diff --git a/src/Module.ts b/src/Module.ts
index bd675619b1a..265b519c240 100644
--- a/src/Module.ts
+++ b/src/Module.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ function tryParse(module: Module, Parser: typeof acorn.Parser, acornOptions: aco
 		module.error(
 			{
 				code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
-				message
+				message,
+				parserError: err
 			},
 			err.pos
 		);
diff --git a/src/rollup/types.d.ts b/src/rollup/types.d.ts
index dde8c504e0f..4e66afb16df 100644
--- a/src/rollup/types.d.ts
+++ b/src/rollup/types.d.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 export const VERSION: string;
 
 export interface RollupError extends RollupLogProps {
+	parserError?: Error;
 	stack?: string;
 	watchFiles?: string[];
 }
diff --git a/test/function/samples/double-default-export/_config.js b/test/function/samples/double-default-export/_config.js
index c1a58edbcc7..792dad2d2db 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/double-default-export/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/double-default-export/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `Duplicate export 'default'`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 7,
+				line: 2
+			},
+			message: "Duplicate export 'default' (2:7)",
+			pos: 25,
+			raisedAt: 34
+		},
 		pos: 25,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js'), path.resolve(__dirname, 'foo.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/double-named-export/_config.js b/test/function/samples/double-named-export/_config.js
index 246fd8efee6..e9d7d5d5f54 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/double-named-export/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/double-named-export/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `Duplicate export 'foo'`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 9,
+				line: 3
+			},
+			message: "Duplicate export 'foo' (3:9)",
+			pos: 38,
+			raisedAt: 43
+		},
 		pos: 38,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js'), path.resolve(__dirname, 'foo.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/double-named-reexport/_config.js b/test/function/samples/double-named-reexport/_config.js
index c8a2cb35685..8fae7ea261a 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/double-named-reexport/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/double-named-reexport/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `Duplicate export 'foo'`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 9,
+				line: 3
+			},
+			message: "Duplicate export 'foo' (3:9)",
+			pos: 38,
+			raisedAt: 43
+		},
 		pos: 38,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js'), path.resolve(__dirname, 'foo.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-fails/_config.js b/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-fails/_config.js
index b631dd140a0..e31695fba5f 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-fails/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-fails/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `Identifier 'a' has already been declared`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 9,
+				line: 2
+			},
+			message: "Identifier 'a' has already been declared (2:9)",
+			pos: 36,
+			raisedAt: 39
+		},
 		pos: 36,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-specifier-fails/_config.js b/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-specifier-fails/_config.js
index 0ec688bf439..02e51693dc4 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-specifier-fails/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/duplicate-import-specifier-fails/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `Identifier 'a' has already been declared`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 12,
+				line: 1
+			},
+			message: "Identifier 'a' has already been declared (1:12)",
+			pos: 12,
+			raisedAt: 15
+		},
 		pos: 12,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/error-parse-json/_config.js b/test/function/samples/error-parse-json/_config.js
index b0974b84a66..e9a3c2fe6a6 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/error-parse-json/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/error-parse-json/_config.js
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: 'Unexpected token (Note that you need rollup-plugin-json to import JSON files)',
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 8,
+				line: 2
+			},
+			message: 'Unexpected token (2:8)',
+			pos: 10,
+			raisedAt: 11
+		},
 		pos: 10,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js'), path.resolve(__dirname, 'file.json')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/error-parse-unknown-extension/_config.js b/test/function/samples/error-parse-unknown-extension/_config.js
index 15659ced761..a9949efb4ef 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/error-parse-unknown-extension/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/error-parse-unknown-extension/_config.js
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ module.exports = {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message:
 			'Unexpected token (Note that you need plugins to import files that are not JavaScript)',
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 0,
+				line: 1
+			},
+			message: 'Unexpected token (1:0)',
+			pos: 0,
+			raisedAt: 1
+		},
 		pos: 0,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js'), path.resolve(__dirname, 'file.css')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/export-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js b/test/function/samples/export-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
index 657b4222cd3..17680e24306 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/export-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/export-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `'import' and 'export' may only appear at the top level`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 2,
+				line: 2
+			},
+			message: "'import' and 'export' may only appear at the top level (2:2)",
+			pos: 19,
+			raisedAt: 25
+		},
 		pos: 19,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/function/samples/import-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js b/test/function/samples/import-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
index 46b1434602a..a6da4dffaad 100644
--- a/test/function/samples/import-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
+++ b/test/function/samples/import-not-at-top-level-fails/_config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	error: {
 		code: 'PARSE_ERROR',
 		message: `'import' and 'export' may only appear at the top level`,
+		parserError: {
+			loc: {
+				column: 2,
+				line: 2
+			},
+			message: "'import' and 'export' may only appear at the top level (2:2)",
+			pos: 19,
+			raisedAt: 25
+		},
 		pos: 19,
 		watchFiles: [path.resolve(__dirname, 'main.js')],
 		loc: {
diff --git a/test/utils.js b/test/utils.js
index 2506c74d9d7..b8159f292c2 100644
--- a/test/utils.js
+++ b/test/utils.js
@@ -13,11 +13,19 @@ exports.normaliseOutput = normaliseOutput;
 exports.runTestSuiteWithSamples = runTestSuiteWithSamples;
 exports.assertDirectoriesAreEqual = assertDirectoriesAreEqual;
 
-function compareError(actual, expected) {
-	delete actual.stack;
-	actual = Object.assign({}, actual, {
-		message: actual.message
+function normaliseError(error) {
+	delete error.stack;
+	return Object.assign({}, error, {
+		message: error.message
 	});
+}
+
+function compareError(actual, expected) {
+	actual = normaliseError(actual);
+
+	if (actual.parserError) {
+		actual.parserError = normaliseError(actual.parserError);
+	}
 
 	if (actual.frame) {
 		actual.frame = actual.frame.replace(/\s+$/gm, '');