diff --git a/lib/6to5/file.js b/lib/6to5/file.js
index c41bc96066..bd24298afe 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/file.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/file.js
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ File.normaliseOptions = function (opts) {
   return opts;
 };
 
+File.prototype.parse = function (code) {
+  // remove shebang
+  code = code.replace(/^\#\!.*/, "");
+
+  var self = this;
+
+  return util.parse(this.opts, code, function (tree) {
+    return self.transform(tree);
+  });
+};
+
 File.prototype.transform = function (ast) {
   this.ast = ast;
 
diff --git a/lib/6to5/transform.js b/lib/6to5/transform.js
index 42cd8bfde8..bb2edefffa 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/transform.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/transform.js
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ function transform(code, opts) {
   code = (code || "") + "";
 
   var file = new File(opts);
-
-  return util.parse(opts, code, function (tree) {
-    return file.transform(tree);
-  });
+  return util.parse(code);
 }
 
 transform.test = function (task, assert) {