diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/component_ref.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/component_ref.ts
index a168834c0f3c7..dda0c817d2ec7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/component_ref.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/component_ref.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ import {CONTEXT, HEADER_OFFSET, INJECTOR, LView, LViewEnvironment, LViewFlags, T
 import {MATH_ML_NAMESPACE, SVG_NAMESPACE} from './namespaces';
 import {createElementNode, setupStaticAttributes, writeDirectClass} from './node_manipulation';
 import {extractAttrsAndClassesFromSelector, stringifyCSSSelectorList} from './node_selector_matcher';
-import {EffectScheduler} from './reactivity/effect';
 import {enterView, getCurrentTNode, getLView, leaveView} from './state';
 import {computeStaticStyling} from './styling/static_styling';
 import {mergeHostAttrs, setUpAttributes} from './util/attrs_utils';
@@ -504,7 +503,7 @@ function createRootComponent<T>(
 
   // We want to generate an empty QueryList for root content queries for backwards
   // compatibility with ViewEngine.
-  executeContentQueries(tView, rootTNode, componentView);
+  executeContentQueries(tView, rootTNode, rootLView);
 
   return component;
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
index 1a0045b56b3c2..55003b7b3af8b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/shared.ts
@@ -30,9 +30,11 @@ import {attachPatchData} from '../context_discovery';
 import {getFactoryDef} from '../definition_factory';
 import {diPublicInInjector, getNodeInjectable, getOrCreateNodeInjectorForNode} from '../di';
 import {throwMultipleComponentError} from '../errors';
+import {AttributeMarker} from '../interfaces/attribute_marker';
 import {CONTAINER_HEADER_OFFSET, LContainer} from '../interfaces/container';
 import {ComponentDef, ComponentTemplate, DirectiveDef, DirectiveDefListOrFactory, HostBindingsFunction, HostDirectiveBindingMap, HostDirectiveDefs, PipeDefListOrFactory, RenderFlags, ViewQueriesFunction} from '../interfaces/definition';
 import {NodeInjectorFactory} from '../interfaces/injector';
+import {InputFlags} from '../interfaces/input_flags';
 import {getUniqueLViewId} from '../interfaces/lview_tracking';
 import {InitialInputData, InitialInputs, LocalRefExtractor, NodeInputBindings, NodeOutputBindings, TAttributes, TConstantsOrFactory, TContainerNode, TDirectiveHostNode, TElementContainerNode, TElementNode, TIcuContainerNode, TNode, TNodeFlags, TNodeType, TProjectionNode} from '../interfaces/node';
 import {Renderer} from '../interfaces/renderer';
@@ -56,8 +58,6 @@ import {selectIndexInternal} from './advance';
 import {ɵɵdirectiveInject} from './di';
 import {handleUnknownPropertyError, isPropertyValid, matchingSchemas} from './element_validation';
 import {writeToDirectiveInput} from './write_to_directive_input';
-import { AttributeMarker } from '../interfaces/attribute_marker';
-import { InputFlags } from '../interfaces/input_flags';
 
 /**
  * Invoke `HostBindingsFunction`s for view.
@@ -287,7 +287,11 @@ export function executeContentQueries(tView: TView, tNode: TNode, lView: LView)
       for (let directiveIndex = start; directiveIndex < end; directiveIndex++) {
         const def = tView.data[directiveIndex] as DirectiveDef<any>;
         if (def.contentQueries) {
-          def.contentQueries(RenderFlags.Create, lView[directiveIndex], directiveIndex);
+          const directiveInstance = lView[directiveIndex];
+          ngDevMode &&
+              assertDefined(
+                  directiveIndex, 'Incorrect reference to a directive defining a content query');
+          def.contentQueries(RenderFlags.Create, directiveInstance, directiveIndex);
         }
       }
     } finally {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/authoring/signal_queries_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/authoring/signal_queries_spec.ts
index 3b070b6664b44..11a110eae52c7 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/authoring/signal_queries_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/authoring/signal_queries_spec.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {Component, computed, contentChild, contentChildren, Directive, ElementRef, viewChild, viewChildren} from '@angular/core';
+import {Component, computed, contentChild, contentChildren, createComponent, Directive, ElementRef, EnvironmentInjector, viewChild, viewChildren} from '@angular/core';
 import {TestBed} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 
@@ -441,4 +441,38 @@ describe('queries as signals', () => {
          expect(recomputeCount).toBe(1);
        });
   });
+
+  describe('dynamic component creation', () => {
+    it('should return empty results for content queries of dynamically created components', () => {
+      // https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/54450
+      @Component({
+        selector: 'query-cmp',
+        standalone: true,
+        template: ``,
+      })
+      class QueryComponent {
+        elements = contentChildren('el');
+        element = contentChild('el');
+      }
+
+      @Component({
+        standalone: true,
+        template: ``,
+      })
+      class TestComponent {
+        constructor(private _envInjector: EnvironmentInjector) {}
+
+        createDynamic() {
+          return createComponent(QueryComponent, {environmentInjector: this._envInjector});
+        }
+      }
+
+      const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TestComponent);
+      const cmpRef = fixture.componentInstance.createDynamic();
+      cmpRef.changeDetectorRef.detectChanges();
+
+      expect(cmpRef.instance.elements()).toEqual([]);
+      expect(cmpRef.instance.element()).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
 });