diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/BUILD.bazel b/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/BUILD.bazel
index 95b9f2b1e8..9ffc1eec7a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/BUILD.bazel
@@ -32,10 +32,14 @@ js_size_tracking_test(
         ":bundle",
         ":bundle.golden_size_map.json",
     ],
-    goldenFile = "angular/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/bundle.golden_size_map.json",
-    maxByteDiff = 250,
-    maxPercentageDiff = 15,
-    sourceMap = "angular/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/bundle.min.js.map",
+    golden_file = "angular/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/bundle.golden_size_map.json",
+    max_byte_diff = 250,
+    max_percentage_diff = 15,
+    # Ensures that this target runs with "--define=compile=aot" (aka Ivy). This is necessary
+    # because we don't run this test on CI currently, but if we run it manually, we need to
+    # ensure that it runs with Ivy for proper size comparisons.
+    required_compile_mode = "aot",
+    source_map = "angular/packages/core/test/bundling/core_all/bundle.min.js.map",
     tags = [
         "ivy-only",
         "manual",
diff --git a/tools/size-tracking/index.bzl b/tools/size-tracking/index.bzl
index a2836cfc09..5a9e485fd1 100644
--- a/tools/size-tracking/index.bzl
+++ b/tools/size-tracking/index.bzl
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@ load("@build_bazel_rules_nodejs//:defs.bzl", "nodejs_binary", "nodejs_test")
 def js_size_tracking_test(
         name,
         src,
-        sourceMap,
-        goldenFile,
-        maxPercentageDiff,
-        maxByteDiff,
+        source_map,
+        golden_file,
+        max_percentage_diff,
+        max_byte_diff,
+        required_compile_mode = "",
         data = [],
         **kwargs):
     all_data = data + [
@@ -32,7 +33,15 @@ def js_size_tracking_test(
         data = all_data,
         entry_point = entry_point,
         configuration_env_vars = ["compile"],
-        templated_args = [src, sourceMap, goldenFile, "%d" % maxPercentageDiff, "%d" % maxByteDiff, "false"],
+        templated_args = [
+            src,
+            source_map,
+            golden_file,
+            "%d" % max_percentage_diff,
+            "%d" % max_byte_diff,
+            "false",
+            required_compile_mode,
+        ],
         **kwargs
     )
 
@@ -42,6 +51,6 @@ def js_size_tracking_test(
         data = all_data,
         entry_point = entry_point,
         configuration_env_vars = ["compile"],
-        templated_args = [src, sourceMap, goldenFile, "0", "0", "true"],
+        templated_args = [src, source_map, golden_file, "0", "0", "true", required_compile_mode],
         **kwargs
     )
diff --git a/tools/size-tracking/index.ts b/tools/size-tracking/index.ts
index 9857518ee5..8e467ef114 100644
--- a/tools/size-tracking/index.ts
+++ b/tools/size-tracking/index.ts
@@ -14,24 +14,33 @@ import {FileSizeData} from './file_size_data';
 
 if (require.main === module) {
   const
-      [filePath, sourceMapPath, goldenPath, maxPercentageDiffArg, maxSizeDiffArg, writeGoldenArg] =
-          process.argv.slice(2);
+      [filePath, sourceMapPath, goldenPath, maxPercentageDiffArg, maxSizeDiffArg, writeGoldenArg,
+       requiredCompileMode] = process.argv.slice(2);
   const status = main(
       require.resolve(filePath), require.resolve(sourceMapPath), require.resolve(goldenPath),
-      writeGoldenArg === 'true', parseInt(maxPercentageDiffArg), parseInt(maxSizeDiffArg));
+      writeGoldenArg === 'true', parseInt(maxPercentageDiffArg), parseInt(maxSizeDiffArg),
+      requiredCompileMode);
 
   process.exit(status ? 0 : 1);
 }
 
 export function main(
     filePath: string, sourceMapPath: string, goldenSizeMapPath: string, writeGolden: boolean,
-    maxPercentageDiff: number, maxByteDiff: number): boolean {
+    maxPercentageDiff: number, maxByteDiff: number, requiredCompileMode: string): boolean {
   const {sizeResult} = new SizeTracker(filePath, sourceMapPath);
+  const compileMode = process.env['compile'];
+
+  if (requiredCompileMode && compileMode !== requiredCompileMode) {
+    console.error(chalk.red(
+        `Expected the size-tracking tool to be run with: ` +
+        `--define=compile=${requiredCompileMode}`));
+    return false;
+  }
 
   if (writeGolden) {
     writeFileSync(goldenSizeMapPath, JSON.stringify(sizeResult, null, 2));
     console.error(chalk.green(`Updated golden size data in ${goldenSizeMapPath}`));
-    return;
+    return true;
   }
 
   const expectedSizeData = <FileSizeData>JSON.parse(readFileSync(goldenSizeMapPath, 'utf8'));
@@ -50,10 +59,10 @@ export function main(
     console.error(chalk.red(`    ${failurePrefix}${message}`));
   });
 
-  const compile = process.env['compile'];
-  const defineFlag = (compile !== 'legacy') ? `--define=compile=${compile} ` : '';
   const bazelTargetName = process.env['TEST_TARGET'];
+  const defineFlag = (compileMode !== 'legacy') ? `--define=compile=${compileMode} ` : '';
 
   console.error(`\nThe golden file can be updated with the following command:`);
   console.error(`    yarn bazel run ${defineFlag}${bazelTargetName}.accept`);
+  return false;
 }