diff --git a/c/interface.c b/c/interface.c
index 4546fc58f..da9d6c85f 100644
--- a/c/interface.c
+++ b/c/interface.c
@@ -1098,8 +1098,10 @@ MaybeAsync(JSValue *) QTS_Eval(JSContext *ctx, BorrowedHeapChar *js_code, size_t
       // Error - nothing more to do.
       JS_IsException(eval_result)
       // Non-module eval - return the result
-      || (evalFlags & JS_EVAL_TYPE_MODULE) == 0) {
-    QTS_DEBUG("QTS_Eval: non-module or exception")
+      || (evalFlags & JS_EVAL_TYPE_MODULE) == 0
+      // Compiled code has not been evaluated; return it without accessing module.
+      || (evalFlags & JS_EVAL_FLAG_COMPILE_ONLY) != 0) {
+    QTS_DEBUG("QTS_Eval: non-module, compile-only, or exception")
     return jsvalue_to_heap(eval_result);
   }
 
@@ -1114,7 +1116,6 @@ MaybeAsync(JSValue *) QTS_Eval(JSContext *ctx, BorrowedHeapChar *js_code, size_t
       // quickjs@2024-01-14 evaluating module
       // produced a promise
       (state == JS_PROMISE_FULFILLED)
-      // quickjs in compile mode
       // quickjs-ng before rebasing on quickjs@2024-01-14
       // not a promise.
       || (state == -1)) {
diff --git a/packages/quickjs-emscripten/src/quickjs.test.ts b/packages/quickjs-emscripten/src/quickjs.test.ts
index f603c256c..1cfcb6c4a 100644
--- a/packages/quickjs-emscripten/src/quickjs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/quickjs-emscripten/src/quickjs.test.ts
@@ -541,6 +541,34 @@ function contextTests(getContext: GetTestContext, options: ContextTestOptions =
   })
 
   describe(".evalCode", () => {
+    describe("compileOnly", () => {
+      for (const type of ["global", "module"] as const) {
+        it(`${type}: returns disposable compiled code without executing it`, () => {
+          vm.unwrapResult(vm.evalCode("globalThis.compileOnlyRuns = 0")).dispose()
+          const code =
+            type === "module"
+              ? "globalThis.compileOnlyRuns++; export const value = 42"
+              : "globalThis.compileOnlyRuns++; 42"
+          const compiled = vm.unwrapResult(
+            vm.evalCode(code, "compiled.js", { type, compileOnly: true }),
+          )
+          // Compiled code is bytecode, not a JS value, so it has no JS type.
+          assert.equal(vm.typeof(compiled), "unknown")
+          compiled.dispose()
+          assert.equal(vm.getProp(vm.global, "compileOnlyRuns").consume(vm.getNumber), 0)
+        })
+      }
+
+      it("module: preserves syntax errors", () => {
+        const result = vm.evalCode("export const =", "invalid.js", {
+          type: "module",
+          compileOnly: true,
+        })
+        assert(result.error, "Compilation should return a syntax error")
+        assert.equal(result.error.consume(vm.dump).name, "SyntaxError")
+      })
+    })
+
     it("on success: returns { value: success }", () => {
       const value = vm.unwrapResult(vm.evalCode(`["this", "should", "work"].join(' ')`))
       assert.equal(vm.getString(value), "this should work")
@@ -1268,6 +1296,29 @@ function asyncContextTests(
   })
 
   describe("module loading", () => {
+    it("compileOnly: returns disposable compiled code without executing it", async () => {
+      vm.unwrapResult(vm.evalCode("globalThis.compileOnlyRuns = 0")).dispose()
+      const result = await vm.evalCodeAsync(
+        "globalThis.compileOnlyRuns++; export const value = 42",
+        "compiled.js",
+        { type: "module", compileOnly: true },
+      )
+      const compiled = vm.unwrapResult(result)
+      // Compiled code is bytecode, not a JS value, so it has no JS type.
+      assert.equal(vm.typeof(compiled), "unknown")
+      compiled.dispose()
+      assert.equal(vm.getProp(vm.global, "compileOnlyRuns").consume(vm.getNumber), 0)
+    })
+
+    it("compileOnly: preserves syntax errors", async () => {
+      const result = await vm.evalCodeAsync("export const =", "invalid.js", {
+        type: "module",
+        compileOnly: true,
+      })
+      assert(result.error, "Compilation should return a syntax error")
+      assert.equal(result.error.consume(vm.dump).name, "SyntaxError")
+    })
+
     it("supports async module loading", async () => {
       async function testBody() {
         let moduleLoaderCalls = 0