diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index 2768c142f5aad..562f730a0dfef 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -6383,8 +6383,9 @@ namespace ts {
          *
          * @param type a type to look up property from
          * @param name a name of property to look up in a given type
+         * @param allowPartialUnions return partial unions instead of undefined
          */
-        function getPropertyOfType(type: Type, name: __String): Symbol | undefined {
+        function getPropertyOfType(type: Type, name: __String, allowPartialUnions = false): Symbol | undefined {
             type = getApparentType(type);
             if (type.flags & TypeFlags.Object) {
                 const resolved = resolveStructuredTypeMembers(<ObjectType>type);
@@ -6401,7 +6402,12 @@ namespace ts {
                 return getPropertyOfObjectType(globalObjectType, name);
             }
             if (type.flags & TypeFlags.UnionOrIntersection) {
-                return getPropertyOfUnionOrIntersectionType(<UnionOrIntersectionType>type, name);
+                if (allowPartialUnions) {
+                    return getUnionOrIntersectionProperty(<UnionOrIntersectionType>type, name);
+                }
+                else {
+                    return getPropertyOfUnionOrIntersectionType(<UnionOrIntersectionType>type, name);
+                }
             }
             return undefined;
         }
@@ -7997,7 +8003,7 @@ namespace ts {
                     getPropertyNameForKnownSymbolName(idText((<PropertyAccessExpression>accessExpression.argumentExpression).name)) :
                     undefined;
             if (propName !== undefined) {
-                const prop = getPropertyOfType(objectType, propName);
+                const prop = getPropertyOfType(objectType, propName, /*allowPartialUnions*/ !accessExpression);
                 if (prop) {
                     if (accessExpression) {
                         markPropertyAsReferenced(prop, accessExpression, /*isThisAccess*/ accessExpression.expression.kind === SyntaxKind.ThisKeyword);
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e3ce450b20123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts(14,12): error TS7017: Element implicitly has an 'any' type because type '{ baz: string; } | { qux: number; }' has no index signature.
+tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts(18,20): error TS2339: Property 'baz' does not exist on type '{ baz: string; } | { qux: number; }'.
+  Property 'baz' does not exist on type '{ qux: number; }'.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts (2 errors) ====
+    // Repro from #21975
+    
+    interface Foo {
+        bar: {
+            baz: string;
+        } | {
+            qux: number;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    type ShouldBeString = Foo['bar']['baz'];
+    
+    function f(foo: Foo) {
+        return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS7017: Element implicitly has an 'any' type because type '{ baz: string; } | { qux: number; }' has no index signature.
+    }
+    
+    function g(foo: Foo) {
+        return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+                       ~~~
+!!! error TS2339: Property 'baz' does not exist on type '{ baz: string; } | { qux: number; }'.
+!!! error TS2339:   Property 'baz' does not exist on type '{ qux: number; }'.
+    }
+    
+    interface HasOptionalMember {
+        bar?: {
+            baz: string;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    type ShouldBeString2 = HasOptionalMember['bar']['baz'];
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.js b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2231948825e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+//// [indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts]
+// Repro from #21975
+
+interface Foo {
+    bar: {
+        baz: string;
+    } | {
+        qux: number;
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString = Foo['bar']['baz'];
+
+function f(foo: Foo) {
+    return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+}
+
+function g(foo: Foo) {
+    return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+}
+
+interface HasOptionalMember {
+    bar?: {
+        baz: string;
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString2 = HasOptionalMember['bar']['baz'];
+
+
+//// [indexedAccessPartialUnions.js]
+"use strict";
+// Repro from #21975
+function f(foo) {
+    return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+}
+function g(foo) {
+    return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+}
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.symbols b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f037d6976f5a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts ===
+// Repro from #21975
+
+interface Foo {
+>Foo : Symbol(Foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 0, 0))
+
+    bar: {
+>bar : Symbol(Foo.bar, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 2, 15))
+
+        baz: string;
+>baz : Symbol(baz, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 3, 10))
+
+    } | {
+        qux: number;
+>qux : Symbol(qux, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 5, 9))
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString = Foo['bar']['baz'];
+>ShouldBeString : Symbol(ShouldBeString, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 8, 1))
+>Foo : Symbol(Foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 0, 0))
+
+function f(foo: Foo) {
+>f : Symbol(f, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 10, 40))
+>foo : Symbol(foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 12, 11))
+>Foo : Symbol(Foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 0, 0))
+
+    return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+>foo : Symbol(foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 12, 11))
+>'bar' : Symbol(Foo.bar, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 2, 15))
+}
+
+function g(foo: Foo) {
+>g : Symbol(g, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 14, 1))
+>foo : Symbol(foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 16, 11))
+>Foo : Symbol(Foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 0, 0))
+
+    return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+>foo.bar : Symbol(Foo.bar, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 2, 15))
+>foo : Symbol(foo, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 16, 11))
+>bar : Symbol(Foo.bar, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 2, 15))
+}
+
+interface HasOptionalMember {
+>HasOptionalMember : Symbol(HasOptionalMember, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 18, 1))
+
+    bar?: {
+>bar : Symbol(HasOptionalMember.bar, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 20, 29))
+
+        baz: string;
+>baz : Symbol(baz, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 21, 11))
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString2 = HasOptionalMember['bar']['baz'];
+>ShouldBeString2 : Symbol(ShouldBeString2, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 24, 1))
+>HasOptionalMember : Symbol(HasOptionalMember, Decl(indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts, 18, 1))
+
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.types b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.types
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e7f7a9193b84e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/indexedAccessPartialUnions.types
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+=== tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts ===
+// Repro from #21975
+
+interface Foo {
+>Foo : Foo
+
+    bar: {
+>bar : { baz: string; } | { qux: number; }
+
+        baz: string;
+>baz : string
+
+    } | {
+        qux: number;
+>qux : number
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString = Foo['bar']['baz'];
+>ShouldBeString : string
+>Foo : Foo
+
+function f(foo: Foo) {
+>f : (foo: Foo) => any
+>foo : Foo
+>Foo : Foo
+
+    return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+>foo['bar']['baz'] : any
+>foo['bar'] : { baz: string; } | { qux: number; }
+>foo : Foo
+>'bar' : "bar"
+>'baz' : "baz"
+}
+
+function g(foo: Foo) {
+>g : (foo: Foo) => any
+>foo : Foo
+>Foo : Foo
+
+    return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+>foo.bar.baz : any
+>foo.bar : { baz: string; } | { qux: number; }
+>foo : Foo
+>bar : { baz: string; } | { qux: number; }
+>baz : any
+}
+
+interface HasOptionalMember {
+>HasOptionalMember : HasOptionalMember
+
+    bar?: {
+>bar : { baz: string; } | undefined
+
+        baz: string;
+>baz : string
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString2 = HasOptionalMember['bar']['baz'];
+>ShouldBeString2 : string
+>HasOptionalMember : HasOptionalMember
+
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8c7c437fce414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/indexedAccessPartialUnions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// @strict: true
+
+// Repro from #21975
+
+interface Foo {
+    bar: {
+        baz: string;
+    } | {
+        qux: number;
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString = Foo['bar']['baz'];
+
+function f(foo: Foo) {
+    return foo['bar']['baz']; // Error
+}
+
+function g(foo: Foo) {
+    return foo.bar.baz; // Error
+}
+
+interface HasOptionalMember {
+    bar?: {
+        baz: string;
+    }
+}
+
+type ShouldBeString2 = HasOptionalMember['bar']['baz'];