diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d7804f0fe6a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+message TS6042: No actionable task. Add 'composite': true, valid 'references', or use 'tsc -b'.
+
+
+!!! message TS6042: No actionable task. Add 'composite': true, valid 'references', or use 'tsc -b'.
+==== /parent/tsconfig.json (0 errors) ====
+    {
+        "files": [],
+        "references": [{ "path": "../child" }]
+      }
+      
+      // @filename: /child/tsconfig.json
+      {
+        "compilerOptions": {
+          "declaration": true,
+          "declarationDir": "out",
+          "composite": true
+        },
+        "include": ["index.ts"]
+      }
+      
+      // @filename: /child/index.ts
+      export const childConst = "I am child!";
+      
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/compositeWithoutReferences.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/compositeWithoutReferences.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8d88aa75efa1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/compositeWithoutReferences.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// @filename: /tsconfig.json
+{
+    "compilerOptions": {
+      "declaration": true,
+      "declarationDir": "out",
+      "composite": true
+    },
+    "files": []
+  }
+  
+  // @filename: /src/index.ts
+  export const compositeTest = "Composite test case";
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b50a6c9f8dbf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/nestedConfigurationsWithFilesEmpty.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// @filename: /parent/tsconfig.json
+{
+    "files": [],
+    "references": [{ "path": "../child" }]
+  }
+  
+  // @filename: /child/tsconfig.json
+  {
+    "compilerOptions": {
+      "declaration": true,
+      "declarationDir": "out",
+      "composite": true
+    },
+    "include": ["index.ts"]
+  }
+  
+  // @filename: /child/index.ts
+  export const childConst = "I am child!";
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/noEmitBehaviorWithFilesEmpty.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/noEmitBehaviorWithFilesEmpty.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a71df104310af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/noEmitBehaviorWithFilesEmpty.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// @filename: /tsconfig.json
+{
+    "compilerOptions": {
+      "noEmit": true,
+      "composite": true
+    },
+    "files": []
+  }
+  
+  // @filename: /src/index.ts
+  export const noEmitTest = "This shouldn't emit";
+  
\ No newline at end of file