping, span};
 }
 
-export function findTypeCheckBlock(file: ts.SourceFile, id: TemplateId): ts.Node|null {
+export function findTypeCheckBlock(
+    file: ts.SourceFile, id: TemplateId, isDiagnosticRequest: boolean): ts.Node|null {
   for (const stmt of file.statements) {
-    if (ts.isFunctionDeclaration(stmt) && getTemplateId(stmt, file) === id) {
+    if (ts.isFunctionDeclaration(stmt) && getTemplateId(stmt, file, isDiagnosticRequest) === id) {
       return stmt;
     }
   }
@@ -84,12 +85,14 @@ export function findTypeCheckBlock(file: ts.SourceFile, id: TemplateId): ts.Node
 /**
  * Traverses up the AST starting from the given node to extract the source location from comments
  * that have been emitted into the TCB. If the node does not exist within a TCB, or if an ignore
- * marker comment is found up the tree, this function returns null.
+ * marker comment is found up the tree (and this is part of a diagnostic request), this function
+ * returns null.
  */
-export function findSourceLocation(node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): SourceLocation|null {
+export function findSourceLocation(
+    node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile, isDiagnosticsRequest: boolean): SourceLocation|null {
   // Search for comments until the TCB's function declaration is encountered.
   while (node !== undefined && !ts.isFunctionDeclaration(node)) {
-    if (hasIgnoreForDiagnosticsMarker(node, sourceFile)) {
+    if (hasIgnoreForDiagnosticsMarker(node, sourceFile) && isDiagnosticsRequest) {
       // There's an ignore marker on this node, so the diagnostic should not be reported.
       return null;
     }
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ export function findSourceLocation(node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): So
     if (span !== null) {
       // Once the positional information has been extracted, search further up the TCB to extract
       // the unique id that is attached with the TCB's function declaration.
-      const id = getTemplateId(node, sourceFile);
+      const id = getTemplateId(node, sourceFile, isDiagnosticsRequest);
       if (id === null) {
         return null;
       }
@@ -111,10 +114,11 @@ export function findSourceLocation(node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): So
   return null;
 }
 
-function getTemplateId(node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): TemplateId|null {
+function getTemplateId(
+    node: ts.Node, sourceFile: ts.SourceFile, isDiagnosticRequest: boolean): TemplateId|null {
   // Walk up to the function declaration of the TCB, the file information is attached there.
   while (!ts.isFunctionDeclaration(node)) {
-    if (hasIgnoreForDiagnosticsMarker(node, sourceFile)) {
+    if (hasIgnoreForDiagnosticsMarker(node, sourceFile) && isDiagnosticRequest) {
       // There's an ignore marker on this node, so the diagnostic should not be reported.
       return null;
     }
diff --git a/packages/language-service/ivy/test/references_spec.ts b/packages/language-service/ivy/test/references_spec.ts
index ecc56b1e4c..eff89b6d50 100644
--- a/packages/language-service/ivy/test/references_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/language-service/ivy/test/references_spec.ts
@@ -713,6 +713,23 @@ describe('find references', () => {
       assertTextSpans(refs, ['<div dir>', 'Dir', 'Dir2']);
       assertFileNames(refs, ['app.ts', 'dir.ts', 'dir2.ts']);
     });
+
+    it('should be able to request references for generic directives', () => {
+      const {text, cursor} = extractCursorInfo(`
+        import {Component, NgModule} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @Component({template: '<div *ngF¦or="let item of items"></div>'})
+        export class AppCmp {
+          items = [];
+        }
+      `);
+      const appFile = {name: _('/app.ts'), contents: text};
+      env = createModuleWithDeclarations([appFile]);
+      const refs = getReferencesAtPosition(_('/app.ts'), cursor)!;
+      expect(refs.length).toBe(6);
+      assertTextSpans(refs, ['<div *ngFor="let item of items"></div>', 'NgForOf']);
+      assertFileNames(refs, ['index.d.ts', 'app.ts']);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('components', () => {