diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/BUILD.bazel b/packages/compiler-cli/BUILD.bazel
index ee603471958..c0d3110687f 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/BUILD.bazel
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ esbuild(
     external = [
         "@angular/compiler",
         "typescript",
+        "tsickle",
         "@babel/core",
         "reflect-metadata",
         "minimist",
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ ts_library(
         "//packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck",
         "//packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/typecheck/api",
         "@npm//@bazel/typescript",
+        "@npm//@types/minimist",
         "@npm//@types/node",
         "@npm//chokidar",
         "@npm//minimist",
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/dependencies/dependency_resolver.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/dependencies/dependency_resolver.ts
index 7d6d7f3219a..69754de8ae3 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/dependencies/dependency_resolver.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/ngcc/src/dependencies/dependency_resolver.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 import {DepGraph} from 'dependency-graph';
+import module from 'module';
 
 import {AbsoluteFsPath, ReadonlyFileSystem} from '../../../src/ngtsc/file_system';
 import {Logger} from '../../../src/ngtsc/logging';
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ import {PartiallyOrderedList} from '../utils';
 
 import {createDependencyInfo, DependencyHost, EntryPointWithDependencies} from './dependency_host';
 
-const builtinNodeJsModules = new Set<string>(require('module').builtinModules);
+const builtinNodeJsModules = new Set<string>(module.builtinModules);
 
 /**
  * Holds information about entry points that are removed because
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/bin/ngc.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/bin/ngc.ts
index 103aa26509b..6cc2abbf178 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/bin/ngc.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/bin/ngc.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,26 @@ import 'reflect-metadata';
 import {NodeJSFileSystem, setFileSystem} from '../ngtsc/file_system';
 import {main} from '../main';
 
-process.title = 'Angular Compiler (ngc)';
-const args = process.argv.slice(2);
-// We are running the real compiler so run against the real file-system
-setFileSystem(new NodeJSFileSystem());
-process.exitCode = main(args);
+async function runNgcComamnd() {
+  process.title = 'Angular Compiler (ngc)';
+  const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+  // We are running the real compiler so run against the real file-system
+  setFileSystem(new NodeJSFileSystem());
+
+  let tsickleModule: typeof import('tsickle')|undefined;
+
+  // Load tsickle if it's available. We load it here because tsickle
+  // is not needed in all Angular projects directly using `ngc`.
+  try {
+    tsickleModule = (await import('tsickle')).default;
+  } catch {
+  }
+
+  process.exitCode =
+      main(args, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, tsickleModule);
+}
+
+runNgcComamnd().catch(e => {
+  console.error(e);
+  process.exitCode = 1;
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/extract_i18n.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/extract_i18n.ts
index 8e8d7f89118..47c22bfe118 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/extract_i18n.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/extract_i18n.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@
  * Extract i18n messages from source code
  */
 
-import * as api from './transformers/api';
-import {ParsedConfiguration} from './perform_compile';
+import minimist from 'minimist';
+
 import {main, readCommandLineAndConfiguration} from './main';
+import {ParsedConfiguration} from './perform_compile';
+import * as api from './transformers/api';
 
 export function mainXi18n(
     args: string[], consoleError: (msg: string) => void = console.error): number {
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ export function mainXi18n(
 
 function readXi18nCommandLineAndConfiguration(args: string[]): ParsedConfiguration {
   const options: api.CompilerOptions = {};
-  const parsedArgs = require('minimist')(args);
+  const parsedArgs = minimist(args);
   if (parsedArgs.outFile) options.i18nOutFile = parsedArgs.outFile;
   if (parsedArgs.i18nFormat) options.i18nOutFormat = parsedArgs.i18nFormat;
   if (parsedArgs.locale) options.i18nOutLocale = parsedArgs.locale;
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
index c00cb1281ee..9aad87956b8 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
@@ -6,20 +6,23 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import * as tsickle from 'tsickle';
+import minimist from 'minimist';
 import ts from 'typescript';
 
+import type {TsickleHost} from 'tsickle';
 import {Diagnostics, exitCodeFromResult, filterErrorsAndWarnings, formatDiagnostics, ParsedConfiguration, performCompilation, readConfiguration} from './perform_compile';
 import {createPerformWatchHost, performWatchCompilation} from './perform_watch';
 import * as api from './transformers/api';
 import {GENERATED_FILES} from './transformers/util';
 
