diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/packages/entry_point.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/packages/entry_point.ts
index d0e485fb8d..b7a720755b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/packages/entry_point.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/packages/entry_point.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,11 @@ export function getEntryPointFormat(
     case 'esm5':
       return 'esm5';
     case 'main':
-      const pathToMain = AbsoluteFsPath.join(entryPoint.path, entryPoint.packageJson['main'] !);
+      const mainFile = entryPoint.packageJson['main'];
+      if (mainFile === undefined) {
+        return undefined;
+      }
+      const pathToMain = AbsoluteFsPath.join(entryPoint.path, mainFile);
       return isUmdModule(fs, pathToMain) ? 'umd' : 'commonjs';
     case 'module':
       return 'esm5';
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/test/integration/ngcc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/test/integration/ngcc_spec.ts
index b92b7667d0..2fc2d4506a 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/test/integration/ngcc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/test/integration/ngcc_spec.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,19 @@ describe('ngcc main()', () => {
         .not.toThrow();
   });
 
+  it('should run ngcc without errors when "main" property is not present', () => {
+    mainNgcc({
+      basePath: '/dist',
+      propertiesToConsider: ['main', 'es2015'],
+      logger: new MockLogger(),
+    });
+
+    expect(loadPackage('local-package', '/dist').__processed_by_ivy_ngcc__).toEqual({
+      es2015: '0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER',
+      typings: '0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER',
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('with targetEntryPointPath', () => {
     it('should only compile the given package entry-point (and its dependencies).', () => {
       const STANDARD_MARKERS = {