diff --git a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
index 978f42d4602..10eb20efb01 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ pub const FLAG_STDOUT: &str = "stdout";
 pub const FLAG_WASM_STACK_SIZE_KB: &str = "wasm-stack-size-kb";
 pub const FLAG_OUTPUT: &str = "output";
 pub const FLAG_FUZZ: &str = "fuzz";
+pub const FLAG_IGNORE_BUILD_ERRORS: &str = "ignore-build-errors";
 pub const ROC_FILE: &str = "ROC_FILE";
 pub const ROC_DIR: &str = "ROC_DIR";
 pub const GLUE_DIR: &str = "GLUE_DIR";
@@ -149,6 +150,12 @@ pub fn build_app() -> Command {
         .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
         .required(false);
 
+    let flag_ignore_build_errors = Arg::new(FLAG_IGNORE_BUILD_ERRORS)
+        .long(FLAG_IGNORE_BUILD_ERRORS)
+        .help("Run tests even if there were build errors")
+        .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+        .required(false);
+
     let roc_file_to_run = Arg::new(ROC_FILE)
         .help("The .roc file of an app to run")
         .value_parser(value_parser!(PathBuf))
@@ -237,6 +244,7 @@ pub fn build_app() -> Command {
             .arg(flag_linker.clone())
             .arg(flag_prebuilt.clone())
             .arg(flag_fuzz.clone())
+            .arg(flag_ignore_build_errors.clone())
             .arg(
                 Arg::new(FLAG_VERBOSE)
                     .long(FLAG_VERBOSE)
@@ -496,6 +504,12 @@ pub fn test(matches: &ArgMatches, target: Target) -> io::Result<i32> {
     // TODO may need to determine this dynamically based on dev builds.
     let function_kind = FunctionKind::LambdaSet;
 
+    let exec_mode = if matches.get_flag(FLAG_IGNORE_BUILD_ERRORS) {
+        ExecutionMode::TestIgnoreErrors
+    } else {
+        ExecutionMode::Test
+    };
+
     // Step 1: compile the app and generate the .o file
     let load_config = LoadConfig {
         target,
@@ -504,7 +518,7 @@ pub fn test(matches: &ArgMatches, target: Target) -> io::Result<i32> {
         render: roc_reporting::report::RenderTarget::ColorTerminal,
         palette: roc_reporting::report::DEFAULT_PALETTE,
         threading,
-        exec_mode: ExecutionMode::Test,
+        exec_mode,
     };
     let load_result = roc_load::load_and_monomorphize(
         arena,
@@ -541,10 +555,12 @@ pub fn test(matches: &ArgMatches, target: Target) -> io::Result<i32> {
 
     // Print warnings before running tests.
     {
-        debug_assert_eq!(
-            problems.errors, 0,
-            "if there were errors, we would have already exited."
-        );
+        if matches!(exec_mode, ExecutionMode::Test) {
+            debug_assert_eq!(
+                problems.errors, 0,
+                "if there were errors, we would have already exited."
+            );
+        }
         if problems.warnings > 0 {
             problems.print_error_warning_count(start_time.elapsed());
             println!(".\n\nRunning tests…\n\n\x1B[36m{}\x1B[39m", "─".repeat(80));
diff --git a/crates/cli/tests/cli_run.rs b/crates/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
index e2faf3c25d0..5439039d69e 100644
--- a/crates/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
@@ -647,6 +647,20 @@ mod cli_run {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn expect_ignore_build_errors() {
+        test_roc_expect(
+            "crates/cli/tests/expects",
+            "IgnoreBuildErrors.roc",
+            &["--ignore-build-errors"],
+            indoc!(
+                r#"
+                1 failed and 1 passed in <ignored for test> ms.
+                "#
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+
     #[test]
     #[cfg_attr(windows, ignore)]
     fn transitive_expects() {
diff --git a/crates/cli/tests/expects/IgnoreBuildErrors.roc b/crates/cli/tests/expects/IgnoreBuildErrors.roc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8f0136d7a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/cli/tests/expects/IgnoreBuildErrors.roc
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+interface IgnoreBuildErrors
+    exposes []
+    imports []
+
+x = 1
+
+expect x == 1
+
+foo = \x -> x + 1
+
+expect foo 2 == 3
+
diff --git a/crates/compiler/build/src/program.rs b/crates/compiler/build/src/program.rs
index 767ac6c4fc4..79b5bd02211 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/build/src/program.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/build/src/program.rs
@@ -692,8 +692,8 @@ pub fn standard_load_config(
     threading: Threading,
 ) -> LoadConfig {
     let exec_mode = match order {
-        BuildOrdering::BuildIfChecks => ExecutionMode::ExecutableIfCheck,
-        BuildOrdering::AlwaysBuild => ExecutionMode::Executable,
+        BuildOrdering::BuildIfChecks => ExecutionMode::Executable,
+        BuildOrdering::AlwaysBuild => ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
     };
 
