diff --git a/pkg/vm/bin/kernel_service.dart b/pkg/vm/bin/kernel_service.dart
index 4d383d5..84825db 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/bin/kernel_service.dart
+++ b/pkg/vm/bin/kernel_service.dart
@@ -305,18 +305,20 @@
     int isolateId, Component component, String packageConfig) {
   final dependencies = isolateDependencies[isolateId] ??= new List<Uri>();
 
-  for (var lib in component.libraries) {
-    if (lib.importUri.scheme == "dart") continue;
+  if (component != null) {
+    for (var lib in component.libraries) {
+      if (lib.importUri.scheme == "dart") continue;
 
-    dependencies.add(lib.fileUri);
-    for (var part in lib.parts) {
-      final fileUri = lib.fileUri.resolve(part.partUri);
-      if (fileUri.scheme != "" && fileUri.scheme != "file") {
-        // E.g. part 'package:foo/foo.dart';
-        // Maybe the front end should resolve this?
-        continue;
+      dependencies.add(lib.fileUri);
+      for (var part in lib.parts) {
+        final fileUri = lib.fileUri.resolve(part.partUri);
+        if (fileUri.scheme != "" && fileUri.scheme != "file") {
+          // E.g. part 'package:foo/foo.dart';
+          // Maybe the front end should resolve this?
+          continue;
+        }
+        dependencies.add(fileUri);
       }
-      dependencies.add(fileUri);
     }
   }
 
@@ -447,7 +449,7 @@
     FileSystem fileSystem = _buildFileSystem(
         sourceFiles, platformKernel, multirootFilepaths, multirootScheme);
     compiler = new SingleShotCompilerWrapper(fileSystem, platformKernelPath,
-        requireMain: sourceFiles.isEmpty,
+        requireMain: false,
         strongMode: strong,
         suppressWarnings: suppressWarnings,
         syncAsync: syncAsync,
@@ -461,12 +463,17 @@
     }
 
     Component component = await compiler.compile(script);
-    _recordDependencies(isolateId, component, packageConfig);
 
     if (compiler.errors.isNotEmpty) {
-      result = new CompilationResult.errors(compiler.errors,
-          serializeComponent(component, filter: (lib) => !lib.isExternal));
+      if (component != null) {
+        result = new CompilationResult.errors(compiler.errors,
+            serializeComponent(component, filter: (lib) => !lib.isExternal));
+      } else {
+        result = new CompilationResult.errors(compiler.errors, null);
+      }
     } else {
+      // Record dependencies only if compilation was error free.
+      _recordDependencies(isolateId, component, packageConfig);
       // We serialize the component excluding vm_platform.dill because the VM has
       // these sources built-in. Everything loaded as a summary in
       // [kernelForProgram] is marked `external`, so we can use that bit to
diff --git a/runtime/bin/dfe.cc b/runtime/bin/dfe.cc
index 5f1721d..6c0dafb 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/dfe.cc
+++ b/runtime/bin/dfe.cc
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 
 DFE::DFE()
     : use_dfe_(false),
+      use_incremental_compiler_(false),
       frontend_filename_(NULL),
       application_kernel_buffer_(NULL),
       application_kernel_buffer_size_(0) {}
@@ -218,8 +219,8 @@
                                int* exit_code,
                                bool strong,
                                const char* package_config) {
-  Dart_KernelCompilationResult result =
-      CompileScript(script_uri, strong, true, package_config);
+  Dart_KernelCompilationResult result = CompileScript(
+      script_uri, strong, use_incremental_compiler(), package_config);
   switch (result.status) {
     case Dart_KernelCompilationStatus_Ok:
       *kernel_buffer = result.kernel;
diff --git a/runtime/bin/dfe.h b/runtime/bin/dfe.h
index 6efb45c..433550f 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/dfe.h
+++ b/runtime/bin/dfe.h
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@
   void set_use_dfe(bool value = true) { use_dfe_ = value; }
   bool UseDartFrontend() const { return use_dfe_; }
 
+  void set_use_incremental_compiler(bool value) {
+    use_incremental_compiler_ = value;
+  }
+  bool use_incremental_compiler() const { return use_incremental_compiler_; }
+
   // Returns the platform binary file name if the path to
   // kernel binaries was set using SetKernelBinaries.
   const char* GetPlatformBinaryFilename();
@@ -100,6 +105,7 @@
 
  private:
   bool use_dfe_;
+  bool use_incremental_compiler_;
   char* frontend_filename_;
 
   // Kernel binary specified on the cmd line.
diff --git a/runtime/bin/main_options.cc b/runtime/bin/main_options.cc
index cf88c86..ae4d441 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/main_options.cc
+++ b/runtime/bin/main_options.cc
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@
         "Use --enable-vm-service[=<port number>[/<bind address>]]\n");
     return false;
   }
+#if !defined(DART_PRECOMPILED_RUNTIME)
+  dfe()->set_use_incremental_compiler(true);
+#endif  // !defined(DART_PRECOMPILED_RUNTIME)
 
   return true;
 }
@@ -320,6 +323,9 @@
   vm_options->AddArgument("--pause-isolates-on-unhandled-exceptions");
   vm_options->AddArgument("--profiler");
   vm_options->AddArgument("--warn-on-pause-with-no-debugger");
+#if !defined(DART_PRECOMPILED_RUNTIME)
+  dfe()->set_use_incremental_compiler(true);
+#endif  // !defined(DART_PRECOMPILED_RUNTIME)
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/lib_2/mirrors/dynamic_load_test.dart b/tests/lib_2/mirrors/dynamic_load_test.dart
index 2605b8b..dddb1ac 100644
--- a/tests/lib_2/mirrors/dynamic_load_test.dart
+++ b/tests/lib_2/mirrors/dynamic_load_test.dart
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
   }
   print(error);
   Expect.isTrue(error.toString().contains("Cannot open file") ||
+      error.toString().contains("file not found") ||
       error.toString().contains("No such file or directory") ||
       error.toString().contains("The system cannot find the file specified"));
   Expect.isTrue(error.toString().contains("DOES_NOT_EXIST"));
diff --git a/tests/standalone_2/standalone_2_kernel.status b/tests/standalone_2/standalone_2_kernel.status
index 139b619..884f403 100644
--- a/tests/standalone_2/standalone_2_kernel.status
+++ b/tests/standalone_2/standalone_2_kernel.status
@@ -203,5 +203,8 @@
 [ $fasta && !$strong ]
 regress_29350_test/none: MissingCompileTimeError
 
+[ $strong && ($compiler == dartk || $compiler == dartkp) ]
+io/named_pipe_script_test: RuntimeError # Issue 33842
+
 [ !$strong && ($compiler == dartk || $compiler == dartkp || $runtime == dart_precompiled || $runtime == vm) ]
 *: SkipByDesign # standalone_2 is only supported in strong mode.