diff --git a/dev-infra/commit-message/config.ts b/dev-infra/commit-message/config.ts
index 7a84edc488..2d9739cecf 100644
--- a/dev-infra/commit-message/config.ts
+++ b/dev-infra/commit-message/config.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {assertNoErrors, getConfig, NgDevConfig} from '../utils/config';
 export interface CommitMessageConfig {
   maxLineLength: number;
   minBodyLength: number;
+  minBodyLengthTypeExcludes?: string[];
   types: string[];
   scopes: string[];
 }
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ export interface CommitMessageConfig {
 export function getCommitMessageConfig() {
   // List of errors encountered validating the config.
   const errors: string[] = [];
-  // The unvalidated config object.
+  // The non-validated config object.
   const config: Partial<NgDevConfig<{commitMessage: CommitMessageConfig}>> = getConfig();
 
   if (config.commitMessage === undefined) {
diff --git a/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.spec.ts b/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.spec.ts
index e745fa7158..ad1bf5b1e9 100644
--- a/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.spec.ts
+++ b/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.spec.ts
@@ -10,19 +10,22 @@
 import * as validateConfig from './config';
 import {validateCommitMessage} from './validate';
 
+type CommitMessageConfig = validateConfig.CommitMessageConfig;
+
+
 // Constants
-const config = {
-  'commitMessage': {
-    'maxLineLength': 120,
-    'minBodyLength': 0,
-    'types': [
+const config: {commitMessage: CommitMessageConfig} = {
+  commitMessage: {
+    maxLineLength: 120,
+    minBodyLength: 0,
+    types: [
       'feat',
       'fix',
       'refactor',
       'release',
       'style',
     ],
-    'scopes': [
+    scopes: [
       'common',
       'compiler',
       'core',
@@ -224,5 +227,42 @@ describe('validate-commit-message.js', () => {
         });
       });
     });
+
+    describe('minBodyLength', () => {
+      const minBodyLengthConfig: {commitMessage: CommitMessageConfig} = {
+        commitMessage: {
+          maxLineLength: 120,
+          minBodyLength: 30,
+          minBodyLengthTypeExcludes: ['docs'],
+          types: ['fix', 'docs'],
+          scopes: ['core']
+        }
+      };
+
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        (validateConfig.getCommitMessageConfig as jasmine.Spy).and.returnValue(minBodyLengthConfig);
+      });
+
+      it('should fail validation if the body is shorter than `minBodyLength`', () => {
+        expect(validateCommitMessage(
+                   'fix(core): something\n\n Explanation of the motivation behind this change'))
+            .toBe(VALID);
+        expect(validateCommitMessage('fix(core): something\n\n too short')).toBe(INVALID);
+        expect(lastError).toContain(
+            'The commit message body does not meet the minimum length of 30 characters');
+        expect(validateCommitMessage('fix(core): something')).toBe(INVALID);
+        expect(lastError).toContain(
+            'The commit message body does not meet the minimum length of 30 characters');
+      });
+
+      it('should pass validation if the body is shorter than `minBodyLength` but the commit type is in the `minBodyLengthTypeExclusions` list',
+         () => {
+           expect(validateCommitMessage('docs: just fixing a typo')).toBe(VALID);
+           expect(validateCommitMessage('docs(core): just fixing a typo')).toBe(VALID);
+           expect(validateCommitMessage(
+                      'docs(core): just fixing a typo\n\nThis was just a silly typo.'))
+               .toBe(VALID);
+         });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.ts b/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.ts
index 6148f6dfe2..a9b01f1c4d 100644
--- a/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.ts
+++ b/dev-infra/commit-message/validate.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ export function validateCommitMessage(
   // Checking commit body //
   //////////////////////////
 
-  if (commit.bodyWithoutLinking.trim().length < config.minBodyLength) {
+  if (!config.minBodyLengthTypeExcludes?.includes(commit.type) &&
+      commit.bodyWithoutLinking.trim().length < config.minBodyLength) {
     printError(`The commit message body does not meet the minimum length of ${
         config.minBodyLength} characters`);
     return false;
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ export function validateCommitMessage(
   const bodyByLine = commit.body.split('\n');
   if (bodyByLine.some(line => line.length > config.maxLineLength)) {
     printError(
-        `The commit messsage body contains lines greater than ${config.maxLineLength} characters`);
+        `The commit message body contains lines greater than ${config.maxLineLength} characters`);
     return false;
   }