diff --git a/packages/core/src/hydration/api.ts b/packages/core/src/hydration/api.ts
index 42101635260..264b19c4290 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hydration/api.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hydration/api.ts
@@ -72,27 +72,15 @@ function isBrowser(): boolean {
 /**
  * Outputs a message with hydration stats into a console.
  */
-function printHydrationInfo(injector: Injector) {
+function printHydrationStats(injector: Injector) {
   const console = injector.get(Console);
-  const transferState = injector.get(TransferState, null, {optional: true});
-  if (transferState && transferState.get(NGH_DATA_KEY, null)) {
-    const message = `Angular hydrated ${ngDevMode!.hydratedComponents} component(s) ` +
-        `and ${ngDevMode!.hydratedNodes} node(s), ` +
-        `${ngDevMode!.componentsSkippedHydration} component(s) were skipped. ` +
-        `Note: this feature is in Developer Preview mode. ` +
-        `Learn more at https://next.angular.io/guide/hydration.`;
-    // tslint:disable-next-line:no-console
-    console.log(message);
-  } else {
-    const message = formatRuntimeError(
-        RuntimeErrorCode.MISSING_HYDRATION_ANNOTATIONS,
-        'Angular hydration was enabled on the client, but there was no ' +
-            'serialized information present in the server response. ' +
-            'Make sure the `provideClientHydration()` is included into the list ' +
-            'of providers in the server part of the application configuration.');
-    // tslint:disable-next-line:no-console
-    console.warn(message);
-  }
+  const message = `Angular hydrated ${ngDevMode!.hydratedComponents} component(s) ` +
+      `and ${ngDevMode!.hydratedNodes} node(s), ` +
+      `${ngDevMode!.componentsSkippedHydration} component(s) were skipped. ` +
+      `Note: this feature is in Developer Preview mode. ` +
+      `Learn more at https://next.angular.io/guide/hydration.`;
+  // tslint:disable-next-line:no-console
+  console.log(message);
 }
 
 
@@ -118,6 +106,32 @@ function whenStable(
  */
 export function withDomHydration(): EnvironmentProviders {
   return makeEnvironmentProviders([
+    {
+      provide: IS_HYDRATION_FEATURE_ENABLED,
+      useFactory: () => {
+        if (isBrowser()) {
+          // On the client, verify that the server response contains
+          // hydration annotations. Otherwise, keep hydration disabled.
+          const transferState = inject(TransferState, {optional: true});
+          const hasHydrationAnnotations = !!transferState?.get(NGH_DATA_KEY, null);
+          if (!hasHydrationAnnotations) {
+            const console = inject(Console);
+            const message = formatRuntimeError(
+                RuntimeErrorCode.MISSING_HYDRATION_ANNOTATIONS,
+                'Angular hydration was requested on the client, but there was no ' +
+                    'serialized information present in the server response, ' +
+                    'thus hydration was not enabled. ' +
+                    'Make sure the `provideClientHydration()` is included into the list ' +
+                    'of providers in the server part of the application configuration.');
+            // tslint:disable-next-line:no-console
+            console.warn(message);
+          }
+          return hasHydrationAnnotations;
+        }
+        // We are running on the server, always return `true`.
+        return true;
+      },
+    },
     {
       provide: ENVIRONMENT_INITIALIZER,
       useValue: () => {
@@ -126,27 +140,26 @@ export function withDomHydration(): EnvironmentProviders {
         // on the client. Moving forward, the `isBrowser` check should
         // be replaced with a tree-shakable alternative (e.g. `isServer`
         // flag).
-        if (isBrowser()) {
+        if (isBrowser() && inject(IS_HYDRATION_FEATURE_ENABLED)) {
           enableHydrationRuntimeSupport();
         }
       },
       multi: true,
     },
-    {
-      provide: IS_HYDRATION_FEATURE_ENABLED,
-      useValue: true,
-    },
     {
       provide: PRESERVE_HOST_CONTENT,
-      // Preserve host element content only in a browser
-      // environment. On a server, an application is rendered
-      // from scratch, so the host content needs to be empty.
-      useFactory: () => isBrowser(),
+      useFactory: () => {
+        // Preserve host element content only in a browser
+        // environment and when hydration is configured properly.
+        // On a server, an application is rendered from scratch,
+        // so the host content needs to be empty.
+        return isBrowser() && inject(IS_HYDRATION_FEATURE_ENABLED);
+      }
     },
     {
       provide: APP_BOOTSTRAP_LISTENER,
       useFactory: () => {
-        if (isBrowser()) {
+        if (isBrowser() && inject(IS_HYDRATION_FEATURE_ENABLED)) {
           const appRef = inject(ApplicationRef);
           const pendingTasks = inject(InitialRenderPendingTasks);
           const injector = inject(Injector);
@@ -159,7 +172,7 @@ export function withDomHydration(): EnvironmentProviders {
               cleanupDehydratedViews(appRef);
 
               if (typeof ngDevMode !== 'undefined' && ngDevMode) {
-                printHydrationInfo(injector);
+                printHydrationStats(injector);
               }
             });
           };
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/test/hydration_spec.ts b/packages/platform-server/test/hydration_spec.ts
index b7d8689fc5f..afbcc77abb4 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/test/hydration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/test/hydration_spec.ts
@@ -4022,11 +4022,23 @@ describe('platform-server integration', () => {
            resetTViewsFor(SimpleComponent);
 
            const appRef = await hydrate(html, SimpleComponent, [withDebugConsole()]);
+           const compRef = getComponentRef<SimpleComponent>(appRef);
+           appRef.tick();
 
            verifyHasLog(
                appRef,
-               'NG0505: Angular hydration was enabled on the client, ' +
-                   'but there was no serialized information present in the server response.');
+               'NG0505: Angular hydration was requested on the client, ' +
+                   'but there was no serialized information present in the server response');
+
+           const clientRootNode = compRef.location.nativeElement;
+
+           // Make sure that no hydration logic was activated,
+           // effectively re-rendering from scratch happened and
+           // all the content inside the <app> host element was
+           // cleared on the client (as it usually happens in client
+           // rendering mode).
+           verifyNoNodesWereClaimedForHydration(clientRootNode);
+           verifyClientAndSSRContentsMatch(ssrContents, clientRootNode);
          });
     });