diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/estree.js b/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/estree.js
index 3368b0f138..d9416b95e3 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/estree.js
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/estree.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export default (superClass: Class<Parser>): Class<Parser> =>
         directiveLiteral.loc.start,
       );
 
-      expression.value = directiveLiteral.value;
+      expression.value = directiveLiteral.extra.expressionValue;
       expression.raw = directiveLiteral.extra.raw;
 
       stmt.expression = this.finishNodeAt(
@@ -118,9 +118,10 @@ export default (superClass: Class<Parser>): Class<Parser> =>
       const directive = super.stmtToDirective(stmt);
       const value = stmt.expression.value;
 
-      // Reset value to the actual value as in estree mode we want
-      // the stmt to have the real value and not the raw value
-      directive.value.value = value;
+      // Record the expression value as in estree mode we want
+      // the stmt to have the real value e.g. ("use strict") and
+      // not the raw value e.g. ("use\\x20strict")
+      this.addExtra(directive.value, "expressionValue", value);
 
       return directive;
     }
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/helpers/runFixtureTests.js b/packages/babel-parser/test/helpers/runFixtureTests.js
index 2ce9e888d5..46d19c2a1a 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/helpers/runFixtureTests.js
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/helpers/runFixtureTests.js
@@ -83,14 +83,6 @@ export function runThrowTestsWithEstree(fixturesPath, parseFunction) {
   Object.keys(fixtures).forEach(function (name) {
     fixtures[name].forEach(function (testSuite) {
       testSuite.tests.forEach(function (task) {
-        if (!task.options.throws) {
-          const hasErrors =
-            !task.disabled && "errors" in JSON.parse(task.expect.code);
-          if (!hasErrors) {
-            return;
-          }
-        }
-
         task.options.plugins = task.options.plugins || [];
         task.options.plugins.push("estree");