diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.md b/src/cdk/table/table.md
index db12c29f913f..ad7bdd942f37 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.md
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.md
@@ -173,6 +173,10 @@ If you're showing a large amount of data in your table, you can use virtual scro
 smooth experience for the user. To enable virtual scrolling, you have to wrap the CDK table in a
 `cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport` element and add some CSS to make it scrollable.
 
+**Note:** tables with virtual scrolling have the following limitations:
+* `fixedLayout` is always enabled, in order to prevent jumping when rows are swapped out.
+* Conditional templates via the `when` input are not supported.
+
 <!-- example(cdk-table-virtual-scroll) -->
 
 ### Alternate HTML to using native table
diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
index 842033adad87..2bc5582bab80 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.spec.ts
@@ -2007,11 +2007,11 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
   });
 
   describe('virtual scrolling', () => {
-    let fixture: ComponentFixture<TableWithVirtualScroll>;
-    let table: HTMLTableElement;
-
-    beforeEach(fakeAsync(() => {
-      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TableWithVirtualScroll);
+    function createVirtualScroll<T>(component: Type<T>): {
+      fixture: ComponentFixture<T>;
+      table: HTMLTableElement;
+    } {
+      const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(component);
 
       // Init logic copied from the virtual scroll tests.
       fixture.detectChanges();
@@ -2021,10 +2021,17 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
       tick(16);
       flush();
       fixture.detectChanges();
-      table = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('table');
-    }));
 
-    function triggerScroll(offset: number) {
+      return {
+        fixture,
+        table: fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('table'),
+      };
+    }
+
+    function triggerScroll(
+      fixture: ComponentFixture<{viewport: CdkVirtualScrollViewport}>,
+      offset: number,
+    ) {
       const viewport = fixture.componentInstance.viewport;
       viewport.scrollToOffset(offset);
       dispatchFakeEvent(viewport.scrollable!.getElementRef().nativeElement, 'scroll');
@@ -2032,24 +2039,28 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
     }
 
     it('should not render the full data set when using virtual scrolling', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const {fixture, table} = createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScroll);
       expect(fixture.componentInstance.dataSource.data.length).toBeGreaterThan(2000);
       expect(getRows(table).length).toBe(10);
     }));
 
     it('should maintain a limited amount of data as the user is scrolling', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const {fixture, table} = createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScroll);
       expect(getRows(table).length).toBe(10);
 
-      triggerScroll(500);
+      triggerScroll(fixture, 500);
       expect(getRows(table).length).toBe(13);
 
-      triggerScroll(500);
+      triggerScroll(fixture, 500);
       expect(getRows(table).length).toBe(13);
 
-      triggerScroll(1000);
+      triggerScroll(fixture, 1000);
       expect(getRows(table).length).toBe(12);
     }));
 
     it('should update the table data as the user is scrolling', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const {fixture, table} = createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScroll);
+
       expectTableToMatchContent(table, [
         ['Column A', 'Column B', 'Column C'],
         ['a_1', 'b_1', 'c_1'],
@@ -2065,7 +2076,7 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
         ['Footer A', 'Footer B', 'Footer C'],
       ]);
 
-      triggerScroll(1000);
+      triggerScroll(fixture, 1000);
 
       expectTableToMatchContent(table, [
         ['Column A', 'Column B', 'Column C'],
@@ -2086,17 +2097,19 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
     }));
 
     it('should update the position of sticky cells as the user is scrolling', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const {fixture, table} = createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScroll);
       const assertStickyOffsets = (position: number) => {
         getHeaderCells(table).forEach(cell => expect(cell.style.top).toBe(`${position * -1}px`));
         getFooterCells(table).forEach(cell => expect(cell.style.bottom).toBe(`${position}px`));
       };
 
       assertStickyOffsets(0);
-      triggerScroll(1000);
+      triggerScroll(fixture, 1000);
       assertStickyOffsets(884);
     }));
 
     it('should force tables with virtual scrolling to have a fixed layout', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const {fixture, table} = createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScroll);
       expect(fixture.componentInstance.isFixedLayout()).toBe(true);
       expect(table.classList).toContain('cdk-table-fixed-layout');
 
