diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
index 8fbea626eea..6c180921d4f 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
@@ -2056,7 +2056,7 @@
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 5054
     },
-    "The project file name is not in 'tsconfig-*.json' format: '{0}'": {
+    "The project file name is not in 'tsconfig(-*).json' format: '{0}'": {
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 5055
     },
diff --git a/src/compiler/tsc.ts b/src/compiler/tsc.ts
index 3aedd5efd11..67f7ee2aaad 100644
--- a/src/compiler/tsc.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/tsc.ts
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@ namespace ts {
             }
 
             let fileOrDirectory = normalizePath(commandLine.options.project);
-            if (!fileOrDirectory || sys.directoryExists(fileOrDirectory)) {
+            if (!fileOrDirectory /* current directory */ || sys.directoryExists(fileOrDirectory)) {
                 configFileName = combinePaths(fileOrDirectory, "tsconfig.json");
             }
             else {
-                if (!/^tsconfig.*\.json$/.test(getBaseFileName(fileOrDirectory))) {
+                if (!/^tsconfig(?:-.*)?.json$/.test(getBaseFileName(fileOrDirectory))) {
                     reportDiagnostic(createCompilerDiagnostic(Diagnostics.The_project_file_name_is_not_in_tsconfig_Asterisk_json_format_Colon_0, commandLine.options.project));
                     return sys.exit(ExitStatus.DiagnosticsPresent_OutputsSkipped);
                 }