diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/factory_generator.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/factory_generator.ts
index c32a288ca3..a9487be803 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/factory_generator.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/shims/src/factory_generator.ts
@@ -56,14 +56,25 @@ export class FactoryGenerator implements ShimGenerator {
                             // Grab the symbol name.
                             .map(decl => decl.name !.text);
 
-    let sourceText = '';
+
+    // If there is a top-level comment in the original file, copy it over at the top of the
+    // generated factory file. This is important for preserving any load-bearing jsdoc comments.
+    let comment: string = '';
+    if (original.statements.length > 0) {
+      const firstStatement = original.statements[0];
+      if (firstStatement.getLeadingTriviaWidth() > 0) {
+        comment = firstStatement.getFullText().substr(0, firstStatement.getLeadingTriviaWidth());
+      }
+    }
+
+    let sourceText = comment;
     if (symbolNames.length > 0) {
       // For each symbol name, generate a constant export of the corresponding NgFactory.
       // This will encompass a lot of symbols which don't need factories, but that's okay
       // because it won't miss any that do.
       const varLines = symbolNames.map(
           name => `export const ${name}NgFactory = new i0.ɵNgModuleFactory(${name});`);
-      sourceText = [
+      sourceText += [
         // This might be incorrect if the current package being compiled is Angular core, but it's
         // okay to leave in at type checking time. TypeScript can handle this reference via its path
         // mapping, but downstream bundlers can't. If the current package is core itself, this will
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
index a54f684084..a19e1c6a3e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
@@ -1694,6 +1694,22 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
     expect(emptyFactory).toContain(`export var ɵNonEmptyModule = true;`);
   });
 
+  it('should copy a top-level comment into a factory stub', () => {
+    env.tsconfig({'allowEmptyCodegenFiles': true});
+
+    env.write('test.ts', `/** I am a top-level comment. */
+        import {NgModule} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @NgModule({})
+        export class TestModule {}
+    `);
+
+    env.driveMain();
+
+    const factoryContents = env.getContents('test.ngfactory.js');
+    expect(factoryContents).toMatch(/^\/\*\* I am a top-level comment\. \*\//);
+  });
+
   it('should be able to compile an app using the factory shim', () => {
     env.tsconfig({'allowEmptyCodegenFiles': true});