diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/src/node_js_file_system.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/src/node_js_file_system.ts
index 61349263cd..627a75d5d2 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/src/node_js_file_system.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/src/node_js_file_system.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export class NodeJSFileSystem implements FileSystem {
       path = this.dirname(path);
     }
     while (parents.length) {
-      this.mkdir(parents.pop() !);
+      this.safeMkdir(parents.pop() !);
     }
   }
   isCaseSensitive(): boolean {
@@ -70,6 +70,18 @@ export class NodeJSFileSystem implements FileSystem {
     // Convert backslashes to forward slashes
     return path.replace(/\\/g, '/') as T;
   }
+
+  private safeMkdir(path: AbsoluteFsPath): void {
+    try {
+      this.mkdir(path);
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Ignore the error, if the path already exists and points to a directory.
+      // Re-throw otherwise.
+      if (!this.exists(path) || !this.stat(path).isDirectory()) {
+        throw err;
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/test/node_js_file_system_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/test/node_js_file_system_spec.ts
index 8ba2b3a69a..b1e6109cd0 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/test/node_js_file_system_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/file_system/test/node_js_file_system_spec.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 import * as realFs from 'fs';
-import {absoluteFrom, relativeFrom, setFileSystem} from '../src/helpers';
+import {absoluteFrom, dirname, relativeFrom, setFileSystem} from '../src/helpers';
 import {NodeJSFileSystem} from '../src/node_js_file_system';
 import {AbsoluteFsPath} from '../src/types';
 
@@ -144,5 +144,69 @@ describe('NodeJSFileSystem', () => {
       expect(existsCalls).toEqual([xyzPath, xyPath, xPath]);
       expect(mkdirCalls).toEqual([xPath, xyPath, xyzPath]);
     });
+
+    it('should not fail if a directory (that did not exist before) does exist when trying to create it',
+       () => {
+         let abcPathExists = false;
+
+         spyOn(fs, 'exists').and.callFake((path: AbsoluteFsPath) => {
+           if (path === abcPath) {
+             // Pretend `abcPath` is created (e.g. by another process) right after we check if it
+             // exists for the first time.
+             const exists = abcPathExists;
+             abcPathExists = true;
+             return exists;
+           }
+           return false;
+         });
+         spyOn(fs, 'stat').and.returnValue({isDirectory: () => true});
+         const mkdirSyncSpy = spyOn(realFs, 'mkdirSync').and.callFake((path: string) => {
+           if (path === abcPath) {
+             throw new Error('It exists already. Supposedly.');
+           }
+         });
+
+         fs.ensureDir(abcPath);
+         expect(mkdirSyncSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+         expect(mkdirSyncSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(abcPath);
+         expect(mkdirSyncSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(dirname(abcPath));
+       });
+
+    it('should fail if creating the directory throws and the directory does not exist', () => {
+      spyOn(fs, 'exists').and.returnValue(false);
+      spyOn(realFs, 'mkdirSync').and.callFake((path: string) => {
+        if (path === abcPath) {
+          throw new Error('Unable to create directory (for whatever reason).');
+        }
+      });
+
+      expect(() => fs.ensureDir(abcPath))
+          .toThrowError('Unable to create directory (for whatever reason).');
+    });
+
+    it('should fail if creating the directory throws and the path points to a file', () => {
+      const isDirectorySpy = jasmine.createSpy('isDirectory').and.returnValue(false);
+      let abcPathExists = false;
+
+      spyOn(fs, 'exists').and.callFake((path: AbsoluteFsPath) => {
+        if (path === abcPath) {
+          // Pretend `abcPath` is created (e.g. by another process) right after we check if it
+          // exists for the first time.
+          const exists = abcPathExists;
+          abcPathExists = true;
+          return exists;
+        }
+        return false;
+      });
+      spyOn(fs, 'stat').and.returnValue({isDirectory: isDirectorySpy});
+      spyOn(realFs, 'mkdirSync').and.callFake((path: string) => {
+        if (path === abcPath) {
+          throw new Error('It exists already. Supposedly.');
+        }
+      });
+
+      expect(() => fs.ensureDir(abcPath)).toThrowError('It exists already. Supposedly.');
+      expect(isDirectorySpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});