diff --git a/pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart b/pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart
index 6f1ff409189..2fc8bf6faa8 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import 'package:kernel/kernel.dart' show Program;
 import 'package:kernel/src/tool/batch_util.dart' as batch_util;
 import 'package:kernel/target/targets.dart' show TargetFlags;
 import 'package:kernel/target/vm.dart' show VmTarget;
-import 'package:vm/kernel_front_end.dart' show compileToKernel;
+import 'package:vm/kernel_front_end.dart' show compileToKernel, ErrorDetector;
 
 final ArgParser _argParser = new ArgParser(allowTrailingOptions: true)
   ..addOption('platform',
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Future<int> compile(List<String> arguments) async {
   final bool strongMode = options['strong-mode'];
   final bool aot = options['aot'];
 
-  int errors = 0;
+  ErrorDetector errorDetector = new ErrorDetector();
 
   final CompilerOptions compilerOptions = new CompilerOptions()
     ..strongMode = strongMode
@@ -68,18 +68,13 @@ Future<int> compile(List<String> arguments) async {
     ..linkedDependencies = <Uri>[Uri.base.resolve(platformKernel)]
     ..packagesFileUri = packages != null ? Uri.base.resolve(packages) : null
     ..reportMessages = true
-    ..onError = (CompilationMessage message) {
-      if ((message.severity != Severity.nit) &&
-          (message.severity != Severity.warning)) {
-        ++errors;
-      }
-    };
+    ..onError = errorDetector;
 
   Program program = await compileToKernel(
       Uri.base.resolve(filename), compilerOptions,
       aot: aot);
 
-  if ((errors > 0) || (program == null)) {
+  if (errorDetector.hasCompilationErrors || (program == null)) {
     return _compileTimeErrorExitCode;
   }
 
diff --git a/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart b/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
index 11506fcfe7e..d8b35ed9fd2 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ library vm.kernel_front_end;
 
 import 'dart:async';
 
-import 'package:front_end/src/api_prototype/compiler_options.dart';
+import 'package:front_end/src/api_prototype/compiler_options.dart'
+    show CompilerOptions, ErrorHandler;
 import 'package:front_end/src/api_prototype/kernel_generator.dart'
     show kernelForProgram;
+import 'package:front_end/src/api_prototype/compilation_message.dart'
+    show CompilationMessage, Severity;
+import 'package:front_end/src/fasta/severity.dart' show Severity;
 import 'package:kernel/ast.dart' show Program;
 import 'package:kernel/core_types.dart' show CoreTypes;
 
@@ -23,9 +27,18 @@ import 'transformations/cha_devirtualization.dart' as chaDevirtualization
 ///
 Future<Program> compileToKernel(Uri source, CompilerOptions options,
     {bool aot: false}) async {
+  // Replace error handler to detect if there are compilation errors.
+  final errorDetector =
+      new ErrorDetector(previousErrorHandler: options.onError);
+  options.onError = errorDetector;
+
   final program = await kernelForProgram(source, options);
 
-  if (aot && (program != null)) {
+  // Restore error handler (in case 'options' are reused).
+  options.onError = errorDetector.previousErrorHandler;
+
+  // Run global transformations only if program is correct.
+  if (aot && (program != null) && !errorDetector.hasCompilationErrors) {
     _runGlobalTransformations(program, options.strongMode);
   }
 
@@ -41,3 +54,19 @@ _runGlobalTransformations(Program program, bool strongMode) {
     chaDevirtualization.transformProgram(coreTypes, program);
   }
 }
+
+class ErrorDetector {
+  final ErrorHandler previousErrorHandler;
+  bool hasCompilationErrors = false;
+
+  ErrorDetector({this.previousErrorHandler});
+
+  void call(CompilationMessage message) {
+    if ((message.severity != Severity.nit) &&
+        (message.severity != Severity.warning)) {
+      hasCompilationErrors = true;
+    }
+
+    previousErrorHandler?.call(message);
+  }
+}