@@ -2105,6 +2118,14 @@ describe('CdkTable', () => {
 
       expect(table.classList).toContain('cdk-table-fixed-layout');
     }));
+
+    it('should throw if multiple row templates are used with virtual scrolling', fakeAsync(() => {
+      expect(() => {
+        createVirtualScroll(TableWithVirtualScrollAndMultipleDefinitions);
+      }).toThrowError(
+        /Conditional row definitions via the `when` input are not supported when virtual scrolling is enabled/,
+      );
+    }));
   });
 });
 
@@ -3338,6 +3359,25 @@ class TableWithVirtualScroll {
   }
 }
 
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport [itemSize]="52">
+      <table cdk-table [dataSource]="dataSource" [fixedLayout]="isFixedLayout()">
+        <ng-container cdkColumnDef="column_a">
+          <td cdk-cell *cdkCellDef="let row"> {{row.a}}</td>
+        </ng-container>
+
+        <tr cdk-row *cdkRowDef="let row; columns: ['column_a']"></tr>
+        <tr cdk-row *cdkRowDef="let row; columns: ['column_b']; when: predicate"></tr>
+      </table>
+    </cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>
+  `,
+  imports: [CdkTableModule, ScrollingModule],
+})
+class TableWithVirtualScrollAndMultipleDefinitions extends TableWithVirtualScroll {
+  predicate = () => true;
+}
+
 function getElements(element: Element, query: string): HTMLElement[] {
   return [].slice.call(element.querySelectorAll(query));
 }
diff --git a/src/cdk/table/table.ts b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
index 8d1781ae5be4..51cfef98f38e 100644
--- a/src/cdk/table/table.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/table/table.ts
@@ -1147,12 +1147,18 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
 
     // After all row definitions are determined, find the row definition to be considered default.
     const defaultRowDefs = this._rowDefs.filter(def => !def.when);
-    if (
-      !this.multiTemplateDataRows &&
-      defaultRowDefs.length > 1 &&
-      (typeof ngDevMode === 'undefined' || ngDevMode)
-    ) {
-      throw getTableMultipleDefaultRowDefsError();
+
+    if (typeof ngDevMode === 'undefined' || ngDevMode) {
+      if (this._virtualScrollEnabled() && this._rowDefs.some(def => def.when)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'Conditional row definitions via the `when` input are not ' +
+            'supported when virtual scrolling is enabled.',
+        );
+      }
+
+      if (!this.multiTemplateDataRows && defaultRowDefs.length > 1) {
+        throw getTableMultipleDefaultRowDefsError();
+      }
     }
     this._defaultRowDef = defaultRowDefs[0];
   }
@@ -1317,7 +1323,7 @@ export class CdkTable<T>
    * definition.
    */
   _getRowDefs(data: T, dataIndex: number): CdkRowDef<T>[] {
-    if (this._rowDefs.length == 1) {
+    if (this._rowDefs.length === 1) {
       return [this._rowDefs[0]];
     }
 
diff --git a/src/material/table/table.md b/src/material/table/table.md
index 2f9aba0001b1..5c3b8c9c0055 100644
--- a/src/material/table/table.md
+++ b/src/material/table/table.md
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ virtual scrolling which will only render the the visible rows in the DOM as the
 To enable virtual scrolling you have to wrap the Material table in a `<cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>`
 element and add CSS to make the viewport scrollable.
 
+**Note:** tables with virtual scrolling have the following limitations:
+* `fixedLayout` is always enabled, in order to prevent jumping when rows are swapped out.
+* Conditional templates via the `when` input are not supported.
+
 <!-- example(table-virtual-scroll) -->
 
 #### Sorting