diff --git a/scripts/rebuild_specs.js b/scripts/rebuild_specs.js
index b21b9c5e3..094ac1ea8 100644
--- a/scripts/rebuild_specs.js
+++ b/scripts/rebuild_specs.js
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ const conversions = [
  * @param {string[]} dirs
  */
 function rebuildConverterTests(dirs) {
-    const program = ts.createProgram(
-        app.options.getFileNames(),
-        app.options.getCompilerOptions()
-    );
+    const program = ts.createProgram(app.options.getFileNames(), {
+        ...app.options.getCompilerOptions(),
+        noEmit: true,
+    });
 
     const errors = ts.getPreEmitDiagnostics(program);
     if (errors.length) {
diff --git a/src/lib/application.ts b/src/lib/application.ts
index 618f59286..14ad9c396 100644
--- a/src/lib/application.ts
+++ b/src/lib/application.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ const supportedVersionMajorMinor = packageInfo.peerDependencies.typescript
  */
 function getEntryPointsForPackages(
     logger: Logger,
-    packageGlobPaths: string[]
+    packageGlobPaths: string[],
+    willEmit: boolean
 ): DocumentationEntryPoint[] | undefined {
     const results = new Array<DocumentationEntryPoint>();
     // --packages arguments are workspace tree roots, or glob patterns
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ function getEntryPointsForPackages(
         }
         const program = ts.createProgram({
             rootNames: parsedCommandLine.fileNames,
-            options: parsedCommandLine.options,
+            options: fixCompilerOptions(parsedCommandLine.options, willEmit),
         });
         const sourceFile = program.getSourceFile(packageEntryPoint);
         if (sourceFile === undefined) {
@@ -133,6 +134,16 @@ function getEntryPointsForPackages(
     return results;
 }
 
+function fixCompilerOptions(
+    options: ts.CompilerOptions,
+    willEmit: boolean
+): ts.CompilerOptions {
+    return {
+        ...options,
+        noEmit: willEmit === false,
+    };
+}
+
 function getModuleName(fileName: string, baseDir: string) {
     return normalizePath(Path.relative(baseDir, fileName)).replace(
         /(\/index)?(\.d)?\.[tj]sx?$/,
@@ -181,20 +192,21 @@ export class Application extends ChildableComponent<
 
     options: Options;
 
+    /** @internal */
     @BindOption("logger")
     loggerType!: string | Function;
 
+    /** @internal */
     @BindOption("exclude")
     exclude!: Array<string>;
 
+    /** @internal */
     @BindOption("entryPoints")
     entryPoints!: string[];
 
-    @BindOption("options")
-    optionsFile!: string;
-
-    @BindOption("tsconfig")
-    project!: string;
+    /** @internal */
+    @BindOption("emit")
+    emit!: boolean;
 
     /**
      * The version number of TypeDoc.
@@ -324,7 +336,11 @@ export class Application extends ChildableComponent<
         }
 
         const packages = this.options.getValue("packages").map(normalizePath);
-        const entryPoints = getEntryPointsForPackages(this.logger, packages);
+        const entryPoints = getEntryPointsForPackages(
+            this.logger,
+            packages,
+            this.emit
+        );
         if (entryPoints === undefined) {
             return;
         }
@@ -422,7 +438,7 @@ export class Application extends ChildableComponent<
 
         const host = ts.createWatchCompilerHost(
             tsconfigFile,
-            { noEmit: !this.options.getValue("emit") },
+            fixCompilerOptions({}, this.emit),
             ts.sys,
             ts.createEmitAndSemanticDiagnosticsBuilderProgram,
             (diagnostic) => this.logger.diagnostic(diagnostic),
@@ -599,7 +615,10 @@ export class Application extends ChildableComponent<
     private getEntryPrograms() {
         const rootProgram = ts.createProgram({
             rootNames: this.options.getFileNames(),
-            options: this.options.getCompilerOptions(),
+            options: fixCompilerOptions(
+                this.options.getCompilerOptions(),
+                this.emit
+            ),
             projectReferences: this.options.getProjectReferences(),
         });
 
@@ -617,7 +636,10 @@ export class Application extends ChildableComponent<
 
                 programs.push(
                     ts.createProgram({
-                        options: ref.commandLine.options,
+                        options: fixCompilerOptions(
+                            ref.commandLine.options,
+                            this.emit
+                        ),
                         rootNames: ref.commandLine.fileNames,
                         projectReferences: ref.commandLine.projectReferences,
                     })
diff --git a/src/test/converter.test.ts b/src/test/converter.test.ts
index 477531484..2f0844700 100644
--- a/src/test/converter.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/converter.test.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ describe("Converter", function () {
 
     let program: ts.Program;
     it("Compiles", () => {
-        program = ts.createProgram(
-            app.options.getFileNames(),
-            app.options.getCompilerOptions()
-        );
+        program = ts.createProgram(app.options.getFileNames(), {
+            ...app.options.getCompilerOptions(),
+            noEmit: true,
+        });
 
         const errors = ts.getPreEmitDiagnostics(program);
         equal(errors, []);
diff --git a/src/test/converter2.test.ts b/src/test/converter2.test.ts
index fdcbceb70..17608a2a9 100644
--- a/src/test/converter2.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/converter2.test.ts
@@ -246,10 +246,10 @@ describe("Converter2", () => {
 
     let program: ts.Program;
     before("Compiles", () => {
-        program = ts.createProgram(
-            app.options.getFileNames(),
-            app.options.getCompilerOptions()
-        );
+        program = ts.createProgram(app.options.getFileNames(), {
+            ...app.options.getCompilerOptions(),
+            noEmit: true,
+        });
 
         const errors = ts.getPreEmitDiagnostics(program);
         app.logger.diagnostics(errors);