diff --git a/packages/babel/src/generation/index.js b/packages/babel/src/generation/index.js
index 6790be88c6..68a6703852 100644
--- a/packages/babel/src/generation/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel/src/generation/index.js
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ class CodeGenerator {
 
       // force a newline for line comments when retainLines is set in case the next printed node
       // doesn't catch up
-      if (this.format.retainLines && comment.type === "CommentLine") {
+      if ((this.format.compact || this.format.retainLines) && comment.type === "CommentLine") {
         val += "\n";
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/options.json b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb4e948bfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/options.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "compact": true
+}
diff --git a/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/actual.js b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/actual.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2589c7138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/actual.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// foo
+bar();
diff --git a/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/expected.js b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/expected.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2589c7138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel/test/fixtures/generation/compact/single-line-comment/expected.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// foo
+bar();