diff --git a/pkg/vm/lib/frontend_server.dart b/pkg/vm/lib/frontend_server.dart
index e0b9cfc..1aabfba 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/lib/frontend_server.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/lib/frontend_server.dart
@@ -115,16 +115,16 @@
 String usage = '''
 Usage: server [options] [input.dart]
 
-If input dart source code is provided on the command line, then the server
-compiles it, generates dill file and exits.
-If no input dart source is provided on the command line, server waits for
+If filename or uri pointing to the entrypoint is provided on the command line,
+then the server compiles it, generates dill file and exits.
+If no entrypoint is provided on the command line, server waits for
 instructions from stdin.
 
 Instructions:
 - compile <input.dart>
 - recompile [<input.dart>] <boundary-key>
-<path/to/updated/file1.dart>
-<path/to/updated/file2.dart>
+<invalidated file uri>
+<invalidated file uri>
 ...
 <boundary-key>
 - accept
@@ -152,20 +152,20 @@
 
 /// Actions that every compiler should implement.
 abstract class CompilerInterface {
-  /// Compile given Dart program identified by `filename` with given list of
+  /// Compile given Dart program identified by `entryPoint` with given list of
   /// `options`. When `generator` parameter is omitted, new instance of
   /// `IncrementalKernelGenerator` is created by this method. Main use for this
   /// parameter is for mocking in tests.
   /// Returns [true] if compilation was successful and produced no errors.
   Future<bool> compile(
-    String filename,
+    String entryPoint,
     ArgResults options, {
     IncrementalCompiler generator,
   });
 
   /// Assuming some Dart program was previously compiled, recompile it again
   /// taking into account some changed(invalidated) sources.
-  Future<Null> recompileDelta({String filename});
+  Future<Null> recompileDelta({String entryPoint});
 
   /// Accept results of previous compilation so that next recompilation cycle
   /// won't recompile sources that were previously reported as changed.
@@ -244,26 +244,21 @@
 
   final List<String> errors = new List<String>();
 
-  void setMainSourceFilename(String filename) {
-    final Uri filenameUri = _getFileOrUri(filename);
-    _mainSource = filenameUri;
-  }
-
   @override
   Future<bool> compile(
-    String filename,
+    String entryPoint,
     ArgResults options, {
     IncrementalCompiler generator,
   }) async {
     _options = options;
     _fileSystem = createFrontEndFileSystem(
         options['filesystem-scheme'], options['filesystem-root']);
-    setMainSourceFilename(filename);
-    _kernelBinaryFilenameFull = _options['output-dill'] ?? '$filename.dill';
+    _mainSource = _getFileOrUri(entryPoint);
+    _kernelBinaryFilenameFull = _options['output-dill'] ?? '$entryPoint.dill';
     _kernelBinaryFilenameIncremental = _options['output-incremental-dill'] ??
         (_options['output-dill'] != null
             ? '${_options['output-dill']}.incremental.dill'
-            : '$filename.incremental.dill');
+            : '$entryPoint.incremental.dill');
     _kernelBinaryFilename = _kernelBinaryFilenameFull;
     _initializeFromDill =
         _options['initialize-from-dill'] ?? _kernelBinaryFilenameFull;
@@ -458,12 +453,12 @@
   }
 
