diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationService.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationService.cs
index a3e1879797..158b1085bd 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationService.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationService.cs
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ internal DefaultRoslynCompilationService(
 #if NETSTANDARD1_5
             _razorLoadContext = new RazorLoadContext();
 #endif
-
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
@@ -144,6 +143,18 @@ public CompilationResult Compile(RelativeFileInfo fileInfo, string compilationCo
 
                     if (!result.Success)
                     {
+                        if (!compilation.References.Any() && !_applicationReferences.Value.Any())
+                        {
+                            // DependencyModel had no references specified and the user did not use the
+                            // CompilationCallback to add extra references. It is likely that the user did not specify
+                            // preserveCompilationContext in the app's project.json.
+                            throw new InvalidOperationException(
+                                Resources.FormatCompilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified(
+                                    fileInfo.RelativePath,
+                                    "project.json",
+                                    "preserveCompilationContext"));
+                        }
+
                         return GetCompilationFailedResult(
                             fileInfo.RelativePath,
                             compilationContent,
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
index 5343888a29..a89c641c01 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
@@ -462,6 +462,22 @@ internal static string FormatLayoutHasCircularReference(object p0, object p1)
             return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("LayoutHasCircularReference"), p0, p1);
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The Razor page '{0}' failed to compile. Ensure that your application's {1} sets the '{2}' compilation property.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static string Compilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified
+        {
+            get { return GetString("Compilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified"); }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The Razor page '{0}' failed to compile. Ensure that your application's {1} sets the '{2}' compilation property.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static string FormatCompilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified(object p0, object p1, object p2)
+        {
+            return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("Compilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified"), p0, p1, p2);
+        }
+
         private static string GetString(string name, params string[] formatterNames)
         {
             var value = _resourceManager.GetString(name);
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Resources.resx b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Resources.resx
index f94c7316aa..caac824d01 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Resources.resx
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor/Resources.resx
@@ -203,4 +203,7 @@
   <data name="LayoutHasCircularReference" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>A circular layout reference was detected when rendering '{0}'. The layout page '{1}' has already been rendered.</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="Compilation_DependencyContextIsNotSpecified" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>The Razor page '{0}' failed to compile. Ensure that your application's {1} sets the '{2}' compilation property.</value>
+  </data>
 </root>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Test/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationServiceTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Test/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationServiceTest.cs
index 758bb1845b..ef2a00ead3 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Test/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationServiceTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.Test/Internal/DefaultRoslynCompilationServiceTest.cs
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ public void GetCompilationFailedResult_ReturnsCompilationResult_WithGroupedMessa
         [Fact]
         public void Compile_RunsCallback()
         {
+            // Arrange
             var content = "public class MyTestType  {}";
             RoslynCompilationContext usedCompilation = null;
 
@@ -276,6 +277,117 @@ public void Compile_RunsCallback()
             Assert.Single(usedCompilation.Compilation.SyntaxTrees);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Compile_ThrowsIfDependencyContextIsNullAndTheApplicationFailsToCompileWithNoReferences()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var content = "public class MyTestType  {}";
+            var compilationService = new DefaultRoslynCompilationService(
+                dependencyContext: null,
+                viewEngineOptions: GetOptions(),
+                fileProviderAccessor: GetFileProviderAccessor(),
+                loggerFactory: NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+
+            var relativeFileInfo = new RelativeFileInfo(
+                new TestFileInfo { PhysicalPath = "SomePath" },
+                "some-relative-path.cshtml");
+
+            var expected = "The Razor page 'some-relative-path.cshtml' failed to compile. Ensure that your "
+                 + "application's project.json sets the 'preserveCompilationContext' compilation property.";
+
+            // Act and Assert
+            var ex = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
+                compilationService.Compile(relativeFileInfo, content));
+            Assert.Equal(expected, ex.Message);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Compile_ThrowsIfDependencyContextReturnsNoReferencesAndTheApplicationFailsToCompile()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var content = "public class MyTestType  {}";
+            var dependencyContext = new DependencyContext(
+                target: null,
+                runtime: null,
+                compilationOptions: Extensions.DependencyModel.CompilationOptions.Default,
+                compileLibraries: new CompilationLibrary[0],
+                runtimeLibraries: new RuntimeLibrary[0]);
+            var compilationService = new DefaultRoslynCompilationService(
+                dependencyContext: dependencyContext,
+                viewEngineOptions: GetOptions(),
+                fileProviderAccessor: GetFileProviderAccessor(),
+                loggerFactory: NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+
+            var relativeFileInfo = new RelativeFileInfo(
+                new TestFileInfo { PhysicalPath = "SomePath" },
+                "some-relative-path.cshtml");
+
+            var expected = "The Razor page 'some-relative-path.cshtml' failed to compile. Ensure that your "
+                 + "application's project.json sets the 'preserveCompilationContext' compilation property.";
+
+            // Act and Assert
+            var ex = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
+                compilationService.Compile(relativeFileInfo, content));
+            Assert.Equal(expected, ex.Message);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Compile_DoesNotThrowIfReferencesWereClearedInCallback()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var options = GetOptions(context =>
+            {
+                context.Compilation = context.Compilation.RemoveAllReferences();
+            });
+            var content = "public class MyTestType  {}";
+            var compilationService = new DefaultRoslynCompilationService(
+                dependencyContext: GetDependencyContext(),
+                viewEngineOptions: options,
+                fileProviderAccessor: GetFileProviderAccessor(),
+                loggerFactory: NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+
+            var relativeFileInfo = new RelativeFileInfo(
+                new TestFileInfo { PhysicalPath = "SomePath" },
+                "some-relative-path.cshtml");
+
+            // Act
+            var result = compilationService.Compile(relativeFileInfo, content);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Single(result.CompilationFailures);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Compile_SucceedsIfReferencesAreAddedInCallback()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var options = GetOptions(context =>
+            {
+                var assemblyLocation = typeof(object).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.Location;
+
+                context.Compilation = context
+                    .Compilation
+                    .AddReferences(MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(assemblyLocation));
+            });
+            var content = "public class MyTestType  {}";
+            var compilationService = new DefaultRoslynCompilationService(
+                dependencyContext: null,
+                viewEngineOptions: options,
+                fileProviderAccessor: GetFileProviderAccessor(),
+                loggerFactory: NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+
+            var relativeFileInfo = new RelativeFileInfo(
+                new TestFileInfo { PhysicalPath = "SomePath" },
+                "some-relative-path.cshtml");
+
+            // Act
+            var result = compilationService.Compile(relativeFileInfo, content);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Null(result.CompilationFailures);
+            Assert.NotNull(result.CompiledType);
+        }
+
         private static DiagnosticDescriptor GetDiagnosticDescriptor(string messageFormat)
         {
             return new DiagnosticDescriptor(