diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
index 71099dfba7..c53a39e492 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/annotations/src/directive.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ export function extractDirectiveMetadata(
       throw new FatalDiagnosticError(
           ErrorCode.VALUE_HAS_WRONG_TYPE, expr, `selector must be a string`);
     }
-    selector = resolved;
+    // use default selector in case selector is an empty string
+    selector = resolved === '' ? defaultSelector : resolved;
   }
   if (!selector) {
     throw new Error(`Directive ${clazz.name !.text} has no selector, please add it!`);
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
index 9e8be5578e..35924de0ab 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
@@ -738,6 +738,75 @@ describe('ngtsc behavioral tests', () => {
             'i0.ɵNgModuleDefWithMeta<TestModule, [typeof TestPipe, typeof TestCmp], never, never>');
   });
 
+  describe('empty and missing selectors', () => {
+    it('should use default selector for Components when no selector present', () => {
+      env.tsconfig({});
+      env.write('test.ts', `
+        import {Component} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @Component({
+          template: '...',
+        })
+        export class TestCmp {}
+      `);
+
+      env.driveMain();
+
+      const jsContents = env.getContents('test.js');
+      expect(jsContents).toContain('selectors: [["ng-component"]]');
+    });
+
+    it('should use default selector for Components with empty string selector', () => {
+      env.tsconfig({});
+      env.write('test.ts', `
+        import {Component} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @Component({
+          selector: '',
+          template: '...',
+        })
+        export class TestCmp {}
+      `);
+
+      env.driveMain();
+
+      const jsContents = env.getContents('test.js');
+      expect(jsContents).toContain('selectors: [["ng-component"]]');
+    });
+
+    it('should throw if selector is missing in Directive decorator params', () => {
+      env.tsconfig({});
+      env.write('test.ts', `
+        import {Directive} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @Directive({
+          inputs: ['a', 'b']
+        })
+        export class TestDir {}
+      `);
+
+      const errors = env.driveDiagnostics();
+      expect(trim(errors[0].messageText as string))
+          .toContain('Directive TestDir has no selector, please add it!');
+    });
+
+    it('should throw if Directive selector is an empty string', () => {
+      env.tsconfig({});
+      env.write('test.ts', `
+        import {Directive} from '@angular/core';
+
+        @Directive({
+          selector: ''
+        })
+        export class TestDir {}
+      `);
+
+      const errors = env.driveDiagnostics();
+      expect(trim(errors[0].messageText as string))
+          .toContain('Directive TestDir has no selector, please add it!');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('multiple decorators on classes', () => {
     it('should compile @Injectable on Components, Directives, Pipes, and Modules', () => {
       env.tsconfig();
diff --git a/packages/core/test/linker/integration_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/linker/integration_spec.ts
index b705cd2af8..992a013568 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/linker/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/linker/integration_spec.ts
@@ -1426,6 +1426,20 @@ function declareTests(config?: {useJit: boolean}) {
             .toThrowError(`Directive ${stringify(SomeDirective)} has no selector, please add it!`);
       });
 
+      it('should throw when using directives with empty string selector', () => {
+        @Directive({selector: ''})
+        class SomeDirective {
+        }
+
+        @Component({selector: 'comp', template: ''})
+        class SomeComponent {
+        }
+
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({declarations: [MyComp, SomeDirective, SomeComponent]});
+        expect(() => TestBed.createComponent(MyComp))
+            .toThrowError(`Directive ${stringify(SomeDirective)} has no selector, please add it!`);
+      });
+
       it('should use a default element name for components without selectors', () => {
         let noSelectorComponentFactory: ComponentFactory<SomeComponent> = undefined !;