   @override
-  Future<Null> recompileDelta({String filename}) async {
+  Future<Null> recompileDelta({String entryPoint}) async {
     final String boundaryKey = new Uuid().generateV4();
     _outputStream.writeln('result $boundaryKey');
     await invalidateIfInitializingFromDill();
-    if (filename != null) {
-      setMainSourceFilename(filename);
+    if (entryPoint != null) {
+      _mainSource = _getFileOrUri(entryPoint);
     }
     errors.clear();
     final Component deltaProgram =
@@ -683,7 +678,7 @@
   _State state = _State.READY_FOR_INSTRUCTION;
   _CompileExpressionRequest compileExpressionRequest;
   String boundaryKey;
-  String recompileFilename;
+  String recompileEntryPoint;
   input
       .transform(utf8.decoder)
       .transform(const LineSplitter())
@@ -695,17 +690,17 @@
         const String COMPILE_EXPRESSION_INSTRUCTION_SPACE =
             'compile-expression ';
         if (string.startsWith(COMPILE_INSTRUCTION_SPACE)) {
-          final String filename =
+          final String entryPoint =
               string.substring(COMPILE_INSTRUCTION_SPACE.length);
-          await compiler.compile(filename, options, generator: generator);
+          await compiler.compile(entryPoint, options, generator: generator);
         } else if (string.startsWith(RECOMPILE_INSTRUCTION_SPACE)) {
-          // 'recompile [<filename>] <boundarykey>'
+          // 'recompile [<entryPoint>] <boundarykey>'
           //   where <boundarykey> can't have spaces
           final String remainder =
               string.substring(RECOMPILE_INSTRUCTION_SPACE.length);
           final int spaceDelim = remainder.lastIndexOf(' ');
           if (spaceDelim > -1) {
-            recompileFilename = remainder.substring(0, spaceDelim);
+            recompileEntryPoint = remainder.substring(0, spaceDelim);
             boundaryKey = remainder.substring(spaceDelim + 1);
           } else {
             boundaryKey = remainder;
@@ -739,7 +734,7 @@
         break;
       case _State.RECOMPILE_LIST:
         if (string == boundaryKey) {
-          compiler.recompileDelta(filename: recompileFilename);
+          compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: recompileEntryPoint);
           state = _State.READY_FOR_INSTRUCTION;
         } else
           compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve(string));
diff --git a/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart b/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
index 78063e2..9313820 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/lib/kernel_front_end.dart
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@
 /// absolute URI.
 ///
 /// If virtual multi-root file system is used, or [input] can be parsed to a
-/// URI with 'package' scheme, then [input] is interpreted as URI.
+/// URI with 'package' or 'file' scheme, then [input] is interpreted as URI.
 /// Otherwise [input] is interpreted as a file path.
 Uri convertFileOrUriArgumentToUri(FileSystem fileSystem, String input) {
   if (input == null) {
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@
   }
   try {
     Uri uri = Uri.parse(input);
-    if (uri.scheme == 'package') {
+    if (uri.scheme == 'package' || uri.scheme == 'file') {
       return uri;
     }
   } on FormatException {
diff --git a/pkg/vm/test/frontend_server_test.dart b/pkg/vm/test/frontend_server_test.dart
index 4a4a7d8..6881882 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/test/frontend_server_test.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/test/frontend_server_test.dart
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@
           new StreamController<List<int>>();
       final ReceivePort recompileCalled = new ReceivePort();
 
-      when(compiler.recompileDelta(filename: null))
+      when(compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: null))
           .thenAnswer((Invocation invocation) {
         recompileCalled.sendPort.send(true);
       });
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@
       verifyInOrder(<void>[
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file1.dart')),
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file2.dart')),
-        await compiler.recompileDelta(filename: null),
+        await compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: null),
       ]);
       inputStreamController.add('quit\n'.codeUnits);
       expect(await result, 0);
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
           new StreamController<List<int>>();
       final ReceivePort recompileCalled = new ReceivePort();
 
-      when(compiler.recompileDelta(filename: 'file2.dart'))
+      when(compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: 'file2.dart'))
           .thenAnswer((Invocation invocation) {
         recompileCalled.sendPort.send(true);
       });
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@
       verifyInOrder(<void>[
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file1.dart')),
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file2.dart')),
-        await compiler.recompileDelta(filename: 'file2.dart'),
+        await compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: 'file2.dart'),
       ]);
       inputStreamController.add('quit\n'.codeUnits);
       expect(await result, 0);
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@
           new StreamController<List<int>>();
       final ReceivePort recompileCalled = new ReceivePort();
 
-      when(compiler.recompileDelta(filename: null))
+      when(compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: null))
           .thenAnswer((Invocation invocation) {
         recompileCalled.sendPort.send(true);
       });
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@
         compiler.acceptLastDelta(),
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file2.dart')),
         compiler.invalidate(Uri.base.resolve('file3.dart')),
-        await compiler.recompileDelta(filename: null),
+        await compiler.recompileDelta(entryPoint: null),
       ]);
       inputStreamController.add('quit\n'.codeUnits);
       expect(await result, 0);
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@
       });
       Future<int> result =
           starter(args, input: inputStreamController.stream, output: ioSink);
-      inputStreamController.add('compile ${file.path}\n'.codeUnits);
+      inputStreamController.add('compile ${file.uri}\n'.codeUnits);
       int count = 0;
       receivedResults.stream.listen((String outputFilenameAndErrorCount) {
         CompilationResult result =
@@ -889,8 +889,8 @@
             inputStreamController.add('accept\n'.codeUnits);
             var file2 = new File('${tempDir.path}/bar.dart')..createSync();
             file2.writeAsStringSync("main() { baz(); }\n");
-            inputStreamController.add('recompile ${file2.path} abc\n'
-                '${file2.path}\n'
+            inputStreamController.add('recompile ${file2.uri} abc\n'
+                '${file2.uri}\n'
                 'abc\n'
                 .codeUnits);
             break;
@@ -902,8 +902,8 @@
             inputStreamController.add('accept\n'.codeUnits);
             var file2 = new File('${tempDir.path}/bar.dart')..createSync();
             file2.writeAsStringSync("main() { }\n");
-            inputStreamController.add('recompile ${file2.path} abc\n'
-                '${file2.path}\n'
+            inputStreamController.add('recompile ${file2.uri} abc\n'
+                '${file2.uri}\n'
                 'abc\n'
                 .codeUnits);
             break;