diff --git a/src/services/refactors/moveToNewFile.ts b/src/services/refactors/moveToNewFile.ts
index 621bf4eda2d78..3ec64171b178d 100644
--- a/src/services/refactors/moveToNewFile.ts
+++ b/src/services/refactors/moveToNewFile.ts
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ namespace ts.refactor {
     }
     function isVariableDeclarationInImport(decl: VariableDeclaration) {
         return isSourceFile(decl.parent.parent.parent) &&
-            isRequireCall(decl.initializer, /*checkArgumentIsStringLiteralLike*/ true);
+            decl.initializer && isRequireCall(decl.initializer, /*checkArgumentIsStringLiteralLike*/ true);
     }
 
     function filterImport(i: SupportedImport, moduleSpecifier: StringLiteralLike, keep: (name: Identifier) => boolean): SupportedImportStatement | undefined {
diff --git a/tests/cases/fourslash/moveToNewFile_variableDeclarationWithNoInitializer.ts b/tests/cases/fourslash/moveToNewFile_variableDeclarationWithNoInitializer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ef62f9b8d0f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/fourslash/moveToNewFile_variableDeclarationWithNoInitializer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/// <reference path='fourslash.ts' />
+
+// @Filename: /a.ts
+////export {};
+////let x;
+////[|const y = x;|]
+
+verify.moveToNewFile({
+    newFileContents: {
+        "/a.ts":
+`export {};
+export let x;
+`,
+
+        "/y.ts":
+`import { x } from "./a";
+const y = x;`,
+    },
+});