diff --git a/src/librustdoc/core.rs b/src/librustdoc/core.rs
index a312913a69c17..2feeecb388f38 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/core.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/core.rs
@@ -260,9 +260,10 @@ impl DocAccessLevels for AccessLevels<DefId> {
 ///
 /// If the given `error_format` is `ErrorOutputType::Json` and no `SourceMap` is given, a new one
 /// will be created for the handler.
-pub fn new_handler(error_format: ErrorOutputType, source_map: Option<Lrc<source_map::SourceMap>>)
-    -> errors::Handler
-{
+pub fn new_handler(error_format: ErrorOutputType,
+                   source_map: Option<Lrc<source_map::SourceMap>>,
+                   treat_err_as_bug: bool,
+) -> errors::Handler {
     // rustdoc doesn't override (or allow to override) anything from this that is relevant here, so
     // stick to the defaults
     let sessopts = Options::default();
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ pub fn new_handler(error_format: ErrorOutputType, source_map: Option<Lrc<source_
         emitter,
         errors::HandlerFlags {
             can_emit_warnings: true,
-            treat_err_as_bug: false,
+            treat_err_as_bug,
             report_delayed_bugs: false,
             external_macro_backtrace: false,
             ..Default::default()
@@ -323,9 +324,9 @@ pub fn run_core(search_paths: SearchPaths,
                 lint_cap: Option<lint::Level>,
                 describe_lints: bool,
                 mut manual_passes: Vec<String>,
-                mut default_passes: passes::DefaultPassOption)
-    -> (clean::Crate, RenderInfo, Vec<String>)
-{
+                mut default_passes: passes::DefaultPassOption,
+                treat_err_as_bug: bool,
+) -> (clean::Crate, RenderInfo, Vec<String>) {
     // Parse, resolve, and typecheck the given crate.
 
     let cpath = match input {
@@ -388,7 +389,9 @@ pub fn run_core(search_paths: SearchPaths,
     };
     driver::spawn_thread_pool(sessopts, move |sessopts| {
         let source_map = Lrc::new(source_map::SourceMap::new(sessopts.file_path_mapping()));
-        let diagnostic_handler = new_handler(error_format, Some(source_map.clone()));
+        let diagnostic_handler = new_handler(error_format,
+                                             Some(source_map.clone()),
+                                             treat_err_as_bug);
 
         let mut sess = session::build_session_(
             sessopts, cpath, diagnostic_handler, source_map,
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/lib.rs b/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
index bc471d427048b..5f03ee5f68a0c 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
@@ -404,8 +404,11 @@ fn main_args(args: &[String]) -> isize {
                                   `short` (instead was `{}`)", arg));
         }
     };
+    let treat_err_as_bug = matches.opt_strs("Z").iter().any(|x| {
+        *x == "treat-err-as-bug"
+    });
 
-    let diag = core::new_handler(error_format, None);
+    let diag = core::new_handler(error_format, None, treat_err_as_bug);
 
     // check for deprecated options
     check_deprecated_options(&matches, &diag);
@@ -560,7 +563,7 @@ fn main_args(args: &[String]) -> isize {
     let res = acquire_input(PathBuf::from(input), externs, edition, cg, &matches, error_format,
                             move |out| {
         let Output { krate, passes, renderinfo } = out;
-        let diag = core::new_handler(error_format, None);
+        let diag = core::new_handler(error_format, None, treat_err_as_bug);
         info!("going to format");
         match output_format.as_ref().map(|s| &**s) {
             Some("html") | None => {
@@ -691,6 +694,9 @@ where R: 'static + Send,
     let force_unstable_if_unmarked = matches.opt_strs("Z").iter().any(|x| {
         *x == "force-unstable-if-unmarked"
     });
+    let treat_err_as_bug = matches.opt_strs("Z").iter().any(|x| {
+        *x == "treat-err-as-bug"
+    });
 
     let (lint_opts, describe_lints, lint_cap) = get_cmd_lint_options(matches, error_format);
 
@@ -703,7 +709,8 @@ where R: 'static + Send,
             core::run_core(paths, cfgs, externs, Input::File(cratefile), triple, maybe_sysroot,
                            display_warnings, crate_name.clone(),
                            force_unstable_if_unmarked, edition, cg, error_format,
-                           lint_opts, lint_cap, describe_lints, manual_passes, default_passes);
+                           lint_opts, lint_cap, describe_lints, manual_passes, default_passes,
+                           treat_err_as_bug);
 
         info!("finished with rustc");
 
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.rs b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0c4c5dc316e19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright 2013-2014 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// compile-flags: -Ztreat-err-as-bug --error-format=human
+
+pub fn foo() {
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.stderr b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d96415ed050ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/treat-err-as-bug.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+error: this file contains an un-closed delimiter
+  --> $DIR/treat-err-as-bug.rs:13:16
+   |
+13 | pub fn foo() {
+   |              - ^
+   |              |
+   |              un-closed delimiter
+
+thread '<unnamed>' panicked at 'encountered error with `-Z treat_err_as_bug', librustc_errors/lib.rs:486:13
+note: Run with `RUST_BACKTRACE=1` for a backtrace.
+
+error: internal compiler error: unexpected panic
+
+note: the compiler unexpectedly panicked. this is a bug.
+
+note: we would appreciate a bug report: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#bug-reports
+
+note: rustc 1.30.0-dev running on x86_64-apple-darwin
+
+note: compiler flags: -Z ui-testing -Z unstable-options -Z treat-err-as-bug
+