diff --git a/src/compiler/transformers/ts.ts b/src/compiler/transformers/ts.ts
index ebf5e662517..6d724750b00 100644
--- a/src/compiler/transformers/ts.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/transformers/ts.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ namespace ts {
         let currentSourceFile: SourceFile;
         let currentNamespace: ModuleDeclaration;
         let currentNamespaceContainerName: Identifier;
-        let currentScope: SourceFile | Block | ModuleBlock | CaseBlock;
+        let currentScope: SourceFile | Block | ModuleBlock | CaseBlock | ClassDeclaration;
         let currentScopeFirstDeclarationsOfName: UnderscoreEscapedMap<Node> | undefined;
 
         /**
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ namespace ts {
 
                 case SyntaxKind.ClassDeclaration:
                 case SyntaxKind.FunctionDeclaration:
+                    if (isClassDeclaration(node)) {
+                        currentScope = node;
+                    }
                     if (hasModifier(node, ModifierFlags.Ambient)) {
                         break;
                     }
@@ -1971,13 +1974,13 @@ namespace ts {
         function serializeTypeReferenceNode(node: TypeReferenceNode): SerializedTypeNode {
             // node might be a reference to type variable, which can be scoped to a class declaration, in addition to the regular
             // TypeScript scopes. Walk up the AST to find the next class and use that as the lookup scope.
-            let scope: Node = node;
-            while (scope.parent && scope !== currentScope) {
-                scope = scope.parent;
-                if (isClassDeclaration(scope)) {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+            let scope: Node = currentScope;
+            // while (scope.parent && scope !== currentScope) {
+            //     scope = scope.parent;
+            //     if (isClassDeclaration(scope)) {
+            //         break;
+            //     }
+            // }
             const kind = resolver.getTypeReferenceSerializationKind(node.typeName, scope);
             switch (kind) {
                 case TypeReferenceSerializationKind.Unknown: