diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/lit/TestRunner.py b/llvm/utils/lit/lit/TestRunner.py
index 461cf63d6b968..6af7d0ccd0faf 100644
--- a/llvm/utils/lit/lit/TestRunner.py
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/lit/TestRunner.py
@@ -1153,8 +1153,14 @@ def executeScript(test, litConfig, tmpBase, commands, cwd):
     for j, ln in enumerate(commands):
         match = re.match(kPdbgRegex, ln)
         if match:
+            dbg = match.group(1)
             command = match.group(2)
-            commands[j] = match.expand(": '\\1'; \\2" if command else ": '\\1'")
+            commands[j] = f"echo '{dbg}'"
+            if command:
+                commands[j] += f": {shlex.quote(command.lstrip())} >&2 " \
+                               f"&& {command}"
+            else:
+                commands[j] += " has no command after substitutions >&2"
             if litConfig.per_test_coverage:
                 # Extract the test case name from the test object
                 test_case_name = test.path_in_suite[-1]
diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/external-shell/empty-run-line.txt b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/external-shell/empty-run-line.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..40a5a7d6e7cce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/external-shell/empty-run-line.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# DEFINE: %{empty} =
+# RUN: %{empty}
+# RUN: false
diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/internal-shell/empty-run-line.txt b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/internal-shell/empty-run-line.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..40a5a7d6e7cce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/Inputs/shtest-run-at-line/internal-shell/empty-run-line.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# DEFINE: %{empty} =
+# RUN: %{empty}
+# RUN: false
diff --git a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/shtest-run-at-line.py b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/shtest-run-at-line.py
index a0626f872c4c9..397ae20ea4879 100644
--- a/llvm/utils/lit/tests/shtest-run-at-line.py
+++ b/llvm/utils/lit/tests/shtest-run-at-line.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # END.
 
 
-# CHECK: Testing: 4 tests
+# CHECK: Testing: 6 tests
 
 
 # In the case of the external shell, we check for only RUN lines in stderr in
@@ -14,15 +14,27 @@
 
 # CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: external-shell/basic.txt
 
-# CHECK:     RUN: at line 4
-# CHECK:     RUN: at line 5
-# CHECK-NOT: RUN
+#      CHECK: Command Output (stderr)
+# CHECK-NEXT: --
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 4: true
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 5: false
+#  CHECK-NOT: RUN
+
+# CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: external-shell/empty-run-line.txt
+
+#      CHECK: Command Output (stderr)
+# CHECK-NEXT: --
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 2 has no command after substitutions
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 3: false
+#  CHECK-NOT: RUN
 
 # CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: external-shell/line-continuation.txt
 
-# CHECK:     RUN: at line 4
-# CHECK:     RUN: at line 6
-# CHECK-NOT: RUN
+#      CHECK: Command Output (stderr)
+# CHECK-NEXT: --
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 4: echo 'foo bar' | FileCheck
+#      CHECK: {{^}}RUN: at line 6: echo 'foo baz' | FileCheck
+#  CHECK-NOT: RUN
 
 
 # CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: internal-shell/basic.txt
@@ -37,6 +49,16 @@
 # CHECK-NEXT: # executed command: false
 # CHECK-NOT:  RUN
 
+# CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: internal-shell/empty-run-line.txt
+
+#      CHECK: Command Output (stdout)
+# CHECK-NEXT: --
+# CHECK-NEXT: # RUN: at line 2 has no command after substitutions
+# CHECK-NEXT: # RUN: at line 3
+# CHECK-NEXT: false
+# CHECK-NEXT: # executed command: false
+#  CHECK-NOT: RUN
+
 # CHECK-LABEL: FAIL: shtest-run-at-line :: internal-shell/line-continuation.txt
 
 # CHECK:      Command Output (stdout)