diff --git a/src/test/compiletest/compiletest.rs b/src/test/compiletest/compiletest.rs
index 63778c2487bd..2b4776148dff 100644
--- a/src/test/compiletest/compiletest.rs
+++ b/src/test/compiletest/compiletest.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ fn make_test(cx: &cx, testfile: &str, configport: &port[str]) ->
    test::test_desc {
     {name: make_test_name(cx.config, testfile),
      fn: make_test_closure(testfile, chan(configport)),
-            ignore: header::is_test_ignored(cx.config.stage_id, testfile)}
+            ignore: header::is_test_ignored(cx.config, testfile)}
 }
 
 fn make_test_name(config: &config, testfile: &str) -> str {
diff --git a/src/test/compiletest/header.rs b/src/test/compiletest/header.rs
index 9961852f16e9..7df2d7ee3103 100644
--- a/src/test/compiletest/header.rs
+++ b/src/test/compiletest/header.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import std::option;
 import std::str;
 import std::io;
 
+import common::config;
+
 export test_props;
 export load_props;
 export is_test_ignored;
@@ -26,12 +28,16 @@ fn load_props(testfile: &str) -> test_props {
     ret {error_patterns: error_patterns, compile_flags: compile_flags};
 }
 
-fn is_test_ignored(stage_id: &str, testfile: &str) -> bool {
+fn is_test_ignored(config: &config, testfile: &str) -> bool {
     let found = false;
     for each ln: str  in iter_header(testfile) {
         // FIXME: Can't return or break from iterator
         found = found
-            || parse_name_directive(ln, "xfail-" + stage_id);
+            || parse_name_directive(ln, "xfail-" + config.stage_id);
+        if (config.mode == common::mode_pretty) {
+            found = found
+                || parse_name_directive(ln, "xfail-pretty");
+        }
     }
     ret found;
 }