diff --git a/src/compiler/binder.ts b/src/compiler/binder.ts
index 647ff65143a..af63463cdd2 100644
--- a/src/compiler/binder.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/binder.ts
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ namespace ts {
                 case SyntaxKind.ThisKeyword:
                 case SyntaxKind.PropertyAccessExpression:
                 case SyntaxKind.ElementAccessExpression:
-                    return isNarrowableReference(expr);
+                    return containsNarrowableReference(expr);
                 case SyntaxKind.CallExpression:
                     return hasNarrowableArgument(<CallExpression>expr);
                 case SyntaxKind.ParenthesizedExpression:
@@ -879,20 +879,23 @@ namespace ts {
         function isNarrowableReference(expr: Expression): boolean {
             return expr.kind === SyntaxKind.Identifier || expr.kind === SyntaxKind.ThisKeyword || expr.kind === SyntaxKind.SuperKeyword ||
                 (isPropertyAccessExpression(expr) || isNonNullExpression(expr) || isParenthesizedExpression(expr)) && isNarrowableReference(expr.expression) ||
-                isElementAccessExpression(expr) && isStringOrNumericLiteralLike(expr.argumentExpression) && isNarrowableReference(expr.expression) ||
-                isOptionalChain(expr);
+                isElementAccessExpression(expr) && isStringOrNumericLiteralLike(expr.argumentExpression) && isNarrowableReference(expr.expression);
+        }
+
+        function containsNarrowableReference(expr: Expression): boolean {
+            return isNarrowableReference(expr) || isOptionalChain(expr) && containsNarrowableReference(expr.expression);
         }
 
         function hasNarrowableArgument(expr: CallExpression) {
             if (expr.arguments) {
                 for (const argument of expr.arguments) {
-                    if (isNarrowableReference(argument)) {
+                    if (containsNarrowableReference(argument)) {
                         return true;
                     }
                 }
             }
             if (expr.expression.kind === SyntaxKind.PropertyAccessExpression &&
-                isNarrowableReference((<PropertyAccessExpression>expr.expression).expression)) {
+                containsNarrowableReference((<PropertyAccessExpression>expr.expression).expression)) {
                 return true;
             }
             return false;
@@ -909,7 +912,7 @@ namespace ts {
         function isNarrowingBinaryExpression(expr: BinaryExpression) {
             switch (expr.operatorToken.kind) {
                 case SyntaxKind.EqualsToken:
-                    return isNarrowableReference(expr.left);
+                    return containsNarrowableReference(expr.left);
                 case SyntaxKind.EqualsEqualsToken:
                 case SyntaxKind.ExclamationEqualsToken:
                 case SyntaxKind.EqualsEqualsEqualsToken:
@@ -938,7 +941,7 @@ namespace ts {
                             return isNarrowableOperand((<BinaryExpression>expr).right);
                     }
             }
-            return isNarrowableReference(expr);
+            return containsNarrowableReference(expr);
         }
 
         function createBranchLabel(): FlowLabel {
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.errors.txt
index 3606034699b..df3c5a55534 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.errors.txt
@@ -764,4 +764,16 @@ tests/cases/conformance/controlFlow/controlFlowOptionalChain.ts(567,21): error T
     
     someFunction(someObject);
     someFunction(undefined);
+    
+    // Repro from #35970
+    
+    let i = 0;
+    declare const arr: { tag: ("left" | "right") }[];
+    
+    while (arr[i]?.tag === "left") {
+        i += 1;
+        if (arr[i]?.tag === "right") {
+            console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+        }
+    }
     
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.js b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.js
index cd7b9a92377..dc2361d8609 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.js
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.js
@@ -576,11 +576,23 @@ const someObject: SomeObject = {
 
 someFunction(someObject);
 someFunction(undefined);
+
+// Repro from #35970
+
+let i = 0;
+declare const arr: { tag: ("left" | "right") }[];
+
+while (arr[i]?.tag === "left") {
+    i += 1;
+    if (arr[i]?.tag === "right") {
+        console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+    }
+}
 
