diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiOptions.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiOptions.ts
index ad1ab8676..2de548cf3 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiOptions.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiOptions.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ export interface ComponentOptionsBase<
   // Luckily `render()` doesn't need any arguments nor does it care about return
   // type.
   render?: Function
-  components?: Record<string, Component>
+  components?: Record<
+    string,
+    Component | { new (): ComponentPublicInstance<any, any, any, any, any> }
+  >
   directives?: Record<string, Directive>
   inheritAttrs?: boolean
 
diff --git a/test-dts/defineComponent.test-d.tsx b/test-dts/defineComponent.test-d.tsx
index 5ae79cfef..20ead670e 100644
--- a/test-dts/defineComponent.test-d.tsx
+++ b/test-dts/defineComponent.test-d.tsx
@@ -259,3 +259,11 @@ describe('compatibility w/ createApp', () => {
   })
   createApp().mount(comp3, '#hello')
 })
+
+describe('defineComponent', () => {
+  test('should accept components defined with defineComponent')
+  const comp = defineComponent({})
+  defineComponent({
+    components: { comp }
+  })
+})