diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index bc4180f8310..eb8adb84072 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -5124,7 +5124,9 @@ namespace ts {
 
                 const declaration = <JSDocTypedefTag | TypeAliasDeclaration>find(symbol.declarations, d =>
                     d.kind === SyntaxKind.JSDocTypedefTag || d.kind === SyntaxKind.TypeAliasDeclaration);
-                let type = getTypeFromTypeNode(declaration.kind === SyntaxKind.JSDocTypedefTag ? declaration.typeExpression : declaration.type);
+                const typeNode = declaration.kind === SyntaxKind.JSDocTypedefTag ? declaration.typeExpression : declaration.type;
+                // If typeNode is missing, we will error in checkJSDocTypedefTag.
+                let type = typeNode ? getTypeFromTypeNode(typeNode) : unknownType;
 
                 if (popTypeResolution()) {
                     const typeParameters = getLocalTypeParametersOfClassOrInterfaceOrTypeAlias(symbol);
@@ -19779,11 +19781,11 @@ namespace ts {
             }
         }
 
-        function checkJSDoc(node: FunctionDeclaration | MethodDeclaration) {
-            if (!isInJavaScriptFile(node)) {
-                return;
+        function checkJSDocTypedefTag(node: JSDocTypedefTag) {
+            if (!node.typeExpression) {
+                // If the node had `@property` tags, `typeExpression` would have been set to the first property tag.
+                error(node.name, Diagnostics.JSDoc_typedef_tag_should_either_have_a_type_annotation_or_be_followed_by_property_or_member_tags);
             }
-            forEach(node.jsDoc, checkSourceElement);
         }
 
         function checkJSDocComment(node: JSDoc) {
@@ -19795,7 +19797,6 @@ namespace ts {
         }
 
         function checkFunctionOrMethodDeclaration(node: FunctionDeclaration | MethodDeclaration): void {
-            checkJSDoc(node);
             checkDecorators(node);
             checkSignatureDeclaration(node);
             const functionFlags = getFunctionFlags(node);
@@ -22429,6 +22430,12 @@ namespace ts {
                 return;
             }
 
+            if (isInJavaScriptFile(node) && (node as JSDocContainer).jsDoc) {
+                for (const jsdoc of (node as JSDocContainer).jsDoc) {
+                    checkJSDocComment(jsdoc);
+                }
+            }
+
             const kind = node.kind;
             if (cancellationToken) {
                 // Only bother checking on a few construct kinds.  We don't want to be excessively
@@ -22483,6 +22490,8 @@ namespace ts {
                 case SyntaxKind.ParenthesizedType:
                 case SyntaxKind.TypeOperator:
                     return checkSourceElement((<ParenthesizedTypeNode | TypeOperatorNode>node).type);
+                case SyntaxKind.JSDocTypedefTag:
+                    return checkJSDocTypedefTag(node as JSDocTypedefTag);
                 case SyntaxKind.JSDocComment:
                     return checkJSDocComment(node as JSDoc);
                 case SyntaxKind.JSDocParameterTag:
diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
index 662e87d3159..2a8b74d64bd 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
@@ -3507,6 +3507,10 @@
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 8020
     },
+    "JSDoc '@typedef' tag should either have a type annotation or be followed by '@property' or '@member' tags.": {
+        "category": "Error",
+        "code": 8021
+    },
     "Only identifiers/qualified-names with optional type arguments are currently supported in a class 'extends' clause.": {
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 9002
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b5b29a47ed9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/a.js(2,14): error TS8021: JSDoc '@typedef' tag should either have a type annotation or be followed by '@property' or '@member' tags.
+/a.js(12,11): error TS1005: '{' expected.
+
+
+==== /a.js (2 errors) ====
+    // Bad: missing a type
+    /** @typedef T */
+                 ~
+!!! error TS8021: JSDoc '@typedef' tag should either have a type annotation or be followed by '@property' or '@member' tags.
+    
+    const t = 0;
+    
+    // OK: missing a type, but have property tags.
+    /**
+     * @typedef Person
+     * @property {string} name
+     */
+    
+    /** @type Person */
+              ~~~~~~
+!!! error TS1005: '{' expected.
+    const person = { name: "" };
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1722beccfbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+=== /a.js ===
+// Bad: missing a type
+/** @typedef T */
+
+const t = 0;
+>t : Symbol(t, Decl(a.js, 3, 5))
+
+// OK: missing a type, but have property tags.
+/**
+ * @typedef Person
+ * @property {string} name
+ */
+
+/** @type Person */
+const person = { name: "" };
+>person : Symbol(person, Decl(a.js, 12, 5))
+>name : Symbol(name, Decl(a.js, 12, 16))
+
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.types b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.types
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4a3f796ccb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypedefMissingType.types
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+=== /a.js ===
+// Bad: missing a type
+/** @typedef T */
+
+const t = 0;
+>t : 0
+>0 : 0
+
+// OK: missing a type, but have property tags.
+/**
+ * @typedef Person
+ * @property {string} name
+ */
+
+/** @type Person */
+const person = { name: "" };
+>person : { [x: string]: any; name: string; }
+>{ name: "" } : { [x: string]: any; name: string; }
+>name : string
+>"" : ""
+
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/jsdocTypedefMissingType.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/jsdocTypedefMissingType.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b4fe9cee170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/jsdocTypedefMissingType.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// @allowJs: true
+// @checkJs: true
+// @noEmit: true
+
+// @Filename: /a.js
+// Bad: missing a type
+/** @typedef T */
+
+const t = 0;
+
+// OK: missing a type, but have property tags.
+/**
+ * @typedef Person
+ * @property {string} name
+ */
+
+/** @type Person */
+const person = { name: "" };
diff --git a/tests/cases/fourslash/quickInfoJsdocTypedefMissingType.ts b/tests/cases/fourslash/quickInfoJsdocTypedefMissingType.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a1d6cc74891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/fourslash/quickInfoJsdocTypedefMissingType.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/// <reference path='fourslash.ts' />
+
+// @allowJs: true
+
+// @Filename: /a.js
+/////**
+//// * @typedef /**/A
+//// */
+////var x;
+
+verify.quickInfoAt("", "type A = any");