diff --git a/src/compiler/watch.ts b/src/compiler/watch.ts
index f125fab5a5e..330aeaaa840 100644
--- a/src/compiler/watch.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/watch.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ namespace ts {
     }
 
     /** @internal */
-    const screenStartingMessageCodes: number[] = [
+    export const screenStartingMessageCodes: number[] = [
         Diagnostics.Starting_compilation_in_watch_mode.code,
         Diagnostics.File_change_detected_Starting_incremental_compilation.code,
     ];
diff --git a/src/harness/unittests/tscWatchMode.ts b/src/harness/unittests/tscWatchMode.ts
index 99bad3e3091..d57a8e9b6d0 100644
--- a/src/harness/unittests/tscWatchMode.ts
+++ b/src/harness/unittests/tscWatchMode.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,10 @@ namespace ts.tscWatch {
         }
 
         function getWatchDiagnosticWithoutDate(diagnostic: Diagnostic) {
-            return ` - ${flattenDiagnosticMessageText(diagnostic.messageText, host.newLine)}${host.newLine + host.newLine + host.newLine}`;
+            const newLines = contains(screenStartingMessageCodes, diagnostic.code)
+                ? `${host.newLine}${host.newLine}`
+                : host.newLine;
+            return ` - ${flattenDiagnosticMessageText(diagnostic.messageText, host.newLine)}${newLines}`;
         }
     }