+type TsickleModule = typeof import('tsickle');
+
 export function main(
     args: string[], consoleError: (s: string) => void = console.error,
     config?: NgcParsedConfiguration, customTransformers?: api.CustomTransformers, programReuse?: {
       program: api.Program|undefined,
     },
-    modifiedResourceFiles?: Set<string>|null): number {
+    modifiedResourceFiles?: Set<string>|null, tsickle?: TsickleModule): number {
   let {project, rootNames, options, errors: configErrors, watch, emitFlags} =
       config || readNgcCommandLineAndConfiguration(args);
   if (configErrors.length) {
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ export function main(
     options,
     emitFlags,
     oldProgram,
-    emitCallback: createEmitCallback(options),
+    emitCallback: createEmitCallback(options, tsickle),
     customTransformers,
     modifiedResourceFiles
   });
@@ -52,8 +55,8 @@ export function main(
 
 export function mainDiagnosticsForTest(
     args: string[], config?: NgcParsedConfiguration,
-    programReuse?: {program: api.Program|undefined},
-    modifiedResourceFiles?: Set<string>|null): ReadonlyArray<ts.Diagnostic|api.Diagnostic> {
+    programReuse?: {program: api.Program|undefined}, modifiedResourceFiles?: Set<string>|null,
+    tsickle?: TsickleModule): ReadonlyArray<ts.Diagnostic|api.Diagnostic> {
   let {project, rootNames, options, errors: configErrors, watch, emitFlags} =
       config || readNgcCommandLineAndConfiguration(args);
   if (configErrors.length) {
@@ -71,7 +74,7 @@ export function mainDiagnosticsForTest(
     emitFlags,
     oldProgram,
     modifiedResourceFiles,
-    emitCallback: createEmitCallback(options),
+    emitCallback: createEmitCallback(options, tsickle),
   });
 
   if (programReuse !== undefined) {
@@ -81,12 +84,16 @@ export function mainDiagnosticsForTest(
   return compileDiags;
 }
 
-function createEmitCallback(options: api.CompilerOptions): api.TsEmitCallback|undefined {
+function createEmitCallback(
+    options: api.CompilerOptions, tsickle?: TsickleModule): api.TsEmitCallback|undefined {
   if (!options.annotateForClosureCompiler) {
     return undefined;
   }
+  if (tsickle == undefined) {
+    throw Error('Tsickle is not provided but `annotateForClosureCompiler` is enabled.')
+  }
   const tsickleHost: Pick<
-      tsickle.TsickleHost,
+      TsickleHost,
       'shouldSkipTsickleProcessing'|'pathToModuleName'|'shouldIgnoreWarningsForPath'|
       'fileNameToModuleId'|'googmodule'|'untyped'|'convertIndexImportShorthand'|
       'transformDecorators'|'transformTypesToClosure'> = {
@@ -115,13 +122,12 @@ function createEmitCallback(options: api.CompilerOptions): api.TsEmitCallback|un
            host,
            options
          }) =>
-             // tslint:disable-next-line:no-require-imports only depend on tsickle if requested
-      require('tsickle').emitWithTsickle(
-          program, {...tsickleHost, options, host, moduleResolutionHost: host}, host, options,
-          targetSourceFile, writeFile, cancellationToken, emitOnlyDtsFiles, {
-            beforeTs: customTransformers.before,
-            afterTs: customTransformers.after,
-          });
+             tsickle.emitWithTsickle(
+                 program, {...tsickleHost, options, moduleResolutionHost: host}, host, options,
+                 targetSourceFile, writeFile, cancellationToken, emitOnlyDtsFiles, {
+                   beforeTs: customTransformers.before,
+                   afterTs: customTransformers.after,
+                 });
 }
 
 export interface NgcParsedConfiguration extends ParsedConfiguration {
@@ -130,7 +136,7 @@ export interface NgcParsedConfiguration extends ParsedConfiguration {
 
 export function readNgcCommandLineAndConfiguration(args: string[]): NgcParsedConfiguration {
   const options: api.CompilerOptions = {};
-  const parsedArgs = require('minimist')(args);
+  const parsedArgs = minimist(args);
   if (parsedArgs.i18nFile) options.i18nInFile = parsedArgs.i18nFile;
   if (parsedArgs.i18nFormat) options.i18nInFormat = parsedArgs.i18nFormat;
   if (parsedArgs.locale) options.i18nInLocale = parsedArgs.locale;
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
index fa17484f5ec..4e180560a25 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 import {AotCompilerHost, collectExternalReferences, EmitterVisitorContext, GeneratedFile, ParseSourceSpan, syntaxError, TypeScriptEmitter} from '@angular/compiler';
+import fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import ts from 'typescript';
 
