diff --git a/src/services/importTracker.ts b/src/services/importTracker.ts
index 74ded3d69a4..91b53ea418a 100644
--- a/src/services/importTracker.ts
+++ b/src/services/importTracker.ts
@@ -518,10 +518,6 @@ namespace ts.FindAllReferences {
                 }
 
                 const sym = useLhsSymbol ? checker.getSymbolAtLocation(getNameOfAccessExpression(cast(node.left, isAccessExpression))) : symbol;
-                // Better detection for GH#20803
-                if (sym && !(checker.getMergedSymbol(sym.parent!).flags & SymbolFlags.Module)) {
-                    Debug.fail(`Special property assignment kind does not have a module as its parent. Assignment is ${Debug.formatSymbol(sym)}, parent is ${Debug.formatSymbol(sym.parent!)}`);
-                }
                 return sym && exportInfo(sym, kind);
             }
         }
diff --git a/tests/cases/fourslash/emptyExportFindReferences.ts b/tests/cases/fourslash/emptyExportFindReferences.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..84995a2ae93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/fourslash/emptyExportFindReferences.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/// <reference path="fourslash.ts" />
+
+// @allowNonTsExtensions: true
+// @Filename: Foo.js
+//// /**/module.exports = {
+//// 
+//// }
+
+goTo.marker();
+verify.occurrencesAtPositionCount(1);
\ No newline at end of file