diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 7c44579020d..af0a8746ad2 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ var DEFAULT_CONFIG = "../conf/eslint.json";
 // Helpers
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+var results = [];
+
 function readConfig(options) {
     var configLocation = path.resolve(__dirname, options.c || options.config ||
             DEFAULT_CONFIG);
@@ -68,14 +70,28 @@ function getFiles(dir){
     return files;
 }
 
+function storeResults(filename, messages) {
+    results.push({filePath: filename, messages: messages});
+}
+
+function printResults(config) {
+    var formatter;
+    try {
+        formatter = require("./formatters/" + config.format);
+    } catch (ex) {
+        console.log("Could not find formatter '%s'.", config.format);
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+    console.log(formatter(results, config));
+}
+
 /**
  * Processes an individual file using ESLint.
  * @param {string} filename The filename of the file being checked.
  * @param {Object} config The configuration object for ESLint.
- * @param {Function} formatter The formatter to use to output results.
  * @returns {int} The total number of errors.
  */
-function processFile(filename, config, formatter) {
+function processFile(filename, config) {
 
     // clear all existing settings for a new file
     eslint.reset();
@@ -92,7 +108,8 @@ function processFile(filename, config, formatter) {
         process.exit(1);
     }
 
-    console.log(formatter(messages, filename, config));
+    // save the results for printing later
+    storeResults(filename, messages);
 
     // count all errors and return the total
     return messages.reduce(function(previous, message) {
@@ -113,15 +130,7 @@ function processFile(filename, config, formatter) {
 function processFiles(files, config) {
 
     var fullFileList = [],
-        formatter;
-
-    // just in case an incorrect formatter was passed in
-    try {
-        formatter = require("./formatters/" + config.format);
-    } catch (ex) {
-        console.log("Could not find formatter '%s'.", config.format);
-        process.exit(1);
-    }
+        errors = 0;
 
     files.forEach(function(file) {
 
@@ -132,9 +141,14 @@ function processFiles(files, config) {
         }
     });
 
-    return fullFileList.reduce(function(previous, file) {
-        return previous + processFile(file, config, formatter);
+    errors = fullFileList.reduce(function(previous, file) {
+        return previous + processFile(file, config);
     }, 0);
+
+    printResults(config);
+
+    return errors;
+
 }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/lib/formatters/compact.js b/lib/formatters/compact.js
index fb026d37cd8..16d82b18417 100644
--- a/lib/formatters/compact.js
+++ b/lib/formatters/compact.js
@@ -22,20 +22,28 @@ function getMessageType(message, rules) {
 // Public Interface
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-module.exports = function(messages, filename, config) {
+module.exports = function(results, config) {
 
     var output = "",
+        total = 0,
         rules = config.rules || {};
 
-    messages.forEach(function(message) {
+    results.forEach(function(result) {
+
+        var messages = result.messages;
+        total += messages.length;
+
+        messages.forEach(function(message) {
+
+            output += result.filePath + ": ";
+            output += "line " + message.line +  ", col " +
+                message.column + ", " + getMessageType(message, rules);
+            output += " - " + message.message + "\n";
+        });
 
-        output += filename + ": ";
-        output += "line " + message.line +  ", col " +
-            message.column + ", " + getMessageType(message, rules);
-        output += " - " + message.message + "\n";
     });
 
-    output += "\n" + messages.length + " problems";
+    output += "\n" + total + " problems";
 
     return output;
 };
diff --git a/tests/lib/formatters/compact.js b/tests/lib/formatters/compact.js
index 11436ef088e..600ab6e32cd 100644
--- a/tests/lib/formatters/compact.js
+++ b/tests/lib/formatters/compact.js
@@ -17,13 +17,16 @@ var vows = require("vows"),
 
 vows.describe("formatter:compact").addBatch({
 
-    "when passed a message": {
+    "when passed a single message": {
 
         topic: [{
-            message: "Unexpected foo.",
-            line: 5,
-            column: 10,
-            ruleId: "foo"
+            filePath: "foo.js",
+            messages: [{
+                message: "Unexpected foo.",
+                line: 5,
+                column: 10,
+                ruleId: "foo"
+            }]
         }],
 
         "should return a string in the format filename: line x, col y, Error - z for errors": function(topic) {
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ vows.describe("formatter:compact").addBatch({
                 rules: { foo: 2 }
             };
 
-            var result = formatter(topic, "foo.js", config);
+            var result = formatter(topic, config);
             assert.equal("foo.js: line 5, col 10, Error - Unexpected foo.\n\n1 problems", result);
         },
 
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ vows.describe("formatter:compact").addBatch({
                 rules: { foo: 1 }
             };
 
-            var result = formatter(topic, "foo.js", config);
+            var result = formatter(topic, config);
             assert.equal("foo.js: line 5, col 10, Warning - Unexpected foo.\n\n1 problems", result);
         }
 
@@ -49,33 +52,38 @@ vows.describe("formatter:compact").addBatch({
     "when passed a fatal error message": {
 
         topic: [{
-            fatal: true,
-            message: "Unexpected foo.",
-            line: 5,
-            column: 10,
-            ruleId: "foo"
+            filePath: "foo.js",
+            messages: [{
+                fatal: true,
+                message: "Unexpected foo.",
+                line: 5,
+                column: 10,
+                ruleId: "foo"
+            }]
         }],
 
         "should return a string in the format filename: line x, col y, Error - z": function(topic) {
             var config = {};    // doesn't matter what's in the config for this test
 
-            var result = formatter(topic, "foo.js", config);
+            var result = formatter(topic, config);
             assert.equal("foo.js: line 5, col 10, Error - Unexpected foo.\n\n1 problems", result);
         }
     },
 
     "when passed multiple messages": {
         topic: [{
-            message: "Unexpected foo.",
-            line: 5,
-            column: 10,
-            ruleId: "foo"
-        }, {
-            message: "Unexpected bar.",
-            line: 6,
-            column: 11,
-            ruleId: "bar"
-
+            filePath: "foo.js",
+            messages: [{
+                message: "Unexpected foo.",
+                line: 5,
+                column: 10,
+                ruleId: "foo"
+            }, {
+                message: "Unexpected bar.",
+                line: 6,
+                column: 11,
+                ruleId: "bar"
+            }]
         }],
 
         "should return a string with multiple entries": function(topic) {
@@ -83,10 +91,39 @@ vows.describe("formatter:compact").addBatch({
                 rules: { foo: 2, bar: 1 }
             };
 
-            var result = formatter(topic, "foo.js", config);
+            var result = formatter(topic, config);
             assert.equal("foo.js: line 5, col 10, Error - Unexpected foo.\nfoo.js: line 6, col 11, Warning - Unexpected bar.\n\n2 problems", result);
         }
 
+    },
+
+    "when passed multiple files with 1 message each": {
+        topic: [{
+            filePath: "foo.js",
+            messages: [{
+                message: "Unexpected foo.",
+                line: 5,
+                column: 10,
+                ruleId: "foo"
+            }]
+        }, {
+            filePath: "bar.js",
+            messages: [{
+                message: "Unexpected bar.",
+                line: 6,
+                column: 11,
+                ruleId: "bar"
+            }]
+        }],
+
+        "should return a string with multiple entries": function(topic) {
+            var config = {
+                rules: { foo: 2, bar: 1 }
+            };
+
+            var result = formatter(topic, config);
+            assert.equal("foo.js: line 5, col 10, Error - Unexpected foo.\nbar.js: line 6, col 11, Warning - Unexpected bar.\n\n2 problems", result);
+        }
     }
 
-}).export(module);
+    }).export(module);