@@ -253,7 +254,8 @@ export class TsCompilerAotCompilerTypeCheckHostAdapter implements ts.CompilerHos
         try {
           const modulePath = importedFile.substring(0, importedFile.length - moduleName.length) +
               importedFilePackageName;
-          const packageJson = require(modulePath + '/package.json');
+          const packageJson =
+              JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(modulePath + '/package.json', 'utf8')) as any;
           const packageTypings = join(modulePath, packageJson.typings);
           if (packageTypings === originalImportedFile) {
             moduleName = importedFilePackageName;
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/BUILD.bazel b/packages/compiler-cli/test/BUILD.bazel
index c2a8dd13acb..a8d295f693e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/BUILD.bazel
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ ts_library(
         ":test_utils",
         "//packages/compiler",
         "//packages/compiler-cli",
+        "@npm//tsickle",
         "@npm//typescript",
     ],
 )
@@ -92,7 +93,6 @@ jasmine_node_test(
         "//packages/core",
         "@npm//minimist",
         "@npm//rxjs",
-        "@npm//tsickle",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
index d81d9580970..f985679a6d0 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngc_spec.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
+import * as tsickle from 'tsickle';
 import ts from 'typescript';
 
 import {main, mainDiagnosticsForTest, readCommandLineAndConfiguration, watchMode} from '../src/main';
+
 import {setup, stripAnsi} from './test_support';
 
 describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
@@ -676,7 +678,8 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
         export class MyModule {}
       `);
 
-        const exitCode = main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy);
+        const exitCode =
+            main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, tsickle);
         expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
 
         const mymodulejs = path.resolve(outDir, 'mymodule.js');
@@ -708,7 +711,8 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
         export class MyModule {}
       `);
 
-        const exitCode = main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy);
+        const exitCode =
+            main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, tsickle);
         expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
 
         const mymodulejs = path.resolve(outDir, 'mymodule.js');
@@ -749,7 +753,8 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
         export class MyModule {}
     `);
 
-      const exitCode = main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy);
+      const exitCode =
+          main(['-p', basePath], errorSpy, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, tsickle);
       expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
       const mymodulejs = path.resolve(outDir, 'mymodule.js');
       const mymoduleSource = fs.readFileSync(mymodulejs, 'utf8');
@@ -2118,10 +2123,12 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
   });
 
   describe('tree shakeable services', () => {
-    function compileService(source: string): string {
+    function compileService(source: string, withTsickle = false): string {
       write('service.ts', source);
 
-      const exitCode = main(['-p', path.join(basePath, 'tsconfig.json')], errorSpy);
+      const exitCode = main(
+          ['-p', path.join(basePath, 'tsconfig.json')], errorSpy, undefined, undefined, undefined,
+          undefined, withTsickle ? tsickle : undefined);
       expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
 
       const servicePath = path.resolve(outDir, 'service.js');
@@ -2203,7 +2210,7 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
         },
         "files": ["service.ts"]
       }`);
-      const source = compileService(`
+      const input = `
         import {Injectable} from '@angular/core';
         import {Module} from './module';
 
@@ -2211,7 +2218,9 @@ describe('ngc transformer command-line', () => {
           providedIn: Module,
         })
         export class Service {}
-      `);
+      `;
+
+      const source = compileService(input, /* withTsickle */ true);
       expect(source).toMatch(/\/\*\* @nocollapse \*\/ Service\.ɵprov =/);
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/BUILD.bazel b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/BUILD.bazel
index 3e3f209e70e..4d039b9223e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/BUILD.bazel
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ ts_library(
         "//packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/util",
         "//packages/compiler-cli/test:test_utils",
         "@npm//source-map",
+        "@npm//tsickle",
         "@npm//typescript",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
index 150b532717b..165e04c16b9 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/env.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import {CustomTransformers, defaultGatherDiagnostics, Program} from '@angular/compiler-cli';
 import * as api from '@angular/compiler-cli/src/transformers/api';
+import * as tsickle from 'tsickle';
 import ts from 'typescript';
 
 import {createCompilerHost, createProgram} from '../../index';
@@ -21,7 +22,6 @@ import {DeclarationNode} from '../../src/ngtsc/reflection';
 import {NgtscTestCompilerHost} from '../../src/ngtsc/testing';
 import {setWrapHostForTest} from '../../src/transformers/compiler_host';
 
