diff --git a/src/compiler/utilities.ts b/src/compiler/utilities.ts
index 8f0cabdfc44..2acaa3200fb 100644
--- a/src/compiler/utilities.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/utilities.ts
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ namespace ts {
         }
 
         if (includeJsDoc && hasJSDocNodes(node)) {
-            return getTokenPosOfNode(node.jsDoc![0]);
+            return getTokenPosOfNode(node.jsDoc![0], sourceFile);
         }
 
         // For a syntax list, it is possible that one of its children has JSDocComment nodes, while
diff --git a/src/testRunner/unittests/jsDocParsing.ts b/src/testRunner/unittests/jsDocParsing.ts
index 117e8b51a66..0af076df762 100644
--- a/src/testRunner/unittests/jsDocParsing.ts
+++ b/src/testRunner/unittests/jsDocParsing.ts
@@ -342,5 +342,9 @@ namespace ts {
                 assert.equal(last!.kind, SyntaxKind.EndOfFileToken);
             });
         });
+        describe("getStart of node with JSDoc but no parent pointers", () => {
+            const root = createSourceFile("foo.ts", "/** */var a = true;", ScriptTarget.ES5, /*setParentNodes*/ false);
+            root.statements[0].getStart(root, /*includeJsdocComment*/ true);
+        });
     });
 }