     // UNSTABLE(lambda-erasure)
diff --git a/crates/compiler/load_internal/src/file.rs b/crates/compiler/load_internal/src/file.rs
index d11a0031387..f18b34f210e 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/load_internal/src/file.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/load_internal/src/file.rs
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ pub struct LoadConfig {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
 pub enum ExecutionMode {
     Check,
+    ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
+    /// Like [`ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors`], but stops in the presence of type errors.
     Executable,
-    /// Like [`ExecutionMode::Executable`], but stops in the presence of type errors.
-    ExecutableIfCheck,
-    /// Test is like [`ExecutionMode::ExecutableIfCheck`], but rather than producing a proper
-    /// executable, run tests.
+    TestIgnoreErrors,
+    /// Like [`ExecutionMode::TestIgnoreErrors`], but stops in the presence of type errors.
     Test,
 }
 
@@ -128,13 +128,17 @@ impl ExecutionMode {
         use ExecutionMode::*;
 
         match self {
-            Executable => Phase::MakeSpecializations,
-            Check | ExecutableIfCheck | Test => Phase::SolveTypes,
+            ExecutableIgnoreErrors | TestIgnoreErrors => Phase::MakeSpecializations,
+            Check | Executable | Test => Phase::SolveTypes,
         }
     }
 
     fn build_if_checks(&self) -> bool {
-        matches!(self, Self::ExecutableIfCheck | Self::Test)
+        matches!(self, Self::Executable | Self::Test)
+    }
+
+    fn build_tests(&self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, Self::Test | Self::TestIgnoreErrors)
     }
 }
 
@@ -397,8 +401,7 @@ fn start_phase<'a>(
 
                 let derived_module = SharedDerivedModule::clone(&state.derived_module);
 
-                let build_expects =
-                    matches!(state.exec_mode, ExecutionMode::Test) && expectations.is_some();
+                let build_expects = state.exec_mode.build_tests() && expectations.is_some();
 
                 BuildTask::BuildPendingSpecializations {
                     layout_cache,
@@ -2638,7 +2641,7 @@ fn update<'a>(
 
             let add_to_host_exposed = is_host_exposed &&
                 // During testing, we don't need to expose anything to the host.
-                !matches!(state.exec_mode, ExecutionMode::Test);
+                !state.exec_mode.build_tests();
 
             if add_to_host_exposed {
                 state.exposed_to_host.top_level_values.extend(
@@ -3215,8 +3218,8 @@ fn finish_specialization<'a>(
     let entry_point = {
         let interns: &mut Interns = &mut interns;
         match state.exec_mode {
-            ExecutionMode::Test => Ok(EntryPoint::Test),
-            ExecutionMode::Executable | ExecutionMode::ExecutableIfCheck => {
+            ExecutionMode::Test | ExecutionMode::TestIgnoreErrors => Ok(EntryPoint::Test),
+            ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors | ExecutionMode::Executable => {
                 use PlatformPath::*;
 
                 let platform_path = match &state.platform_path {
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs b/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
index feb543f6ec4..002b5bae848 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/llvm.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ fn create_llvm_module<'a>(
         render: RenderTarget::ColorTerminal,
         palette: DEFAULT_PALETTE,
         threading: Threading::Single,
-        exec_mode: ExecutionMode::Executable,
+        exec_mode: ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
     };
     let loaded = roc_load::load_and_monomorphize_from_str(
         arena,
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_mono/src/tests.rs b/crates/compiler/test_mono/src/tests.rs
index 736a2710ebc..be9b77135a0 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_mono/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_mono/src/tests.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fn compiles_to_ir(test_name: &str, src: &str, mode: &str, allow_type_errors: boo
     use std::path::PathBuf;
 
     let exec_mode = match mode {
-        "exec" => ExecutionMode::Executable,
+        "exec" => ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
         "test" => ExecutionMode::Test,
         _ => panic!("Invalid test_mono exec mode {mode}"),
     };
diff --git a/crates/compiler/uitest/src/mono.rs b/crates/compiler/uitest/src/mono.rs
index 9920448d28f..94d9aeb6d51 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/uitest/src/mono.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/uitest/src/mono.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub(crate) fn write_compiled_ir<'a>(
     use roc_packaging::cache::RocCacheDir;
     use std::path::PathBuf;
 
-    let exec_mode = ExecutionMode::Executable;
+    let exec_mode = ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors;
 
     let arena = &Bump::new();
 
diff --git a/crates/linker/src/lib.rs b/crates/linker/src/lib.rs
index 7378c8662fe..6224eafe263 100644
--- a/crates/linker/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/linker/src/lib.rs
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ pub fn generate_stub_lib(
             render: RenderTarget::Generic,
             palette: DEFAULT_PALETTE,
             threading: Threading::AllAvailable,
-            exec_mode: ExecutionMode::Executable,
+            exec_mode: ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
         },
     )
     .unwrap_or_else(|problem| todo!("{:?}", problem));
diff --git a/crates/repl_eval/src/gen.rs b/crates/repl_eval/src/gen.rs
index 8fbf00fe920..b1e2e56c474 100644
--- a/crates/repl_eval/src/gen.rs
+++ b/crates/repl_eval/src/gen.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ pub fn compile_to_mono<'a, 'i, I: Iterator<Item = &'i str>>(
             render: roc_reporting::report::RenderTarget::ColorTerminal,
             palette,
             threading: Threading::Single,
-            exec_mode: ExecutionMode::Executable,
+            exec_mode: ExecutionMode::ExecutableIgnoreErrors,
         },
     );