diff --git a/src/compiler/parser.ts b/src/compiler/parser.ts
index b6455304cdc..871e5d60ea7 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parser.ts
@@ -3421,8 +3421,11 @@ module ts {
             return finishNode(node);
         }
 
-        function parseExportAssignmentTail(pos: number): ExportAssignment {
+        function parseExportAssignmentTail(pos: number, flags: NodeFlags): ExportAssignment {
             var node = <ExportAssignment>createNode(SyntaxKind.ExportAssignment, pos);
+            if (flags) {
+                node.flags = flags;
+            }
             node.exportName = parseIdentifier();
             parseSemicolon();
             return finishNode(node);
@@ -3460,19 +3463,13 @@ module ts {
 
         function parseDeclaration(modifierContext: ModifierContext): Statement {
             var pos = getNodePos();
-            var errorCountBeforeModifiers = file.parseDiagnostics.length;
             var flags = parseAndCheckModifiers(modifierContext);
 
             if (token === SyntaxKind.ExportKeyword) {
                 var modifiersEnd = scanner.getStartPos();
                 nextToken();
                 if (parseOptional(SyntaxKind.EqualsToken)) {
-                    var exportAssignmentTail = parseExportAssignmentTail(pos);
-                    if (flags !== 0 && errorCountBeforeModifiers === file.parseDiagnostics.length) {
-                        var modifiersStart = skipTrivia(sourceText, pos);
-                        grammarErrorAtPos(modifiersStart, modifiersEnd - modifiersStart, Diagnostics.An_export_assignment_cannot_have_modifiers);
-                    }
-                    return exportAssignmentTail;
+                    return parseExportAssignmentTail(pos, flags);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -3753,6 +3750,7 @@ module ts {
                 case SyntaxKind.ConstructSignature:             return visitConstructSignature(<SignatureDeclaration>node);
                 case SyntaxKind.ContinueStatement:              return visitBreakOrContinueStatement(<BreakOrContinueStatement>node);
                 case SyntaxKind.EnumDeclaration:                return visitEnumDeclaration(<EnumDeclaration>node);
+                case SyntaxKind.ExportAssignment:               return visitExportAssignment(<ExportAssignment>node);
                 case SyntaxKind.ForInStatement:                 return visitForInStatement(<ForInStatement>node);
                 case SyntaxKind.ForStatement:                   return visitForStatement(<ForStatement>node);
                 case SyntaxKind.FunctionDeclaration:            return visitFunctionDeclaration(<FunctionLikeDeclaration>node);
@@ -4069,6 +4067,12 @@ module ts {
             return false;
         }
 
+        function visitExportAssignment(node: ExportAssignment) {
+            if (node.flags & NodeFlags.Modifier) {
+                grammarErrorOnFirstToken(node, Diagnostics.An_export_assignment_cannot_have_modifiers);
+            }
+        }
+
         function visitForInStatement(node: ForInStatement) {
             checkVariableDeclarations(node.declarations) ||
                 checkForMoreThanOneDeclaration(node.declarations);
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.errors.txt
index 20355aec05c..f8dc0114593 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.errors.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts(2,1): error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts(2,1): error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
 
 
-==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts (2 errors) ====
+==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts (1 errors) ====
     var x;
     export declare export = x;
-    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
\ No newline at end of file
+    ~~~~~~
+!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.errors.txt
index 1d2f2e265d3..2f9d8d801af 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.errors.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts(2,1): error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts(2,1): error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
 
 
-==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts (2 errors) ====
+==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts (1 errors) ====
     var x;
     declare export = x;
     ~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
\ No newline at end of file
+!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.errors.txt
index e19ce5bc856..275f4b0ba1f 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.errors.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts(2,1): error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts(2,1): error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
 
 
-==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts (2 errors) ====
+==== tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts (1 errors) ====
     var x;
     export export = x;
     ~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
-    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1148: Cannot compile external modules unless the '--module' flag is provided.
\ No newline at end of file
+!!! error TS1120: An export assignment cannot have modifiers.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts
index 02e40fd3645..c3295440986 100644
--- a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareAndExportModifiers.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-var x;
+// @module: commonjs
+var x;
 export declare export = x;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts
index e38f7fa8d38..0cd0625e120 100644
--- a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithDeclareModifier.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-var x;
+// @module: commonjs
+var x;
 declare export = x;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts
index c6b543caeec..9d940eb2789 100644
--- a/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/exportAssignmentWithExportModifier.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-var x;
+// @module: commonjs
+var x;
 export export = x;
\ No newline at end of file