diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
index 3970aeb015..b2753555fa 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ class AngularCompilerProgram implements Program {
     const before: ts.TransformerFactory<ts.SourceFile>[] = [];
     const after: ts.TransformerFactory<ts.SourceFile>[] = [];
     if (!this.options.disableExpressionLowering) {
-      before.push(getExpressionLoweringTransformFactory(this.metadataCache));
+      // TODO(chuckj): fix and re-enable + tests - see https://github.com/angular/angular/pull/18388
+      // before.push(getExpressionLoweringTransformFactory(this.metadataCache));
     }
     if (!this.options.skipTemplateCodegen) {
       after.push(getAngularEmitterTransformFactory(this.generatedFiles));
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
index e6dc153199..d150590c2b 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ describe('ngc command-line', () => {
           .toBe(true);
     });
 
-    describe('expression lowering', () => {
+    xdescribe('expression lowering', () => {
       beforeEach(() => {
         writeConfig(`{
             "extends": "./tsconfig-base.json",