diff --git a/compile/src/main/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/JavaErrorParser.scala b/compile/src/main/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/JavaErrorParser.scala
index 69218f159..690274a66 100644
--- a/compile/src/main/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/JavaErrorParser.scala
+++ b/compile/src/main/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/JavaErrorParser.scala
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class JavaErrorParser(relativeDir: File = new File(new File(".").getAbsolutePath
 
   override val skipWhitespace = false
 
+  val JAVAC: Parser[String] = literal("javac")
   val CHARAT: Parser[String] = literal("^")
   val SEMICOLON: Parser[String] = literal(":") | literal("\uff1a")
   val SYMBOL: Parser[String] = allUntilChar(':') // We ignore whether it actually says "symbol" for i18n
@@ -161,8 +162,16 @@ class JavaErrorParser(relativeDir: File = new File(new File(".").getAbsolutePath
         msg
       )
     }
+  val javacError: Parser[Problem] =
+    JAVAC ~ SEMICOLON ~ restOfLine ^^ {
+      case _ ~ _ ~ error =>
+        new JavaProblem(
+          JavaNoPosition,
+          Severity.Error,
+          s"javac:$error")
+    }
 
-  val potentialProblem: Parser[Problem] = warningMessage | errorMessage | noteMessage
+  val potentialProblem: Parser[Problem] = warningMessage | errorMessage | noteMessage | javacError
 
   val javacOutput: Parser[Seq[Problem]] = rep(potentialProblem)
   /**
diff --git a/compile/src/test/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/javaErrorParserSpec.scala b/compile/src/test/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/javaErrorParserSpec.scala
index aa3fa24c4..b7e088b2e 100644
--- a/compile/src/test/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/javaErrorParserSpec.scala
+++ b/compile/src/test/scala/sbt/compiler/javac/javaErrorParserSpec.scala
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ object JavaErrorParserSpec extends Specification {
      be able to parse linux errors    $parseSampleLinux
      be able to parse windows file names $parseWindowsFile
      be able to parse windows errors  $parseSampleWindows
+     be able to parse javac errors $parseSampleJavac
   """
 
   def parseSampleLinux = {
@@ -45,6 +46,15 @@ object JavaErrorParserSpec extends Specification {
     }
   }
 
+  def parseSampleJavac = {
+    val parser = new JavaErrorParser()
+    val logger = Logger.Null
+    val problems = parser.parseProblems(sampleJavacMessage, logger)
+    def rightSize = problems must haveSize(1)
+    def rightError = problems(0).message must beEqualTo(sampleJavacMessage)
+    rightSize and rightError
+  }
+
   def sampleLinuxMessage =
     """
       |/home/me/projects/sample/src/main/Test.java:4: cannot find symbol
@@ -63,4 +73,6 @@ object JavaErrorParserSpec extends Specification {
 
   def windowsFile = """C:\Projects\sample\src\main\java\Test.java"""
   def windowsFileAndLine = s"""$windowsFile:4"""
+
+  def sampleJavacMessage = "javac: invalid flag: -foobar"
 }