diff --git a/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs b/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
index 3c9c35a0e8f..1427f958288 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
@@ -283,36 +283,10 @@ fn rustc<'a, 'cfg>(
                 &package_id,
                 &target,
                 mode,
-                &mut |line| {
-                    if !line.is_empty() {
-                        Err(internal(&format!(
-                            "compiler stdout is not empty: `{}`",
-                            line
-                        )))
-                    } else {
-                        Ok(())
-                    }
-                },
-                &mut |line| {
-                    // stderr from rustc can have a mix of JSON and non-JSON output
-                    if line.starts_with('{') {
-                        // Handle JSON lines
-                        let compiler_message = serde_json::from_str(line).map_err(|_| {
-                            internal(&format!("compiler produced invalid json: `{}`", line))
-                        })?;
-
-                        machine_message::emit(&machine_message::FromCompiler {
-                            package_id: &package_id,
-                            target: &target,
-                            message: compiler_message,
-                        });
-                    } else {
-                        // Forward non-JSON to stderr
-                        writeln!(io::stderr(), "{}", line)?;
-                    }
-                    Ok(())
-                },
-            ).map_err(Internal::new).chain_err(|| format!("Could not compile `{}`.", name))?;
+                &mut assert_is_empty,
+                &mut |line| json_stderr(line, &package_id, &target),
+            ).map_err(Internal::new)
+            .chain_err(|| format!("Could not compile `{}`.", name))?;
         } else if build_plan {
             state.build_plan(buildkey, rustc.clone(), outputs.clone());
         } else {
@@ -631,6 +605,10 @@ fn rustdoc<'a, 'cfg>(cx: &mut Context<'a, 'cfg>, unit: &Unit<'a>) -> CargoResult
         rustdoc.arg("--cfg").arg(&format!("feature=\"{}\"", feat));
     }
 
+    if bcx.build_config.json_messages() {
+        rustdoc.arg("--error-format").arg("json");
+    }
+
     if let Some(ref args) = bcx.extra_args_for(unit) {
         rustdoc.args(args);
     }
@@ -642,6 +620,9 @@ fn rustdoc<'a, 'cfg>(cx: &mut Context<'a, 'cfg>, unit: &Unit<'a>) -> CargoResult
     let name = unit.pkg.name().to_string();
     let build_state = cx.build_state.clone();
     let key = (unit.pkg.package_id().clone(), unit.kind);
+    let json_messages = bcx.build_config.json_messages();
+    let package_id = unit.pkg.package_id().clone();
+    let target = unit.target.clone();
 
     let should_capture_output = cx.bcx.config.cli_unstable().compile_progress;
 
@@ -656,7 +637,14 @@ fn rustdoc<'a, 'cfg>(cx: &mut Context<'a, 'cfg>, unit: &Unit<'a>) -> CargoResult
         }
         state.running(&rustdoc);
 
-        let exec_result = if should_capture_output {
+        let exec_result = if json_messages {
+            rustdoc
+                .exec_with_streaming(
+                    &mut assert_is_empty,
+                    &mut |line| json_stderr(line, &package_id, &target),
+                    false,
+                ).map(drop)
+        } else if should_capture_output {
             state.capture_output(rustdoc, false).map(drop)
         } else {
             rustdoc.exec()
@@ -999,3 +987,33 @@ impl Kind {
         }
     }
 }
+
+fn assert_is_empty(line: &str) -> CargoResult<()> {
+    if !line.is_empty() {
+        Err(internal(&format!(
+            "compiler stdout is not empty: `{}`",
+            line
+        )))
+    } else {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+fn json_stderr(line: &str, package_id: &PackageId, target: &Target) -> CargoResult<()> {
+    // stderr from rustc/rustdoc can have a mix of JSON and non-JSON output
+    if line.starts_with('{') {
+        // Handle JSON lines
+        let compiler_message = serde_json::from_str(line)
+            .map_err(|_| internal(&format!("compiler produced invalid json: `{}`", line)))?;
+
+        machine_message::emit(&machine_message::FromCompiler {
+            package_id: package_id,
+            target: target,
+            message: compiler_message,
+        });
+    } else {
+        // Forward non-JSON to stderr
+        writeln!(io::stderr(), "{}", line)?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/doc.rs b/tests/testsuite/doc.rs
index 871f459a593..ca212bf2ff6 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/doc.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/doc.rs
@@ -1359,6 +1359,13 @@ fn doc_private_items() {
     assert_that(&foo.root().join("target/doc/foo/private/index.html"), existing_file());
 }
 
+const BAD_INTRA_LINK_LIB: &'static str = r#"
+#![deny(intra_doc_link_resolution_failure)]
+
+/// [bad_link]
+pub fn foo() {}
+"#;
+
 #[test]
 fn doc_cap_lints() {
     if !is_nightly() {
@@ -1366,15 +1373,8 @@ fn doc_cap_lints() {
         return;
     }
     let a = git::new("a", |p| {
-        p.file("Cargo.toml", &basic_lib_manifest("a")).file(
-            "src/lib.rs",
-            "
-            #![deny(intra_doc_link_resolution_failure)]
-
-            /// [bad_link]
-            pub fn foo() {}
-        ",
-        )
+        p.file("Cargo.toml", &basic_lib_manifest("a"))
+            .file("src/lib.rs", BAD_INTRA_LINK_LIB)
     }).unwrap();
 
     let p = project()
@@ -1419,5 +1419,34 @@ fn doc_cap_lints() {
 ",
         ),
     );
+}
 
+#[test]
+fn doc_message_format() {
+    if !is_nightly() {
+        // This can be removed once 1.30 is stable (rustdoc --error-format stabilized).
+        return;
+    }
+    let p = project().file("src/lib.rs", BAD_INTRA_LINK_LIB).build();
+
+    assert_that(
+        p.cargo("doc --message-format=json"),
+        execs().with_status(101).with_json(
+            r#"
+            {
+                "message": {
+                    "children": "{...}",
+                    "code": "{...}",
+                    "level": "error",
+                    "message": "[..]",
+                    "rendered": "[..]",
+                    "spans": "{...}"
+                },
+                "package_id": "foo [..]",
+                "reason": "compiler-message",
+                "target": "{...}"
+            }
+            "#,
+        ),
+    );
 }