 
 //// [controlFlowOptionalChain.js]
 "use strict";
-var _a, _b, _c, _d, _e, _f, _g, _h, _j, _k, _l, _m, _o, _p, _q, _r, _s, _t;
+var _a, _b, _c, _d, _e, _f, _g, _h, _j, _k, _l, _m, _o, _p, _q, _r, _s, _t, _u, _v;
 var a;
 o === null || o === void 0 ? void 0 : o[a = 1];
 a.toString();
@@ -1071,3 +1083,11 @@ var someObject = {
 };
 someFunction(someObject);
 someFunction(undefined);
+// Repro from #35970
+var i = 0;
+while (((_u = arr[i]) === null || _u === void 0 ? void 0 : _u.tag) === "left") {
+    i += 1;
+    if (((_v = arr[i]) === null || _v === void 0 ? void 0 : _v.tag) === "right") {
+        console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.symbols
index 42c32487f6e..5354a1ef95b 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.symbols
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.symbols
@@ -1801,3 +1801,34 @@ someFunction(undefined);
 >someFunction : Symbol(someFunction, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 561, 42))
 >undefined : Symbol(undefined)
 
+// Repro from #35970
+
+let i = 0;
+>i : Symbol(i, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 580, 3))
+
+declare const arr: { tag: ("left" | "right") }[];
+>arr : Symbol(arr, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 13))
+>tag : Symbol(tag, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 20))
+
+while (arr[i]?.tag === "left") {
+>arr[i]?.tag : Symbol(tag, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 20))
+>arr : Symbol(arr, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 13))
+>i : Symbol(i, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 580, 3))
+>tag : Symbol(tag, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 20))
+
+    i += 1;
+>i : Symbol(i, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 580, 3))
+
+    if (arr[i]?.tag === "right") {
+>arr[i]?.tag : Symbol(tag, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 20))
+>arr : Symbol(arr, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 13))
+>i : Symbol(i, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 580, 3))
+>tag : Symbol(tag, Decl(controlFlowOptionalChain.ts, 581, 20))
+
+        console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+>console.log : Symbol(Console.log, Decl(lib.dom.d.ts, --, --))
+>console : Symbol(console, Decl(lib.dom.d.ts, --, --))
+>log : Symbol(Console.log, Decl(lib.dom.d.ts, --, --))
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.types b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.types
index 37a688ca25c..23aa740074c 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.types
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/controlFlowOptionalChain.types
@@ -2031,3 +2031,45 @@ someFunction(undefined);
 >someFunction : (someOptionalObject: SomeObject | undefined) => void
 >undefined : undefined
 
+// Repro from #35970
+
+let i = 0;
+>i : number
+>0 : 0
+
+declare const arr: { tag: ("left" | "right") }[];
+>arr : { tag: "left" | "right"; }[]
+>tag : "left" | "right"
+
+while (arr[i]?.tag === "left") {
+>arr[i]?.tag === "left" : boolean
+>arr[i]?.tag : "left" | "right"
+>arr[i] : { tag: "left" | "right"; }
+>arr : { tag: "left" | "right"; }[]
+>i : number
+>tag : "left" | "right"
+>"left" : "left"
+
+    i += 1;
+>i += 1 : number
+>i : number
+>1 : 1
+
+    if (arr[i]?.tag === "right") {
+>arr[i]?.tag === "right" : boolean
+>arr[i]?.tag : "left" | "right"
+>arr[i] : { tag: "left" | "right"; }
+>arr : { tag: "left" | "right"; }[]
+>i : number
+>tag : "left" | "right"
+>"right" : "right"
+
+        console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+>console.log("I should ALSO be reachable") : void
+>console.log : (message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]) => void
+>console : Console
+>log : (message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]) => void
+>"I should ALSO be reachable" : "I should ALSO be reachable"
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/tests/cases/conformance/controlFlow/controlFlowOptionalChain.ts b/tests/cases/conformance/controlFlow/controlFlowOptionalChain.ts
index 443716ef8c3..e5495a313aa 100644
--- a/tests/cases/conformance/controlFlow/controlFlowOptionalChain.ts
+++ b/tests/cases/conformance/controlFlow/controlFlowOptionalChain.ts
@@ -578,3 +578,15 @@ const someObject: SomeObject = {
 
 someFunction(someObject);
 someFunction(undefined);
+
+// Repro from #35970
+
+let i = 0;
+declare const arr: { tag: ("left" | "right") }[];
+
+while (arr[i]?.tag === "left") {
+    i += 1;
+    if (arr[i]?.tag === "right") {
+        console.log("I should ALSO be reachable");
+    }
+}