diff --git a/base/REPL.jl b/base/REPL.jl
index 9c787c7b92469..d52b34683a03c 100644
--- a/base/REPL.jl
+++ b/base/REPL.jl
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ end
 
 function eval_user_input(ast::ANY, backend::REPLBackend)
     iserr, lasterr, bt = false, (), nothing
+    Base.enable_catch_fatal()
     while true
-        Base.set_fatal_eh()
         try
             if iserr
                 put!(backend.response_channel, (lasterr, bt))
diff --git a/base/error.jl b/base/error.jl
index 0ed7716f8f429..cd8c5b2c092b3 100644
--- a/base/error.jl
+++ b/base/error.jl
@@ -50,16 +50,20 @@ macro assert(ex, msgs...)
     :($(esc(ex)) ? $(nothing) : throw(Main.Base.AssertionError($msg)))
 end
 
+## fatal errors ##
 
 isfatal(error) = false
-if isdefined(Main, :Base)
 isfatal(::StackOverflowError) = true
 isfatal(::OutOfMemoryError) = true
 isfatal(::UndefVarError) = true
-end
 
-set_fatal_eh() = ccall(:jl_set_fatal_eh, Void, ())
-rethrow_fatal() = ccall(:jl_rethrow_fatal, Void, ())
+enable_catch_fatal() = ccall(:jl_enable_catch_fatal, Void, ())
+disable_catch_fatal() = ccall(:jl_disable_catch_fatal, Void, ())
+if isdefined(Main, :Base)
+rethrow_if_fatal(error) = isfatal(error) && ccall(:jl_rethrow_fatal, Void, ())
+else
+rethrow_if_fatal(error) = nothing
+end
 
 
 """
diff --git a/base/test.jl b/base/test.jl
index a7dba03d76ac0..1be406f6c4421 100644
--- a/base/test.jl
+++ b/base/test.jl
@@ -231,9 +231,14 @@ macro test_throws(extype, ex)
     orig_ex = Expr(:quote,ex)
     result = quote
         try
-            Returned($(esc(ex)))
-        catch _e
-            Threw(_e, nothing)
+            Base.enable_catch_fatal()
+            try
+                Returned($(esc(ex)))
+            catch _e
+                Threw(_e, nothing)
+            end
+        finally
+            Base.disable_catch_fatal()
         end
     end
     Base.remove_linenums!(result)
diff --git a/src/builtins.c b/src/builtins.c
index 7187595fb55a2..e238c5416f9b6 100644
--- a/src/builtins.c
+++ b/src/builtins.c
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_enter_handler(jl_handler_t *eh)
     JL_SIGATOMIC_BEGIN();
     eh->prev = jl_current_task->eh;
     eh->gcstack = jl_pgcstack;
+    eh->catch_fatal = 0;
 #ifdef JULIA_ENABLE_THREADING
     eh->gc_state = jl_gc_state();
     eh->locks_len = jl_current_task->locks.len;
diff --git a/src/julia-syntax.scm b/src/julia-syntax.scm
index ce620adbd423a..96e2b64ef458b 100644
--- a/src/julia-syntax.scm
+++ b/src/julia-syntax.scm
@@ -3078,9 +3078,8 @@ f(x) = yt(x)
             ;; (enter L) - push handler with catch block at label L
             ;; (leave n) - pop N exception handlers
             ((trycatch)
-             (let ((catch    (make-label))
-                   (notfatal (make-label))
-                   (endl     (make-label)))
+             (let ((catch (make-label))
+                   (endl  (make-label)))
                (emit `(enter ,catch))
                (set! handler-level (+ handler-level 1))
                (let* ((v1  (compile (cadr e)
@@ -3096,9 +3095,7 @@ f(x) = yt(x)
                  (set! handler-level (- handler-level 1))
                  (mark-label catch)
                  (emit `(leave 1))
-                 (emit `(gotoifnot ,`(call (top isfatal) ,'(the_exception)) ,notfatal))
-                 (emit `(call (top rethrow_fatal)))
-                 (mark-label notfatal)
+                 (emit `(call (top rethrow_if_fatal) ,'(the_exception)))
                  (let ((v2 (compile (caddr e) break-labels value tail)))
                    (if val (emit `(= ,val ,v2)))
                    (if endl (mark-label endl))
diff --git a/src/julia.h b/src/julia.h
index d1a48bce1a25e..7edd2575b94cf 100644
--- a/src/julia.h
+++ b/src/julia.h
@@ -1380,6 +1380,7 @@ typedef struct _jl_handler_t {
     jl_gcframe_t *gcstack;
     struct _jl_handler_t *prev;
     int8_t gc_state;
+    int8_t catch_fatal;
 #ifdef JULIA_ENABLE_THREADING
     size_t locks_len;
 #endif
@@ -1404,8 +1405,6 @@ typedef struct _jl_task_t {
 
