diff --git a/src/virgil.clj b/src/virgil.clj
index 18a56e1..bfe339d 100644
--- a/src/virgil.clj
+++ b/src/virgil.clj
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@
   (:require
    [clojure.java.io :as io]
    [virgil.watch :refer (watch-directory make-idle-callback)]
-   [virgil.compile :refer (compile-all-java java-file?)]))
+   [virgil.compile :refer (compile-all-java java-file?)]
+   virgil.util))
 
 (def watches (atom #{}))
 
 (defn compile-java [directories & {:keys [options verbose]}]
-  (compile-all-java directories options verbose))
+  (let [diags (compile-all-java directories options verbose)]
+    (when (virgil.util/compilation-errored? diags)
+      (throw (ex-info (format "Compilation failed: %d error(s)." (count diags))
+                      {:diagnostics diags})))))
 
 (defn watch-and-recompile [directories & {:keys [options verbose post-hook]}]
   (let [recompile (fn []
diff --git a/src/virgil/compile.clj b/src/virgil/compile.clj
index 2c4d936..48da47e 100644
--- a/src/virgil/compile.clj
+++ b/src/virgil/compile.clj
@@ -151,10 +151,9 @@
    (let [collector (DiagnosticCollector.)
          options (ArrayList. (vec options))
          name->source (generate-classname->source directories)]
-     (println "Compiling" (count name->source)"Java source files in" directories "...")
+     (println "\nCompiling" (count name->source)"Java source files in" directories "...")
      (binding [*print-compiled-classes* verbose?]
        (compile-java options collector name->source))
      (when-let [diags (seq (.getDiagnostics collector))]
        (print-diagnostics diags)
-       (throw (ex-info (format "Compilation failed: %d error(s)." (count diags))
-                       {:diagnostics diags}))))))
+       diags))))
diff --git a/src/virgil/util.clj b/src/virgil/util.clj
index 6e01c53..150b6e3 100644
--- a/src/virgil/util.clj
+++ b/src/virgil/util.clj
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@
     (let [k (.getKind d)
           log (infer-print-function k)]
       (if (nil? (.getSource d))
-        (println-err (format "%s: %s\n"
+        (println-err (format "%s: %s"
                              (.toString k)
                              (.getMessage d nil)))
-        (println-err (format "%s: %s, line %d: %s\n"
+        (println-err (format "%s: %s, line %d: %s"
                      (.toString k)
                      (.. d getSource getName)
                      (.getLineNumber d)
                      (.getMessage d nil)))))))
+
+(defn compilation-errored? [diagnostics]
+  (some #(= (.getKind ^Diagnostic %) Diagnostic$Kind/ERROR) diagnostics))
diff --git a/test/virgil_test.clj b/test/virgil_test.clj
index 319c9e0..a36e67e 100644
--- a/test/virgil_test.clj
+++ b/test/virgil_test.clj
@@ -81,3 +81,17 @@
     (cp "B" 'B)
     (wait-until-true #(= 42 (magic-number)))
     (is (= 42 (magic-number)))))
+
+(deftest warnings-shouldnt-throw-test
+  (binding [*dir* (mk-tmp)]
+    (cp "ClassWithWarning" 'ClassWithWarning)
+    (is (nil? (recompile))))
+
+  (binding [*dir* (mk-tmp)]
+    (cp "ClassWithError" 'ClassWithError)
+    (is (thrown? clojure.lang.ExceptionInfo (recompile)))))
+
+(deftest errors-shouldnt-break-watch-and-recompile-test
+  (binding [*dir* (mk-tmp)]
+    (cp "ClassWithError" 'ClassWithError)
+    (is (nil? (virgil/watch-and-recompile [(str *dir*)])))))