diff --git a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/DefaultCodegen.java b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/DefaultCodegen.java
index fdf55a2b8375..dcb273d9a0a8 100644
--- a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/DefaultCodegen.java
+++ b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/DefaultCodegen.java
@@ -5156,13 +5156,13 @@ protected void addImport(CodegenModel m, String type) {
         addImport(m.imports, type);
     }
 
-    private void addImport(Set<String> importsToBeAddedTo, String type) {
+    protected void addImport(Set<String> importsToBeAddedTo, String type) {
         if (shouldAddImport(type)) {
             importsToBeAddedTo.add(type);
         }
     }
 
-    private boolean shouldAddImport(String type) {
+    protected boolean shouldAddImport(String type) {
         return type != null && needToImport(type);
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/TypeScriptClientCodegen.java b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/TypeScriptClientCodegen.java
index d7a2af88dfe1..3d84fb3c948c 100644
--- a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/TypeScriptClientCodegen.java
+++ b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/TypeScriptClientCodegen.java
@@ -1568,7 +1568,7 @@ protected void addImport(CodegenModel m, String type) {
             return;
         }
 
-        String[] parts = type.split("( [|&] )|[<>]");
+        String[] parts = splitComposedType(type);
         for (String s : parts) {
             if (needToImport(s)) {
                 m.imports.add(s);
@@ -1576,6 +1576,29 @@ protected void addImport(CodegenModel m, String type) {
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected void addImport(Set<String> importsToBeAddedTo, String type) {
+        if (type == null) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        String[] parts = splitComposedType(type);
+        for (String s : parts) {
+            super.addImport(importsToBeAddedTo, s);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Split composed types
+     * e.g. TheFirstType | TheSecondType to TheFirstType and TheSecondType
+     *
+     * @param type String with composed types
+     * @return list of types
+     */
+    protected String[] splitComposedType(String type) {
+        return type.replace(" ","").split("[|&<>]");
+    }
+
     @Override
     public GeneratorLanguage generatorLanguage() { return GeneratorLanguage.TYPESCRIPT; }
 }