diff --git a/packages/typescript-estree/src/tsconfig-parser.ts b/packages/typescript-estree/src/tsconfig-parser.ts
index 6ab8047b0be..0f4a9b7c35e 100644
--- a/packages/typescript-estree/src/tsconfig-parser.ts
+++ b/packages/typescript-estree/src/tsconfig-parser.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ export function calculateProjectParserOptions(
 
     if (typeof existingWatch !== 'undefined') {
       // get new program (updated if necessary)
-      results.push(existingWatch.getProgram().getProgram());
+      const updatedProgram = existingWatch.getProgram().getProgram();
+      updatedProgram.getTypeChecker(); // sets parent pointers in source files
+      results.push(updatedProgram);
+
       continue;
     }