diff --git a/src/compiler/binder.ts b/src/compiler/binder.ts
index 3e5c85149d1..10127bbfec1 100644
--- a/src/compiler/binder.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/binder.ts
@@ -2308,12 +2308,16 @@ namespace ts {
                 if (isExportsOrModuleExportsOrAlias(file, e) || (isIdentifier(e) && e.escapedText === "module" && original === undefined)) {
                     return file.symbol;
                 }
-                Debug.assert(!!original);
+                if (!original) {
+                    return undefined;
+                }
                 const s = getJSInitializerSymbol(original);
                 addDeclarationToSymbol(s, id, SymbolFlags.Module | SymbolFlags.JSContainer);
                 return s;
             });
-            declareSymbol(symbol.exports, symbol, lhs, SymbolFlags.Property | SymbolFlags.ExportValue, SymbolFlags.None);
+            if (symbol) {
+                declareSymbol(symbol.exports, symbol, lhs, SymbolFlags.Property | SymbolFlags.ExportValue, SymbolFlags.None);
+            }
         }
 
         function bindModuleExportsAssignment(node: BinaryExpression) {
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f8378e27776
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js(1,1): error TS2539: Cannot assign to '"tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first"' because it is not a variable.
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js(1,11): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'require'.
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js(2,9): error TS2339: Property 'formatters' does not exist on type 'typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first"'.
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js(1,1): error TS2539: Cannot assign to '"tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second"' because it is not a variable.
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js(1,11): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'require'.
+tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js(2,9): error TS2339: Property 'formatters' does not exist on type 'typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second"'.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod.js (0 errors) ====
+    // Based on a pattern from adonis
+    exports.formatters = {}
+==== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js (3 errors) ====
+    exports = require('./mod')
+    ~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2539: Cannot assign to '"tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first"' because it is not a variable.
+              ~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2304: Cannot find name 'require'.
+    exports.formatters.j = function (v) {
+            ~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2339: Property 'formatters' does not exist on type 'typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first"'.
+        return v
+    }
+==== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js (3 errors) ====
+    exports = require('./mod')
+    ~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2539: Cannot assign to '"tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second"' because it is not a variable.
+              ~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2304: Cannot find name 'require'.
+    exports.formatters.o = function (v) {
+            ~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS2339: Property 'formatters' does not exist on type 'typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second"'.
+        return v
+    }
+    
+==== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/use.js (0 errors) ====
+    import * as debug from './mod'
+    
+    debug.formatters.j
+    var one = debug.formatters.o(1)
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bc14f9f8889
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod.js ===
+// Based on a pattern from adonis
+exports.formatters = {}
+>exports.formatters : Symbol(formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+>exports : Symbol(formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+>formatters : Symbol(formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js ===
+exports = require('./mod')
+>exports : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first", Decl(first.js, 0, 0))
+>'./mod' : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod", Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+
+exports.formatters.j = function (v) {
+>exports : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first", Decl(first.js, 0, 0))
+>v : Symbol(v, Decl(first.js, 1, 33))
+
+    return v
+>v : Symbol(v, Decl(first.js, 1, 33))
+}
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js ===
+exports = require('./mod')
+>exports : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second", Decl(second.js, 0, 0))
+>'./mod' : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod", Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+
+exports.formatters.o = function (v) {
+>exports : Symbol("tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second", Decl(second.js, 0, 0))
+>v : Symbol(v, Decl(second.js, 1, 33))
+
+    return v
+>v : Symbol(v, Decl(second.js, 1, 33))
+}
+
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/use.js ===
+import * as debug from './mod'
+>debug : Symbol(debug, Decl(use.js, 0, 6))
+
+debug.formatters.j
+>debug.formatters : Symbol(debug.formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+>debug : Symbol(debug, Decl(use.js, 0, 6))
+>formatters : Symbol(debug.formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+
+var one = debug.formatters.o(1)
+>one : Symbol(one, Decl(use.js, 3, 3))
+>debug.formatters : Symbol(debug.formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+>debug : Symbol(debug, Decl(use.js, 0, 6))
+>formatters : Symbol(debug.formatters, Decl(mod.js, 0, 0))
+
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.types b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.types
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..761c9bc604e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportNestedNamespaces2.types
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod.js ===
+// Based on a pattern from adonis
+exports.formatters = {}
+>exports.formatters = {} : { [x: string]: any; }
+>exports.formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>exports : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod"
+>formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>{} : { [x: string]: any; }
+
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first.js ===
+exports = require('./mod')
+>exports = require('./mod') : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod"
+>exports : any
+>require('./mod') : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod"
+>require : any
+>'./mod' : "./mod"
+
+exports.formatters.j = function (v) {
+>exports.formatters.j = function (v) {    return v} : (v: any) => any
+>exports.formatters.j : any
+>exports.formatters : any
+>exports : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/first"
+>formatters : any
+>j : any
+>function (v) {    return v} : (v: any) => any
+>v : any
+
+    return v
+>v : any
+}
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second.js ===
+exports = require('./mod')
+>exports = require('./mod') : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod"
+>exports : any
+>require('./mod') : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/mod"
+>require : any
+>'./mod' : "./mod"
+
+exports.formatters.o = function (v) {
+>exports.formatters.o = function (v) {    return v} : (v: any) => any
+>exports.formatters.o : any
+>exports.formatters : any
+>exports : typeof "tests/cases/conformance/salsa/second"
+>formatters : any
+>o : any
+>function (v) {    return v} : (v: any) => any
+>v : any
+
+    return v
+>v : any
+}
+
+=== tests/cases/conformance/salsa/use.js ===
+import * as debug from './mod'
+>debug : typeof debug
+
+debug.formatters.j
+>debug.formatters.j : any
+>debug.formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>debug : typeof debug
+>formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>j : any
+
+var one = debug.formatters.o(1)
+>one : any
+>debug.formatters.o(1) : any
+>debug.formatters.o : any
+>debug.formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>debug : typeof debug
+>formatters : { [x: string]: any; }
+>o : any
+>1 : 1
+
diff --git a/tests/cases/conformance/salsa/exportNestedNamespaces2.ts b/tests/cases/conformance/salsa/exportNestedNamespaces2.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3745d3bd2c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/conformance/salsa/exportNestedNamespaces2.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// @allowJs: true
+// @checkJs: true
+// @noEmit: true
+
+// @Filename: mod.js
+// Based on a pattern from adonis
+exports.formatters = {}
+// @Filename: first.js
+exports = require('./mod')
+exports.formatters.j = function (v) {
+    return v
+}
+// @Filename: second.js
+exports = require('./mod')
+exports.formatters.o = function (v) {
+    return v
+}
+
+// @Filename: use.js
+import * as debug from './mod'
+
+debug.formatters.j
+var one = debug.formatters.o(1)