diff --git a/internal/compiler/fileloader.go b/internal/compiler/fileloader.go
index e1e84650d3..62e696315a 100644
--- a/internal/compiler/fileloader.go
+++ b/internal/compiler/fileloader.go
@@ -51,12 +51,17 @@ type fileLoader struct {
 	pathForLibFileResolutions collections.SyncMap[tspath.Path, *libResolution]
 }
 
+type missingFile struct {
+	path   string
+	reason *FileIncludeReason
+}
+
 type processedFiles struct {
 	resolver                      *module.Resolver
 	files                         []*ast.SourceFile
 	filesByPath                   map[tspath.Path]*ast.SourceFile
 	projectReferenceFileMapper    *projectReferenceFileMapper
-	missingFiles                  []string
+	missingFiles                  []missingFile
 	resolvedModules               map[tspath.Path]module.ModeAwareCache[*module.ResolvedModule]
 	typeResolutionsInFile         map[tspath.Path]module.ModeAwareCache[*module.ResolvedTypeReferenceDirective]
 	sourceFileMetaDatas           map[tspath.Path]ast.SourceFileMetaData
@@ -136,7 +141,7 @@ func processAllProgramFiles(
 	totalFileCount := int(loader.totalFileCount.Load())
 	libFileCount := int(loader.libFileCount.Load())
 
-	var missingFiles []string
+	var missingFiles []missingFile
 	files := make([]*ast.SourceFile, 0, totalFileCount-libFileCount)
 	libFiles := make([]*ast.SourceFile, 0, totalFileCount) // totalFileCount here since we append files to it later to construct the final list
 
@@ -168,9 +173,13 @@ func processAllProgramFiles(
 		}
 		file := task.file
 		path := task.path
+
+		// !!! sheetal file preprocessing diagnostic explaining getSourceFileFromReferenceWorker
 		if file == nil {
-			// !!! sheetal file preprocessing diagnostic explaining getSourceFileFromReferenceWorker
-			missingFiles = append(missingFiles, task.normalizedFilePath)
+			missingFiles = append(missingFiles, missingFile{
+				path:   task.normalizedFilePath,
+				reason: task.includeReason,
+			})
 			return
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/compiler/program.go b/internal/compiler/program.go
index 2dbe96c47e..c512ca4b09 100644
--- a/internal/compiler/program.go
+++ b/internal/compiler/program.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ type Program struct {
 	declarationDiagnosticCache collections.SyncMap[*ast.SourceFile, []*ast.Diagnostic]
 
 	programDiagnostics         []*ast.Diagnostic
+	programDiagnosticsOnce     sync.Once
 	hasEmitBlockingDiagnostics collections.Set[tspath.Path]
 
 	sourceFilesToEmitOnce sync.Once
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ func NewProgram(opts ProgramOptions) *Program {
 	p.initCheckerPool()
 	p.processedFiles = processAllProgramFiles(p.opts, p.SingleThreaded())
 	p.verifyCompilerOptions()
+	p.addProgramDiagnostics()
 	return p
 }
 
@@ -1222,6 +1224,33 @@ func (p *Program) getDiagnosticsHelper(ctx context.Context, sourceFile *ast.Sour
 	return SortAndDeduplicateDiagnostics(result)
 }
 
+func (p *Program) addProgramDiagnostics() {
+	for _, missingFile := range p.missingFiles {
+		missingFileReason := missingFile.reason
+		refData, ok := missingFileReason.data.(*referencedFileData)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		parentFile := p.filesByPath[refData.file]
+		if parentFile == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		for _, ref := range parentFile.ReferencedFiles {
+			if tspath.GetNormalizedAbsolutePath(ref.FileName, tspath.GetDirectoryPath(parentFile.FileName())) == missingFile.path {
+				diagnostic := ast.NewDiagnostic(
+					parentFile,
+					ref.TextRange,
+					diagnostics.File_0_not_found,
+					ref.FileName,
+				)
+				p.programDiagnostics = append(p.programDiagnostics, diagnostic)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (p *Program) LineCount() int {
 	var count int
 	for _, file := range p.files {
@@ -1553,8 +1582,8 @@ func (p *Program) GetIncludeReasons() map[tspath.Path][]*FileIncludeReason {
 
 // Testing only
 func (p *Program) IsMissingPath(path tspath.Path) bool {
-	return slices.ContainsFunc(p.missingFiles, func(missingPath string) bool {
-		return p.toPath(missingPath) == path
+	return slices.ContainsFunc(p.missingFiles, func(missingPath missingFile) bool {
+		return missingPath.path == string(path)
 	})
 }