-
 /**
  * Manages a temporary testing directory structure and environment for testing ngtsc by feeding it
  * TypeScript code.
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ export class NgtscTestEnvironment {
     }
     const exitCode = main(
         this.commandLineArgs, errorSpy, undefined, customTransformers, reuseProgram,
-        this.changedResources);
+        this.changedResources, tsickle);
     expect(errorSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
     if (this.multiCompileHostExt !== null) {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ export class NgtscTestEnvironment {
     }
 
     const diags = mainDiagnosticsForTest(
-        this.commandLineArgs, undefined, reuseProgram, this.changedResources);
+        this.commandLineArgs, undefined, reuseProgram, this.changedResources, tsickle);
 
 
     if (this.multiCompileHostExt !== null) {
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/aot/compiler_spec.ts b/packages/compiler/test/aot/compiler_spec.ts
index d034356e8ae..0678b52eda1 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/test/aot/compiler_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/aot/compiler_spec.ts
@@ -56,11 +56,10 @@ describe('compiler (unbundled Angular)', () => {
           genFile => genFile.srcFileUrl === componentPath && genFile.genFileUrl.endsWith('.ts'))!;
     }
 
-    function findLineAndColumn(
-        file: string, token: string): {line: number|null, column: number|null} {
+    function findLineAndColumn(file: string, token: string): {line: number, column: number}|null {
       const index = file.indexOf(token);
       if (index === -1) {
-        return {line: null, column: null};
+        return null;
       }
       const linesUntilToken = file.slice(0, index).split('\n');
       const line = linesUntilToken.length;
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ describe('compiler (unbundled Angular)', () => {
         const genFile = compileApp();
         const genSource = toTypeScript(genFile);
         const sourceMap = extractSourceMap(genSource)!;
-        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `'span'`)))
+        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `'span'`)!))
             .toEqual({line: 2, column: 3, source: ngUrl});
       });
 
@@ -161,7 +160,7 @@ describe('compiler (unbundled Angular)', () => {
         const genFile = compileApp();
         const genSource = toTypeScript(genFile);
         const sourceMap = extractSourceMap(genSource)!;
-        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `someMethod()`)))
+        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `someMethod()`)!))
             .toEqual({line: 2, column: 9, source: ngUrl});
       });
 
@@ -173,7 +172,7 @@ describe('compiler (unbundled Angular)', () => {
         const genFile = compileApp();
         const genSource = toTypeScript(genFile);
         const sourceMap = extractSourceMap(genSource)!;
-        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `someMethod()`)))
+        expect(originalPositionFor(sourceMap, findLineAndColumn(genSource, `someMethod()`)!))
             .toEqual({line: 2, column: 9, source: ngUrl});
       });
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler/testing/BUILD.bazel b/packages/compiler/testing/BUILD.bazel
index 52bc2664cd1..0c8acaba463 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/testing/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/compiler/testing/BUILD.bazel
@@ -17,5 +17,7 @@ ng_module(
         "//packages/compiler",
         "//packages/core",
         "@npm//@types/node",
+        "@npm//base64-js",
+        "@npm//source-map",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/packages/compiler/testing/src/output/source_map_util.ts b/packages/compiler/testing/src/output/source_map_util.ts
index 525db6b0c18..34c80e31834 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/testing/src/output/source_map_util.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/testing/src/output/source_map_util.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
  */
 
 import {SourceMap} from '@angular/compiler';
-const b64 = require('base64-js');
-const SourceMapConsumer = require('source-map').SourceMapConsumer;
+import b64 from 'base64-js';
+import {SourceMapConsumer} from 'source-map';
 
 export interface SourceLocation {
   line: number;
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ export interface SourceLocation {
 }
 
 export function originalPositionFor(
-    sourceMap: SourceMap, genPosition: {line: number|null, column: number|null}): SourceLocation {
-  const smc = new SourceMapConsumer(sourceMap);
+    sourceMap: SourceMap, genPosition: {line: number, column: number}): SourceLocation {
+  // Note: The `SourceMap` type from the compiler is different to `RawSourceMap`
+  // from the `source-map` package, but the method we rely on works as expected.
+  const smc = new SourceMapConsumer(sourceMap as any);
   // Note: We don't return the original object as it also contains a `name` property
   // which is always null and we don't want to include that in our assertions...
   const {line, column, source} = smc.originalPositionFor(genPosition);