diff --git a/compiler/make.build.m b/compiler/make.build.m
index 380fe0740..3bc290d5c 100644
--- a/compiler/make.build.m
+++ b/compiler/make.build.m
@@ -273,11 +273,11 @@ unredirect_output(Globals, ModuleName, ErrorOutputStream, !Info, !IO) :-
         ),
         (
             ErrorFileRes = ok(ErrorFileOutputStream),
-            globals.lookup_int_option(Globals, output_compile_error_lines,
-                LinesToWrite),
+            globals.lookup_maybe_int_option(Globals,
+                output_compile_error_lines, MaybeLinesToWrite),
             io.output_stream(CurrentOutputStream, !IO),
             with_locked_stdout(!.Info,
-                make_write_error_streams(TmpErrorLines, LinesToWrite,
+                make_write_error_streams(TmpErrorLines, MaybeLinesToWrite,
                     ErrorFileOutputStream, CurrentOutputStream),
                 !IO),
             io.close_output(ErrorFileOutputStream, !IO),
@@ -300,27 +300,33 @@ unredirect_output(Globals, ModuleName, ErrorOutputStream, !Info, !IO) :-
     ),
     io.file.remove_file(TmpErrorFileName, _, !IO).
 
-:- pred make_write_error_streams(list(string)::in, int::in,
+:- pred make_write_error_streams(list(string)::in, maybe(int)::in,
     io.text_output_stream::in, io.text_output_stream::in,
     io::di, io::uo) is det.
 
-make_write_error_streams(InputLines, LinesToWrite,
+make_write_error_streams(InputLines, MaybeLinesToWrite,
         FullOutputStream, PartialOutputStream, !IO) :-
     list.foldl(write_line_nl(FullOutputStream), InputLines, !IO),
-    list.split_upto(LinesToWrite, InputLines,
-        InputLinesToWrite, InputLinesNotToWrite),
-    list.foldl(write_line_nl(PartialOutputStream), InputLinesToWrite, !IO),
     (
-        InputLinesNotToWrite = []
+        MaybeLinesToWrite = no,
+        list.foldl(write_line_nl(PartialOutputStream), InputLines, !IO)
     ;
-        InputLinesNotToWrite = [_ | _],
-        io.output_stream_name(FullOutputStream, FullOutputFileName, !IO),
-        % We used to refer to the "error log" being truncated, but
-        % the compiler's output can also contain things that are *not*
-        % error messages, with progress messages being one example.
-        io.format(PartialOutputStream,
-            "... output log truncated, see `%s' for the complete log.\n",
-            [s(FullOutputFileName)], !IO)
+        MaybeLinesToWrite = yes(LinesToWrite),
+        list.split_upto(LinesToWrite, InputLines,
+            InputLinesToWrite, InputLinesNotToWrite),
+        list.foldl(write_line_nl(PartialOutputStream), InputLinesToWrite, !IO),
+        (
+            InputLinesNotToWrite = []
+        ;
+            InputLinesNotToWrite = [_ | _],
+            io.output_stream_name(FullOutputStream, FullOutputFileName, !IO),
+            % We used to refer to the "error log" being truncated, but
+            % the compiler's output can also contain things that are *not*
+            % error messages, with progress messages being one example.
+            io.format(PartialOutputStream,
+                "... output log truncated, see `%s' for the complete log.\n",
+                [s(FullOutputFileName)], !IO)
+        )
     ).
 
 :- pred write_line_nl(io.text_output_stream::in, string::in,
diff --git a/compiler/make.module_dep_file.m b/compiler/make.module_dep_file.m
index 8fb421400..9419c3b79 100644
--- a/compiler/make.module_dep_file.m
+++ b/compiler/make.module_dep_file.m
@@ -908,7 +908,7 @@ make_module_dependencies_fatal_error(Globals, OldOutputStream, ErrorStream,
 
     % Display the contents of the `.err' file, then remove it
     % so we don't leave `.err' files lying around for nonexistent modules.
-    globals.set_option(output_compile_error_lines, int(10000),
+    globals.set_option(output_compile_error_lines, maybe_int(no),
         Globals, UnredirectGlobals),
     unredirect_output(UnredirectGlobals, ModuleName, ErrorStream, !Info, !IO),
     module_name_to_file_name(Globals, $pred, ext_user(ext_user_err),
diff --git a/compiler/options.m b/compiler/options.m
index c3874b325..b2f9cfe58 100644
--- a/compiler/options.m
+++ b/compiler/options.m
@@ -1327,7 +1327,7 @@ optdef(oc_verbosity, verbose_recompilation,             bool(no)).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, find_all_recompilation_reasons,    bool(no)).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, verbose_make,                      bool(yes)).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, verbose_commands,                  bool(no)).
-optdef(oc_verbosity, output_compile_error_lines,        int(15)).
+optdef(oc_verbosity, output_compile_error_lines,        maybe_int(yes(15))).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, report_cmd_line_args,              bool(no)).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, report_cmd_line_args_in_doterr,    bool(no)).
 optdef(oc_verbosity, statistics,                        bool(no)).
@@ -4458,8 +4458,10 @@ options_help_verbosity(Stream, !IO) :-
         "\tFind all the reasons why a module needs to be recompiled,",
         "\tnot just the first. Implies `--verbose-recompilation'.",
         "--output-compile-error-lines <n>",
+        "--no-output-compile-error-lines>",
         "\tWith `--make', output the first <n> lines of the `.err'",
         "\tfile after compiling a module (default: 15).",
+        "\tSpecifying --no-output-compile-error-lines removes the limit.",
         "--report-cmd-line-args-doterr",
         "\tReport the command line arguments.",
         "--report-cmd-line-args-in-doterr",
diff --git a/doc/user_guide.texi b/doc/user_guide.texi
index 445b01e51..3269b34ef 100644
--- a/doc/user_guide.texi
+++ b/doc/user_guide.texi
@@ -7103,10 +7103,12 @@ not just the first.  Implies @samp{--verbose-recompilation}.
 
 @sp 1
 @item --output-compile-error-lines @var{n}
+@item --no-output-compile-error-lines
 @findex --output-compile-error-lines
 @findex --make
 With @samp{--make}, output the first @var{n} lines of the @samp{.err}
 file after compiling a module (default: 15).
+Specifying --no-output-compile-error-lines removes the limit.
 
 @sp 1
 @item --report-cmd-line-args