diff --git a/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts b/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
index 385ada54fe..562651273c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@
  */
 
 // clang-format off
+// We need to have `ɵdefineNgModule` defined locally for flat-file ngcc compilation.
+// More details in the commit where this is added.
+import {defineNgModule} from './render3/index';
+export const ɵdefineNgModule = defineNgModule;
 export {
   defineBase as ɵdefineBase,
   defineComponent as ɵdefineComponent,
   defineDirective as ɵdefineDirective,
   definePipe as ɵdefinePipe,
-  defineNgModule as ɵdefineNgModule,
   detectChanges as ɵdetectChanges,
   renderComponent as ɵrenderComponent,
   ComponentType as ɵComponentType,
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index 2ee3b4f8ad..309cd1a702 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/hello_world_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -4633,5 +4633,8 @@
   },
   {
     "name": "ɵResourceLoaderImpl_BaseFactory"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "ɵdefineNgModule"
   }
 ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
index 797f265634..fe8044f8aa 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/bundling/todo_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/bundling/todo_r2/bundle.golden_symbols.json
@@ -2671,5 +2671,8 @@
   },
   {
     "name": "wtfLeave"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "ɵdefineNgModule"
   }
 ]
\ No newline at end of file