diff --git a/src/compiler/program.ts b/src/compiler/program.ts
index c9d8a45fedb23..d4ac082e25195 100644
--- a/src/compiler/program.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/program.ts
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ namespace ts {
             ...program.getSemanticDiagnostics(sourceFile, cancellationToken)
         ];
 
-        if (program.getCompilerOptions().declaration) {
+        if (getEmitDeclarations(program.getCompilerOptions())) {
             addRange(diagnostics, program.getDeclarationDiagnostics(sourceFile, cancellationToken));
         }
 
@@ -817,9 +817,9 @@ namespace ts {
                     // If a rootDir is specified use it as the commonSourceDirectory
                     commonSourceDirectory = getNormalizedAbsolutePath(options.rootDir, currentDirectory);
                 }
-                else if (options.composite) {
+                else if (options.composite && options.configFilePath) {
                     // Project compilations never infer their root from the input source paths
-                    commonSourceDirectory = getDirectoryPath(normalizeSlashes(options.configFilePath!)); // TODO: GH#18217
+                    commonSourceDirectory = getDirectoryPath(normalizeSlashes(options.configFilePath));
                     checkSourceFilesBelongToPath(emittedFiles, commonSourceDirectory);
                 }
                 else {
@@ -1388,7 +1388,7 @@ namespace ts {
                         ...program.getSemanticDiagnostics(sourceFile, cancellationToken)
                     ];
 
-                    if (diagnostics.length === 0 && program.getCompilerOptions().declaration) {
+                    if (diagnostics.length === 0 && getEmitDeclarations(program.getCompilerOptions())) {
                         declarationDiagnostics = program.getDeclarationDiagnostics(/*sourceFile*/ undefined, cancellationToken);
                     }
 
@@ -2407,8 +2407,8 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             if (options.isolatedModules) {
-                if (options.declaration) {
-                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_with_option_1, "declaration", "isolatedModules");
+                if (getEmitDeclarations(options)) {
+                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_with_option_1, getEmitDeclarationOptionName(options), "isolatedModules");
                 }
 
                 if (options.noEmitOnError) {
@@ -2533,7 +2533,7 @@ namespace ts {
 
             if (options.declarationDir) {
                 if (!getEmitDeclarations(options)) {
-                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1, "declarationDir", "declaration");
+                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1_or_option_2, "declarationDir", "declaration", "composite");
                 }
                 if (options.out || options.outFile) {
                     createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_with_option_1, "declarationDir", options.out ? "out" : "outFile");
@@ -2541,7 +2541,7 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             if (options.declarationMap && !getEmitDeclarations(options)) {
-                createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1, "declarationMap", "declaration");
+                createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1_or_option_2, "declarationMap", "declaration", "composite");
             }
 
             if (options.lib && options.noLib) {
@@ -2610,7 +2610,7 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             if (!options.noEmit && options.allowJs && getEmitDeclarations(options)) {
-                createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_with_option_1, "allowJs", options.declaration ? "declaration" : "composite");
+                createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_with_option_1, "allowJs", getEmitDeclarationOptionName(options));
             }
 
             if (options.checkJs && !options.allowJs) {
@@ -2618,8 +2618,8 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             if (options.emitDeclarationOnly) {
-                if (!options.declaration) {
-                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1, "emitDeclarationOnly", "declaration");
+                if (!getEmitDeclarations(options)) {
+                    createDiagnosticForOptionName(Diagnostics.Option_0_cannot_be_specified_without_specifying_option_1_or_option_2, "emitDeclarationOnly", "declaration", "composite");
                 }
 
                 if (options.noEmit) {
@@ -2877,6 +2877,9 @@ namespace ts {
         return resolveConfigFileProjectName(passedInRef.path);
     }
 
+    function getEmitDeclarationOptionName(options: CompilerOptions) {
+        return options.declaration ? "declaration" : "composite";
+    }
     /* @internal */
     /**
      * Returns a DiagnosticMessage if we won't include a resolved module due to its extension.
diff --git a/src/services/services.ts b/src/services/services.ts
index 5a035a92bcda2..a9dfdc2d0afd3 100644
--- a/src/services/services.ts
+++ b/src/services/services.ts
@@ -1382,7 +1382,7 @@ namespace ts {
             // Therefore only get diagnostics for given file.
 
             const semanticDiagnostics = program.getSemanticDiagnostics(targetSourceFile, cancellationToken);
-            if (!program.getCompilerOptions().declaration) {
+            if (!getEmitDeclarations(program.getCompilerOptions())) {
                 return semanticDiagnostics.slice();
             }
 
diff --git a/src/services/transpile.ts b/src/services/transpile.ts
index 70ca5b6431438..030d2273b6274 100644
--- a/src/services/transpile.ts
+++ b/src/services/transpile.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ namespace ts {
         options.paths = undefined;
         options.rootDirs = undefined;
         options.declaration = undefined;
+        options.composite = undefined;
         options.declarationDir = undefined;
         options.out = undefined;
         options.outFile = undefined;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError1.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError1.errors.txt
index 62447a4a91152..968b2a09b00be 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError1.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError1.errors.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-error TS5052: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+error TS5069: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 
 
-!!! error TS5052: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+!!! error TS5069: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 ==== tests/cases/compiler/hello.ts (0 errors) ====
     var hello = "yo!";
     
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError2.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError2.errors.txt
index 37be20aa132e1..0b1ea1409c5b6 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError2.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/declFileEmitDeclarationOnlyError2.errors.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-error TS5052: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
 error TS5053: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified with option 'noEmit'.
+error TS5069: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 
 
-!!! error TS5052: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
 !!! error TS5053: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified with option 'noEmit'.
+!!! error TS5069: Option 'emitDeclarationOnly' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 ==== tests/cases/compiler/hello.ts (0 errors) ====
     var hello = "yo!";
     
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationEmitToDeclarationDirWithoutCompositeAndDeclarationOptions.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationEmitToDeclarationDirWithoutCompositeAndDeclarationOptions.errors.txt
index e2a5a20452c0d..63ba628173240 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationEmitToDeclarationDirWithoutCompositeAndDeclarationOptions.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationEmitToDeclarationDirWithoutCompositeAndDeclarationOptions.errors.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-/foo/tsconfig.json(2,26): error TS5052: Option 'declarationDir' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+/foo/tsconfig.json(2,26): error TS5069: Option 'declarationDir' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 
 
 ==== /foo/tsconfig.json (1 errors) ====
     {
         "compilerOptions": { "declarationDir": "out" }
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS5052: Option 'declarationDir' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+!!! error TS5069: Option 'declarationDir' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
     }
     
 ==== /foo/test.ts (0 errors) ====
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationMapsWithoutDeclaration.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationMapsWithoutDeclaration.errors.txt
index c432f44513058..8574b7d338836 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationMapsWithoutDeclaration.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationMapsWithoutDeclaration.errors.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-error TS5052: Option 'declarationMap' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+error TS5069: Option 'declarationMap' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 
 
-!!! error TS5052: Option 'declarationMap' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration'.
+!!! error TS5069: Option 'declarationMap' cannot be specified without specifying option 'declaration' or option 'composite'.
 ==== tests/cases/compiler/declarationMapsWithoutDeclaration.ts (0 errors) ====
     module m2 {
         export interface connectModule {