diff --git a/packages/router/src/create_url_tree.ts b/packages/router/src/create_url_tree.ts
index 2a70e23e2c..2d2a9ae7ea 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/create_url_tree.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/create_url_tree.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ function createPositionApplyingDoubleDots(
   return new Position(g, false, ci - dd);
 }
 
-function getOutlets(commands: any[]): {[k: string]: any[]} {
+function getOutlets(commands: unknown[]): {[k: string]: unknown[]|string} {
   if (isCommandWithOutlets(commands[0])) {
     return commands[0].outlets;
   }
@@ -229,7 +229,10 @@ function updateSegmentGroupChildren(
     const outlets = getOutlets(commands);
     const children: {[key: string]: UrlSegmentGroup} = {};
 
-    forEach(outlets, (commands: any, outlet: string) => {
+    forEach(outlets, (commands, outlet) => {
+      if (typeof commands === 'string') {
+        commands = [commands];
+      }
       if (commands !== null) {
         children[outlet] = updateSegmentGroup(segmentGroup.children[outlet], startIndex, commands);
       }
@@ -311,9 +314,13 @@ function createNewSegmentGroup(
   return new UrlSegmentGroup(paths, {});
 }
 
-function createNewSegmentChildren(outlets: {[name: string]: any}): any {
-  const children: {[key: string]: UrlSegmentGroup} = {};
-  forEach(outlets, (commands: any, outlet: string) => {
+function createNewSegmentChildren(outlets: {[name: string]: unknown[]|string}):
+    {[outlet: string]: UrlSegmentGroup} {
+  const children: {[outlet: string]: UrlSegmentGroup} = {};
+  forEach(outlets, (commands, outlet) => {
+    if (typeof commands === 'string') {
+      commands = [commands];
+    }
     if (commands !== null) {
       children[outlet] = createNewSegmentGroup(new UrlSegmentGroup([], {}), 0, commands);
     }
diff --git a/packages/router/test/create_url_tree.spec.ts b/packages/router/test/create_url_tree.spec.ts
index d51fa48d95..0826b2c6ff 100644
--- a/packages/router/test/create_url_tree.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/router/test/create_url_tree.spec.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,13 @@ describe('createUrlTree', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('can navigate to nested route where commands is string', () => {
+    const p = serializer.parse('/');
+    const t = createRoot(
+        p, ['/', {outlets: {primary: ['child', {outlets: {primary: 'nested-primary'}}]}}]);
+    expect(serializer.serialize(t)).toEqual('/child/nested-primary');
+  });
+
   it('should throw when outlets is not the last command', () => {
     const p = serializer.parse('/a');
     expect(() => createRoot(p, ['a', {outlets: {right: ['c']}}, 'c']))