diff --git a/src/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor/build/netstandard2.0/Sdk.Razor.CurrentVersion.targets b/src/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor/build/netstandard2.0/Sdk.Razor.CurrentVersion.targets
index f6004d8fdf..a20aef15e8 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor/build/netstandard2.0/Sdk.Razor.CurrentVersion.targets
+++ b/src/Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor/build/netstandard2.0/Sdk.Razor.CurrentVersion.targets
@@ -492,17 +492,21 @@ Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
     <ItemGroup Condition="'$(CopyRazorGenerateFilesToPublishDirectory)'=='false'">
       <ResolvedFileToPublish Remove="%(RazorGenerate.FullPath)"/>
     </ItemGroup>
+  </Target>
 
+  <Target
+    Name="_RazorRemoveRefAssembliesFromPublish"
+    AfterTargets="ComputeRefAssembliesToPublish"
+    Condition="'$(ResolvedRazorCompileToolset)'=='RazorSdk' and '$(RazorCompileOnPublish)'=='true' and '$(CopyRefAssembliesToPublishDirectory)'=='false'">
     <!--
       The ref assemblies are published whenever PreserveCompilationContext is true, which we expect to be true for
       most usages of Razor. There's no setting that excludes just the ref assemblies, so we do it ourselves. 
     -->
-    <ItemGroup Condition="'$(CopyRefAssembliesToPublishDirectory)'=='false'">
+    <ItemGroup>
       <ResolvedFileToPublish 
         Remove="%(ResolvedFileToPublish.Identity)"
         Condition="'%(ResolvedFileToPublish.RelativePath)'=='$(RefAssembliesFolderName)\%(Filename)%(Extension)'"/>
     </ItemGroup>
-
   </Target>
 
   <Target Name="_CheckForMissingRazorCompiler" Condition="'$(IsRazorCompilerReferenced)' != 'true'">
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Design.Test/IntegrationTests/PublishIntegrationTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Design.Test/IntegrationTests/PublishIntegrationTest.cs
index 3147d26b51..be6b1fed29 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Design.Test/IntegrationTests/PublishIntegrationTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Design.Test/IntegrationTests/PublishIntegrationTest.cs
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Design.IntegrationTests
             Assert.FileExists(result, PublishOutputPath, "SimpleMvc.pdb");
             Assert.FileDoesNotExist(result, PublishOutputPath, "SimpleMvc.Views.dll");
             Assert.FileDoesNotExist(result, PublishOutputPath, "SimpleMvc.Views.pdb");
+
+            // By default refs will not be copied on publish
+            Assert.FileCountEquals(result, 0, Path.Combine(PublishOutputPath, "refs"), "*.dll");
         }
 
         [Fact]