     // current exception handler
     jl_handler_t *eh;
-    // fatal exception handler
-    jl_handler_t *fatal_eh;
     // saved gc stack top for context switches
     jl_gcframe_t *gcstack;
     // current module, or NULL if this task has not set one
@@ -1436,7 +1435,8 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_switchto(jl_task_t *t, jl_value_t *arg);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void JL_NORETURN jl_throw(jl_value_t *e);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void JL_NORETURN jl_rethrow(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void JL_NORETURN jl_rethrow_other(jl_value_t *e);
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_set_fatal_eh(void);
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_enable_catch_fatal(void);
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_disable_catch_fatal(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow_fatal(void);
 
 #ifdef JULIA_ENABLE_THREADING
diff --git a/src/task.c b/src/task.c
index 2dad3931ae77e..5fa0297d17381 100644
--- a/src/task.c
+++ b/src/task.c
@@ -526,21 +526,31 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow(void)
     throw_internal(jl_exception_in_transit);
 }
 
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_set_fatal_eh(void)
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow_other(jl_value_t *e)
 {
-    jl_current_task->fatal_eh = jl_current_task->eh;
+    throw_internal(e);
 }
 
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow_fatal(void)
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_enable_catch_fatal(void)
 {
-    if (jl_current_task->eh != jl_current_task->fatal_eh) {
-        jl_rethrow();
-    }
+    assert(jl_current_task->eh);
+    jl_current_task->eh->catch_fatal = 1;
 }
 
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow_other(jl_value_t *e)
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_disable_catch_fatal(void)
 {
-    throw_internal(e);
+    assert(jl_current_task->eh);
+    jl_current_task->eh->catch_fatal = 0;
+}
+
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_rethrow_fatal(void)
+{
+    if (jl_current_task
+    &&  jl_current_task->eh
+    &&  jl_current_task->eh->catch_fatal) {
+        return;
+    }
+    jl_rethrow();
 }
 
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_task_t *jl_new_task(jl_function_t *start, size_t ssize)
@@ -566,7 +576,6 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_task_t *jl_new_task(jl_function_t *start, size_t ssize)
     t->backtrace = jl_nothing;
     // there is no active exception handler available on this stack yet
     t->eh = NULL;
-    t->fatal_eh = NULL;
     t->gcstack = NULL;
     t->stkbuf = NULL;
     t->tid = 0;
@@ -674,7 +683,6 @@ void jl_init_root_task(void *stack, size_t ssize)
     jl_current_task->exception = jl_nothing;
     jl_current_task->backtrace = jl_nothing;
     jl_current_task->eh = NULL;
-    jl_current_task->fatal_eh = NULL;
     jl_current_task->gcstack = NULL;
     jl_current_task->tid = ti_tid;
 #ifdef JULIA_ENABLE_THREADING
diff --git a/test/core.jl b/test/core.jl
index 69058b2bf42a2..01a06668aaa30 100644
--- a/test/core.jl
+++ b/test/core.jl
@@ -1103,12 +1103,14 @@ type I2619{T}
 end
 bad2619 = false
 function i2619()
+    Base.enable_catch_fatal()
     global e2619 = try
         I2619{Float64}(0.0f)
         global bad2619 = true
     catch _e
         _e
     end
+    Base.disable_catch_fatal()
 end
 i2619()
 @test !bad2619
@@ -2274,11 +2276,13 @@ OLD_STDOUT = STDOUT
 file = open(tempname(), "w")
 redirect_stdout(file)
 versioninfo()
+Base.enable_catch_fatal()
 try
     type Foo{T}
         val::Bar{T}
     end
 end
+Base.disable_catch_fatal()
 gc()
 redirect_stdout(OLD_STDOUT)
 close(file)
diff --git a/test/replutil.jl b/test/replutil.jl
index d87ba11ad2b1c..141bfa72b8ec4 100644
--- a/test/replutil.jl
+++ b/test/replutil.jl
@@ -74,10 +74,12 @@ macro except_str(expr, err_type)
     return quote
         let
             local err
+            Base.enable_catch_fatal()
             try
                 $(esc(expr))
             catch err
             end
+            Base.disable_catch_fatal()
             @test typeof(err) === $(esc(err_type))
             buff = IOBuffer()
             showerror(buff, err)
diff --git a/test/simdloop.jl b/test/simdloop.jl
index 771383aedf419..012d14ebe47f5 100644
--- a/test/simdloop.jl
+++ b/test/simdloop.jl
@@ -61,13 +61,7 @@ let j=4
 
     # Index that is local to loop
     @simd for simd_loop_local=1:0 end
-    simd_loop_local_present = true
-    try
-        simd_loop_local += 1
-    catch
-        simd_loop_local_present = false
-    end
-    @test !simd_loop_local_present
+    @test_throws UndefVarError simd_loop_local += 1
 end
 
 import Base.SimdLoop.SimdError
diff --git a/test/stacktraces.jl b/test/stacktraces.jl
index c0ba1faaa3c18..aeb0e26eddde8 100644
--- a/test/stacktraces.jl
+++ b/test/stacktraces.jl
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ let ct = current_task()
     yieldto(@task yieldto(ct))
     @test catch_backtrace() == StackFrame[]
 
-    @noinline bad_function() = throw(UndefVarError(:nonexistent))
+    @noinline bad_function() = error("error")
     @noinline function try_stacktrace()
         try
             bad_function()