diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index ed3057895fa..052c89a7b09 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -2629,7 +2629,12 @@ namespace ts {
                 return undefined;
             }
             const init = isVariableDeclaration(decl) ? getDeclaredExpandoInitializer(decl) : getAssignedExpandoInitializer(decl);
-            return init && getSymbolOfNode(init) || undefined;
+            if (init) {
+                const initSymbol = getSymbolOfNode(init);
+                if (initSymbol) {
+                    return mergeJSSymbols(initSymbol, symbol);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
 
@@ -10766,9 +10771,7 @@ namespace ts {
                     && isCallExpression(decl.initializer)
                     && isRequireCall(decl.initializer, /*requireStringLiteralLikeArgument*/ true)
                     && valueType.symbol;
-                const isImportType = node.kind === SyntaxKind.ImportType;
-                const isDelayedMergeClass = symbol !== valueType.symbol && getMergedSymbol(symbol) === valueType.symbol;
-                if (isRequireAlias || isImportType || isDelayedMergeClass) {
+                if (isRequireAlias || node.kind === SyntaxKind.ImportType) {
                     typeType = getTypeReferenceType(node, valueType.symbol);
                 }
             }
@@ -24997,7 +25000,7 @@ namespace ts {
         }
 
         function mergeJSSymbols(target: Symbol, source: Symbol | undefined) {
-            if (source && (hasEntries(source.exports) || hasEntries(source.members))) {
+            if (source) {
                 const links = getSymbolLinks(source);
                 if (!links.inferredClassSymbol || !links.inferredClassSymbol.has("" + getSymbolId(target))) {
                     const inferred = isTransientSymbol(target) ? target : cloneSymbol(target) as TransientSymbol;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.symbols
index 229163c5d78..86dcb536419 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.symbols
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.symbols
@@ -1,35 +1,32 @@
-=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/test.js ===
+=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js ===
 // https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/34685
 
-/** @param {Workspace.Project} p */
-function demo(p) {
->demo : Symbol(demo, Decl(test.js, 0, 0))
->p : Symbol(p, Decl(test.js, 3, 14))
-
-    p.isServiceProject()
->p.isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(mod1.js, 3, 31))
->p : Symbol(p, Decl(test.js, 3, 14))
->isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(mod1.js, 3, 31))
-}
-=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/mod1.js ===
-// Note: mod1.js needs to appear second to trigger the bug
 var Workspace = {}
->Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 3), Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 2, 37))
+>Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 2, 3), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 37))
+
+/** @type {Workspace.Project} */
+var p;
+>p : Symbol(p, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 4, 3))
+
+p.isServiceProject()
+>p.isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 31))
+>p : Symbol(p, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 4, 3))
+>isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 31))
 
 Workspace.Project = function wp() { }
->Workspace.Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 3, 10))
->Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 3), Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 2, 37))
->Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 3, 10))
->wp : Symbol(wp, Decl(mod1.js, 2, 19))
+>Workspace.Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 10))
+>Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 2, 3), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 37))
+>Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 10))
+>wp : Symbol(wp, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 19))
 
 Workspace.Project.prototype = {
->Workspace.Project.prototype : Symbol(Workspace.Project.prototype, Decl(mod1.js, 2, 37))
->Workspace.Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 3, 10))
->Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 3), Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 2, 37))
->Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(mod1.js, 1, 18), Decl(mod1.js, 3, 10))
->prototype : Symbol(Workspace.Project.prototype, Decl(mod1.js, 2, 37))
+>Workspace.Project.prototype : Symbol(Workspace.Project.prototype, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 37))
+>Workspace.Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 10))
+>Workspace : Symbol(Workspace, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 2, 3), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 37))
+>Project : Symbol(Workspace.Project, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 5, 20), Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 10))
+>prototype : Symbol(Workspace.Project.prototype, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 7, 37))
 
   isServiceProject() {}
->isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(mod1.js, 3, 31))
+>isServiceProject : Symbol(isServiceProject, Decl(jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js, 8, 31))
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.types b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.types
index c4e380f8c0e..3fd1661fa29 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.types
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.types
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
-=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/test.js ===
+=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js ===
 // https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/34685
 
-/** @param {Workspace.Project} p */
-function demo(p) {
->demo : (p: wp) => void
+var Workspace = {}
+>Workspace : typeof Workspace
+>{} : {}
+
+/** @type {Workspace.Project} */
+var p;
 >p : wp
 
-    p.isServiceProject()
+p.isServiceProject()
 >p.isServiceProject() : void
 >p.isServiceProject : () => void
 >p : wp
 >isServiceProject : () => void
-}
-=== tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/mod1.js ===
-// Note: mod1.js needs to appear second to trigger the bug
-var Workspace = {}
->Workspace : typeof Workspace
->{} : {}
 
 Workspace.Project = function wp() { }
 >Workspace.Project = function wp() { } : typeof wp
diff --git a/tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.ts b/tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.ts
index e559ffd27ca..931ad69cfb0 100644
--- a/tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.ts
+++ b/tests/cases/conformance/jsdoc/jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.ts
@@ -3,14 +3,12 @@
 // @allowJs: true
 // @checkJs: true
 
-// @Filename: test.js
-/** @param {Workspace.Project} p */
-function demo(p) {
-    p.isServiceProject()
-}
-// @Filename: mod1.js
-// Note: mod1.js needs to appear second to trigger the bug
+// @Filename: jsdocTypeReferenceToMergedClass.js
 var Workspace = {}
+/** @type {Workspace.Project} */
+var p;
+p.isServiceProject()
+
 Workspace.Project = function wp() { }
 Workspace.Project.prototype = {
   isServiceProject() {}