diff --git a/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/messages.test.js.snap b/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/messages.test.js.snap
index a39921bd1894..4cf7e417890e 100644
--- a/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/messages.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/messages.test.js.snap
@@ -22,6 +22,22 @@ exports[`formatStackTrace should strip node internals 1`] = `
 "
 `;
 
+exports[`retains message in babel code frame error 1`] = `
+"<bold><red>  <bold>● <bold>Babel test</></>
+
+      
+        packages/react/src/forwardRef.js: Unexpected token, expected , (20:10)
+<dim></>
+<dim>          </> <gray> 18 | </>        <cyan>false</><yellow>,</></>
+<dim>           <gray> 19 | </>        <green>'forwardRef requires a render function but received a \`memo\` '</> </>
+<dim>          <red><bold>><dim></><gray> 20 | </>          <green>'component. Instead of forwardRef(memo(...)), use '</> <yellow>+</></>
+<dim>           <gray>    | </>          <red><bold>^<dim></></>
+<dim>           <gray> 21 | </>          <green>'memo(forwardRef(...)).'</><yellow>,</></>
+<dim>           <gray> 22 | </>      )<yellow>;</></>
+<dim>           <gray> 23 | </>    } <cyan>else</> <cyan>if</> (<cyan>typeof</> render <yellow>!==</> <green>'function'</>) {</></>
+"
+`;
+
 exports[`should exclude jasmine from stack trace for Unix paths. 1`] = `
 "<bold><red>  <bold>● <bold>Unix test</></>
 
diff --git a/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/messages.test.js b/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/messages.test.js
index 6f8c9964e0c6..0a2078ca299c 100644
--- a/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/messages.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-message-util/src/__tests__/messages.test.js
@@ -58,6 +58,19 @@ const vendorStack =
       at Object.asyncFn (__tests__/vendor/sulu/node_modules/sulu-content-bundle/best_component.js:1:5)
 `;
 
+const babelStack =
+  '  ' +
+  `
+    packages/react/src/forwardRef.js: Unexpected token, expected , (20:10)
+    \u001b[0m \u001b[90m 18 | \u001b[39m        \u001b[36mfalse\u001b[39m\u001b[33m,\u001b[39m
+     \u001b[90m 19 | \u001b[39m        \u001b[32m'forwardRef requires a render function but received a \`memo\` '\u001b[39m 
+    \u001b[31m\u001b[1m>\u001b[22m\u001b[39m\u001b[90m 20 | \u001b[39m          \u001b[32m'component. Instead of forwardRef(memo(...)), use '\u001b[39m \u001b[33m+\u001b[39m
+     \u001b[90m    | \u001b[39m          \u001b[31m\u001b[1m^\u001b[22m\u001b[39m
+     \u001b[90m 21 | \u001b[39m          \u001b[32m'memo(forwardRef(...)).'\u001b[39m\u001b[33m,\u001b[39m
+     \u001b[90m 22 | \u001b[39m      )\u001b[33m;\u001b[39m
+     \u001b[90m 23 | \u001b[39m    } \u001b[36melse\u001b[39m \u001b[36mif\u001b[39m (\u001b[36mtypeof\u001b[39m render \u001b[33m!==\u001b[39m \u001b[32m'function'\u001b[39m) {\u001b[0m
+`;
+
 it('should exclude jasmine from stack trace for Unix paths.', () => {
   const messages = formatResultsErrors(
     [
@@ -134,3 +147,23 @@ it('should not exclude vendor from stack trace', () => {
 
   expect(messages).toMatchSnapshot();
 });
+
+it('retains message in babel code frame error', () => {
+  const messages = formatResultsErrors(
+    [
+      {
+        ancestorTitles: [],
+        failureMessages: [babelStack],
+        title: 'Babel test',
+      },
+    ],
+    {
+      rootDir: '',
+    },
+    {
+      noStackTrace: false,
+    },
+  );
+
+  expect(messages).toMatchSnapshot();
+});
diff --git a/packages/jest-message-util/src/index.js b/packages/jest-message-util/src/index.js
index 1f8f4d5f62ba..717e1861a8ff 100644
--- a/packages/jest-message-util/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/jest-message-util/src/index.js
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ const TITLE_BULLET = chalk.bold('\u25cf ');
 const STACK_TRACE_COLOR = chalk.dim;
 const STACK_PATH_REGEXP = /\s*at.*\(?(\:\d*\:\d*|native)\)?/;
 const EXEC_ERROR_MESSAGE = 'Test suite failed to run';
-const ERROR_TEXT = 'Error: ';
 const NOT_EMPTY_LINE_REGEXP = /^(?!$)/gm;
 
 const indentAllLines = (lines: string, indent: string) =>
@@ -335,13 +334,14 @@ export const separateMessageFromStack = (content: string) => {
     return {message: '', stack: ''};
   }
 
-  const messageMatch = content.match(/(^(.|\n)*?(?=\n\s*at\s.*\:\d*\:\d*))/);
-  let message = messageMatch ? messageMatch[0] : 'Error';
-  const stack = messageMatch ? content.slice(message.length) : content;
-  // If the error is a plain error instead of a SyntaxError or TypeError
-  // we remove it from the message because it is generally not useful.
-  if (message.startsWith(ERROR_TEXT)) {
-    message = message.substr(ERROR_TEXT.length);
-  }
+  // All lines up to what looks like a stack -- or if nothing looks like a stack
+  // (maybe it's a code frame instead), just the first non-empty line.
+  // If the error is a plain "Error:" instead of a SyntaxError or TypeError we
+  // remove the prefix from the message because it is generally not useful.
+  const messageMatch = content.match(
+    /^(?:Error: )?([\s\S]*?(?=\n\s*at\s.*\:\d*\:\d*)|\s*.*)([\s\S]*)$/
+  );
+  const message = messageMatch[1];
+  const stack = messageMatch[2];
   return {message, stack};
 };