diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/element_container.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/element_container.ts
index 384ba50d8c2..34f263a9d8b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/element_container.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/element_container.ts
@@ -186,10 +186,7 @@ function locateOrCreateElementContainerNode(
           'Unexpected state: hydrating an <ng-container>, ' +
               'but no hydration info is available.');
 
-  // If this container is non-empty, store the first node as a segment head,
-  // otherwise, this node is an anchor and segment head doesn't exist (thus `null`).
-  const segmentHead = ngContainerSize > 0 ? currentRNode : null;
-  setSegmentHead(hydrationInfo, index, segmentHead);
+  setSegmentHead(hydrationInfo, index, currentRNode);
   comment = siblingAfter<RComment>(ngContainerSize, currentRNode)!;
 
   if (ngDevMode) {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/template.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/template.ts
index 75136210fcc..a2a78ceb310 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/template.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/template.ts
@@ -140,11 +140,8 @@ function locateOrCreateContainerAnchorImpl(
   const currentRNode = locateNextRNode(hydrationInfo, tView, lView, tNode)!;
   ngDevMode && validateNodeExists(currentRNode);
 
+  setSegmentHead(hydrationInfo, index, currentRNode);
   const viewContainerSize = calcSerializedContainerSize(hydrationInfo, index);
-  // If this container is non-empty, store the first node as a segment head,
-  // otherwise, this node is an anchor and segment head doesn't exist (thus `null`).
-  const segmentHead = viewContainerSize > 0 ? currentRNode : null;
-  setSegmentHead(hydrationInfo, index, segmentHead);
   const comment = siblingAfter<RComment>(viewContainerSize, currentRNode)!;
 
   if (ngDevMode) {