diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/program.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/program.ts
index 2e9eddafc2..c4914f86ab 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/program.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/program.ts
@@ -435,6 +435,7 @@ export class NgtscProgram implements api.Program {
         // - error TS2531: Object is possibly 'null'.
         // - error TS2339: Property 'value' does not exist on type 'EventTarget'.
         checkTypeOfDomEvents: false,
+        checkTypeOfReferences: true,
         checkTypeOfPipes: true,
         strictSafeNavigationTypes: true,
       };
@@ -449,6 +450,7 @@ export class NgtscProgram implements api.Program {
         checkTypeOfOutputEvents: false,
         checkTypeOfAnimationEvents: false,
         checkTypeOfDomEvents: false,
+        checkTypeOfReferences: false,
         checkTypeOfPipes: false,
         strictSafeNavigationTypes: false,
       };
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/api.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/api.ts
index 4c9138d4a3..a74e030a5b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/api.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/api.ts
@@ -133,6 +133,15 @@ export interface TypeCheckingConfig {
    */
   checkTypeOfDomEvents: boolean;
 
+  /**
+   * Whether to infer the type of local references.
+   *
+   * If this is `true`, the type of any `#ref` variable in the template will be determined by the
+   * referenced entity (either a directive or a DOM element). If set to `false`, the type of `ref`
+   * will be `any`.
+   */
+  checkTypeOfReferences: boolean;
+
   /**
    * Whether to include type information from pipes in the type-checking operation.
    *
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/type_check_block.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/type_check_block.ts
index 49484e9a20..755f2f679b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/type_check_block.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/src/type_check_block.ts
@@ -954,6 +954,11 @@ class TcbExpressionTranslator {
           addParseSpanInfo(expr, toAbsoluteSpan(ast.span, this.sourceSpan));
           return expr;
         } else if (binding instanceof TmplAstReference) {
+          if (!this.tcb.env.config.checkTypeOfReferences) {
+            // References are pinned to 'any'.
+            return NULL_AS_ANY;
+          }
+
           const target = this.tcb.boundTarget.getReferenceTarget(binding);
           if (target === null) {
             throw new Error(`Unbound reference? ${binding.name}`);
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/test_utils.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/test_utils.ts
index 9d443eb2bd..e6bca0d025 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/test_utils.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/test_utils.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ export const ALL_ENABLED_CONFIG: TypeCheckingConfig = {
   checkTypeOfOutputEvents: true,
   checkTypeOfAnimationEvents: true,
   checkTypeOfDomEvents: true,
+  checkTypeOfReferences: true,
   checkTypeOfPipes: true,
   strictSafeNavigationTypes: true,
 };
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ export function tcb(
     checkTypeOfOutputEvents: true,
     checkTypeOfAnimationEvents: true,
     checkTypeOfDomEvents: true,
+    checkTypeOfReferences: true,
     checkTypeOfPipes: true,
     checkTemplateBodies: true,
     strictSafeNavigationTypes: true,
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/type_check_block_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/type_check_block_spec.ts
index 030395fb41..076d8455d8 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/type_check_block_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/test/type_check_block_spec.ts
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ describe('type check blocks', () => {
       checkTypeOfOutputEvents: true,
       checkTypeOfAnimationEvents: true,
       checkTypeOfDomEvents: true,
+      checkTypeOfReferences: true,
       checkTypeOfPipes: true,
       strictSafeNavigationTypes: true,
     };
@@ -416,6 +417,20 @@ describe('type check blocks', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('config.checkTypeOfReferences', () => {
+      const TEMPLATE = `<input #ref>{{ref.value}}`;
+
+      it('should trace references when enabled', () => {
+        const block = tcb(TEMPLATE);
+        expect(block).toContain('(_t1).value');
+      });
+
+      it('should use any for reference types when disabled', () => {
+        const DISABLED_CONFIG: TypeCheckingConfig = {...BASE_CONFIG, checkTypeOfReferences: false};
+        const block = tcb(TEMPLATE, [], DISABLED_CONFIG);
+        expect(block).toContain('(null as any).value');
+      });
+    });
 
     describe('config.checkTypeOfPipes', () => {
       const TEMPLATE = `{{a | test:b:c}}`;