diff --git a/src/compiler/checker.ts b/src/compiler/checker.ts
index d50e440c5e9..f67b7214654 100644
--- a/src/compiler/checker.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/checker.ts
@@ -12005,9 +12005,6 @@ module ts {
         function checkGrammarVariableDeclaration(node: VariableDeclaration) {
             if (node.parent.parent.kind !== SyntaxKind.ForInStatement && node.parent.parent.kind !== SyntaxKind.ForOfStatement) {
                 if (isInAmbientContext(node)) {
-                    if (isBindingPattern(node.name)) {
-                        return grammarErrorOnNode(node, Diagnostics.Destructuring_declarations_are_not_allowed_in_ambient_contexts);
-                    }
                     if (node.initializer) {
                         // Error on equals token which immediate precedes the initializer
                         let equalsTokenLength = "=".length;
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.errors.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 338da990a0b..00000000000
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.errors.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-tests/cases/conformance/es6/destructuring/declarationInAmbientContext.ts(1,13): error TS1183: Destructuring declarations are not allowed in ambient contexts.
-tests/cases/conformance/es6/destructuring/declarationInAmbientContext.ts(2,13): error TS1183: Destructuring declarations are not allowed in ambient contexts.
-
-
-==== tests/cases/conformance/es6/destructuring/declarationInAmbientContext.ts (2 errors) ====
-    declare var [a, b];  // Error, destructuring declaration not allowed in ambient context
-                ~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1183: Destructuring declarations are not allowed in ambient contexts.
-    declare var {c, d};  // Error, destructuring declaration not allowed in ambient context
-                ~~~~~~
-!!! error TS1183: Destructuring declarations are not allowed in ambient contexts.
-    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.types b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.types
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ecdd3b7c7eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/declarationInAmbientContext.types
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+=== tests/cases/conformance/es6/destructuring/declarationInAmbientContext.ts ===
+declare var [a, b];  // Error, destructuring declaration not allowed in ambient context
+>a : any
+>b : any
+
+declare var {c, d};  // Error, destructuring declaration not allowed in ambient context
+>c : any
+>d : any
+