diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
index a88646bd4b..b0b7e793e5 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
     expect(jsContents)
         .toContain(
             'i0.ɵdefineNgModule({ type: TestModule, bootstrap: [TestCmp], ' +
-            'declarations: [TestCmp], imports: [], exports: [] })');
+            'declarations: [TestCmp] })');
 
     const dtsContents = env.getContents('test.d.ts');
     expect(dtsContents)
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
     env.tsconfig();
     env.write('test.ts', `
         import {Component, NgModule} from '@angular/core';
-        
+
         export class Dep {}
 
         export class Token {
@@ -1562,11 +1562,11 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
       env.tsconfig();
       env.write('node_modules/external/index.d.ts', `
         import {ɵDirectiveDefWithMeta, ɵNgModuleDefWithMeta} from '@angular/core';
-  
+
         export declare class ExternalDir {
           static ngDirectiveDef: ɵDirectiveDefWithMeta<ExternalDir, '[test]', never, never, never, never>;
         }
-  
+
         export declare class ExternalModule {
           static ngModuleDef: ɵNgModuleDefWithMeta<ExternalModule, [typeof ExternalDir], never, [typeof ExternalDir]>;
         }
@@ -1574,12 +1574,12 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
       env.write('test.ts', `
         import {Component, Directive, NgModule} from '@angular/core';
         import {ExternalModule} from 'external';
-  
+
         @Component({
           template: '<div test></div>',
         })
         class Cmp {}
-  
+
         @NgModule({
           declarations: [Cmp],
           // Multiple imports of the same module used to result in duplicate directive references
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/render3/r3_module_compiler.ts b/packages/compiler/src/render3/r3_module_compiler.ts
index fa6020a411..aab985b25b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/render3/r3_module_compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/render3/r3_module_compiler.ts
@@ -64,14 +64,34 @@ export interface R3NgModuleMetadata {
  */
 export function compileNgModule(meta: R3NgModuleMetadata): R3NgModuleDef {
   const {type: moduleType, bootstrap, declarations, imports, exports} = meta;
-  const expression = o.importExpr(R3.defineNgModule).callFn([mapToMapExpression({
-    type: moduleType,
-    bootstrap: o.literalArr(bootstrap.map(ref => ref.value)),
-    declarations: o.literalArr(declarations.map(ref => ref.value)),
-    imports: o.literalArr(imports.map(ref => ref.value)),
-    exports: o.literalArr(exports.map(ref => ref.value)),
-  })]);
+  const definitionMap = {
+    type: moduleType
+  } as{
+    type: o.Expression,
+    bootstrap: o.LiteralArrayExpr,
+    declarations: o.LiteralArrayExpr,
+    imports: o.LiteralArrayExpr,
+    exports: o.LiteralArrayExpr
+  };
 
+  // Only generate the keys in the metadata if the arrays have values.
+  if (bootstrap.length) {
+    definitionMap.bootstrap = o.literalArr(bootstrap.map(ref => ref.value));
+  }
+
+  if (declarations.length) {
+    definitionMap.declarations = o.literalArr(declarations.map(ref => ref.value));
+  }
+
+  if (imports.length) {
+    definitionMap.imports = o.literalArr(imports.map(ref => ref.value));
+  }
+
+  if (exports.length) {
+    definitionMap.exports = o.literalArr(exports.map(ref => ref.value));
+  }
+
+  const expression = o.importExpr(R3.defineNgModule).callFn([mapToMapExpression(definitionMap)]);
   const type = new o.ExpressionType(o.importExpr(R3.NgModuleDefWithMeta, [
     new o.ExpressionType(moduleType), tupleTypeOf(declarations), tupleTypeOf(imports),
     tupleTypeOf(exports)