diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index c3da891..474f0e0 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ pub struct Error {
     /// `None` if not specified or unknown message kind.
     pub kind: Option<ErrorKind>,
     pub msg: String,
+    /// We can expect a specific number of sub-spans.
+    /// This count is used only for expected errors.
+    /// `None` when multiple actual messages on the same line should be treated as one.
+    pub count: Option<u32>,
 }
 
 #[derive(PartialEq, Debug)]
@@ -124,24 +128,38 @@ fn parse_expected(last_nonfollow_error: Option<usize>,
         (false, line[start + tag.len()..].chars().take_while(|c| *c == '^').count())
     };
     let kind_start = start + tag.len() + adjusts + (follow as usize);
-    let (kind, msg);
-    match
-        line[kind_start..].split_whitespace()
-                          .next()
-                          .expect("Encountered unexpected empty comment")
-                          .parse::<ErrorKind>()
-    {
+    let (kind, msg, count);
+    let kind_str = line[kind_start..].trim_left()
+                                     .chars()
+                                     .take_while(|c| !c.is_whitespace() && *c != '*')
+                                     .collect::<String>();
+    match kind_str.parse::<ErrorKind>() {
         Ok(k) => {
-            // If we find `//~ ERROR foo` or something like that:
+            // If we find `//~ ERROR foo` or `//~ ERROR*9 foo` something like that:
             kind = Some(k);
-            let letters = line[kind_start..].chars();
-            msg = letters.skip_while(|c| c.is_whitespace())
-                         .skip_while(|c| !c.is_whitespace())
-                         .collect::<String>();
+            let rest = line[kind_start..].trim_left()
+                                         .chars()
+                                         .skip_while(|c| !c.is_whitespace() && *c != '*')
+                                         .collect::<String>();
+            if rest.starts_with('*') {
+                // We found `//~ ERROR*9 foo`
+                let count_str = rest.chars().skip(1)
+                                            .take_while(|c| c.is_digit(10))
+                                            .collect::<String>();
+                count = Some(count_str.parse::<u32>().expect("Incorrect message count"));
+                msg = rest.chars().skip(1)
+                                  .skip_while(|c| c.is_digit(10))
+                                  .collect::<String>();
+            } else {
+                // We found `//~ ERROR foo`
+                count = None;
+                msg = rest;
+            }
         }
         Err(_) => {
             // Otherwise we found `//~ foo`:
             kind = None;
+            count = None;
             let letters = line[kind_start..].chars();
             msg = letters.skip_while(|c| c.is_whitespace())
                          .collect::<String>();
@@ -163,7 +181,12 @@ fn parse_expected(last_nonfollow_error: Option<usize>,
 
     debug!("line={} tag={:?} which={:?} kind={:?} msg={:?}",
            line_num, tag, which, kind, msg);
-    Some((which, Error { line_num: line_num,
-                         kind: kind,
-                         msg: msg, }))
+    Some((which,
+          Error {
+              line_num: line_num,
+              kind: kind,
+              msg: msg,
+              count: count,
+          }
+    ))
 }
diff --git a/src/json.rs b/src/json.rs
index 84b7854..fda6c1d 100644
--- a/src/json.rs
+++ b/src/json.rs
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ fn push_expected_errors(expected_errors: &mut Vec<Error>,
                     line_num: span.line_start,
                     kind: kind,
                     msg: msg,
+                    count: None,
                 }
             );
         }
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ fn push_expected_errors(expected_errors: &mut Vec<Error>,
                     line_num: span.line_start,
                     kind: None,
                     msg: with_code(span, next_line),
+                    count: None,
                 }
             );
         }
@@ -174,7 +176,8 @@ fn push_expected_errors(expected_errors: &mut Vec<Error>,
                 Error {
                     line_num: start_line + index,
                     kind: Some(ErrorKind::Suggestion),
-                    msg: line.to_string()
+                    msg: line.to_string(),
+                    count: None,
                 }
             );
         }
@@ -196,7 +199,8 @@ fn push_expected_errors(expected_errors: &mut Vec<Error>,
         expected_errors.push(Error {
             line_num: span.line_start,
             kind: Some(ErrorKind::Note),
-            msg: span.label.clone().unwrap()
+            msg: span.label.clone().unwrap(),
+            count: None,
         });
     }
 
@@ -215,6 +219,7 @@ fn push_backtrace(expected_errors: &mut Vec<Error>,
                 line_num: expansion.span.line_start,
                 kind: Some(ErrorKind::Note),
                 msg: format!("in this expansion of {}", expansion.macro_decl_name),
+                count: None,
             }
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/runtest.rs b/src/runtest.rs
index 42edbd4..9827b7f 100644
--- a/src/runtest.rs
+++ b/src/runtest.rs
@@ -1015,13 +1015,14 @@ actual:\n\
         let mut unexpected = 0;
         let mut not_found = 0;
         let mut found = vec![false; expected_errors.len()];
+        let mut counts_expected = expected_errors.iter().map(|ee| ee.count).collect::<Vec<_>>();
         for actual_error in &actual_errors {
             let opt_index =
                 expected_errors
                 .iter()
                 .enumerate()
                 .position(|(index, expected_error)| {
-                    !found[index] &&
+                    counts_expected[index] != Some(0) &&
                         actual_error.line_num == expected_error.line_num &&
                         (expected_error.kind.is_none() ||
                          actual_error.kind == expected_error.kind) &&
@@ -1031,8 +1032,11 @@ actual:\n\
             match opt_index {
                 Some(index) => {
                     // found a match, everybody is happy
-                    assert!(!found[index]);
                     found[index] = true;
+                    if let &mut Some(ref mut count) = &mut counts_expected[index] {
+                        assert!(*count != 0);
+                        *count -= 1;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 None => {
@@ -1053,7 +1057,8 @@ actual:\n\
 
         // anything not yet found is a problem
         for (index, expected_error) in expected_errors.iter().enumerate() {
-            if !found[index] {
+            let count_is_good = counts_expected[index] == None || counts_expected[index] == Some(0);
+            if !found[index] || !count_is_good {
                 self.error(
                     &format!("{}:{}: expected {} not found: {}",
                              file_name,
diff --git a/test-project/tests/compile-fail/multiple-errors.rs b/test-project/tests/compile-fail/multiple-errors.rs
index ce11277..8748741 100644
--- a/test-project/tests/compile-fail/multiple-errors.rs
+++ b/test-project/tests/compile-fail/multiple-errors.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-fn main() {
-    let x: (u64, bool) = (true, 42u64);
+fn foo() {
+    let x: (u64, bool, bool) = (true, 42u64, 666u64);
     //~^ ERROR mismatched types
-    //~^^ ERROR mismatched types
+}
+
+fn bar() {
+    let x: (u64, bool) = (true, 42u64);
+    //~^ ERROR*2 mismatched types
 }