diff --git a/src/librustc/session/config.rs b/src/librustc/session/config.rs
index 17f70b2d8dc66..ac0c18ea2b15f 100644
--- a/src/librustc/session/config.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/session/config.rs
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ pub struct Options {
     pub no_trans: bool,
     pub error_format: ErrorOutputType,
     pub treat_err_as_bug: bool,
+    pub continue_parse_after_error: bool,
     pub mir_opt_level: usize,
 
     /// if true, build up the dep-graph
@@ -259,6 +260,7 @@ pub fn basic_options() -> Options {
         parse_only: false,
         no_trans: false,
         treat_err_as_bug: false,
+        continue_parse_after_error: false,
         mir_opt_level: 1,
         build_dep_graph: false,
         dump_dep_graph: false,
@@ -633,6 +635,8 @@ options! {DebuggingOptions, DebuggingSetter, basic_debugging_options,
           "run all passes except translation; no output"),
     treat_err_as_bug: bool = (false, parse_bool,
           "treat all errors that occur as bugs"),
+    continue_parse_after_error: bool = (false, parse_bool,
+          "attempt to recover from parse errors (experimental)"),
     incr_comp: bool = (false, parse_bool,
           "enable incremental compilation (experimental)"),
     dump_dep_graph: bool = (false, parse_bool,
@@ -1045,6 +1049,7 @@ pub fn build_session_options(matches: &getopts::Matches) -> Options {
     let parse_only = debugging_opts.parse_only;
     let no_trans = debugging_opts.no_trans;
     let treat_err_as_bug = debugging_opts.treat_err_as_bug;
+    let continue_parse_after_error = debugging_opts.continue_parse_after_error;
     let mir_opt_level = debugging_opts.mir_opt_level.unwrap_or(1);
     let incremental_compilation = debugging_opts.incr_comp;
     let dump_dep_graph = debugging_opts.dump_dep_graph;
@@ -1228,6 +1233,7 @@ pub fn build_session_options(matches: &getopts::Matches) -> Options {
         parse_only: parse_only,
         no_trans: no_trans,
         treat_err_as_bug: treat_err_as_bug,
+        continue_parse_after_error: continue_parse_after_error,
         mir_opt_level: mir_opt_level,
         build_dep_graph: incremental_compilation || dump_dep_graph,
         dump_dep_graph: dump_dep_graph,
diff --git a/src/librustc_driver/driver.rs b/src/librustc_driver/driver.rs
index 55b873c06630a..55c46ae38713b 100644
--- a/src/librustc_driver/driver.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_driver/driver.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,8 @@ pub fn phase_1_parse_input<'a>(sess: &'a Session,
     // memory, but they do not restore the initial state.
     syntax::ext::mtwt::reset_tables();
     token::reset_ident_interner();
+    let continue_after_error = sess.opts.continue_parse_after_error;
+    sess.diagnostic().set_continue_after_error(continue_after_error);
 
     let krate = time(sess.time_passes(), "parsing", || {
         match *input {
@@ -442,6 +444,8 @@ pub fn phase_1_parse_input<'a>(sess: &'a Session,
         }
     })?;
 
+    sess.diagnostic().set_continue_after_error(true);
+
     if sess.opts.debugging_opts.ast_json_noexpand {
         println!("{}", json::as_json(&krate));
     }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/errors/mod.rs b/src/libsyntax/errors/mod.rs
index 9e1cb60f54f67..c8c12d5a88334 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/errors/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/errors/mod.rs
@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ pub struct Handler {
     emit: RefCell<Box<Emitter>>,
     pub can_emit_warnings: bool,
     treat_err_as_bug: bool,
+    continue_after_error: Cell<bool>,
     delayed_span_bug: RefCell<Option<(MultiSpan, String)>>,
 }
 
@@ -392,10 +393,15 @@ impl Handler {
             emit: RefCell::new(e),
             can_emit_warnings: can_emit_warnings,
             treat_err_as_bug: treat_err_as_bug,
+            continue_after_error: Cell::new(true),
             delayed_span_bug: RefCell::new(None),
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn set_continue_after_error(&self, continue_after_error: bool) {
+        self.continue_after_error.set(continue_after_error);
+    }
+
     pub fn struct_dummy<'a>(&'a self) -> DiagnosticBuilder<'a> {
         DiagnosticBuilder::new(&self.emit, Level::Cancelled, "")
     }
@@ -612,6 +618,7 @@ impl Handler {
                 lvl: Level) {
         if lvl == Warning && !self.can_emit_warnings { return }
         self.emit.borrow_mut().emit(msp, msg, None, lvl);
+        if !self.continue_after_error.get() { self.abort_if_errors(); }
     }
     pub fn emit_with_code(&self,
                           msp: Option<&MultiSpan>,
@@ -620,10 +627,12 @@ impl Handler {
                           lvl: Level) {
         if lvl == Warning && !self.can_emit_warnings { return }
         self.emit.borrow_mut().emit(msp, msg, Some(code), lvl);
+        if !self.continue_after_error.get() { self.abort_if_errors(); }
     }
     pub fn custom_emit(&self, rsp: RenderSpan, msg: &str, lvl: Level) {
         if lvl == Warning && !self.can_emit_warnings { return }
         self.emit.borrow_mut().custom_emit(&rsp, msg, lvl);
+        if !self.continue_after_error.get() { self.abort_if_errors(); }
     }
 }