diff --git a/cli/src/compile.rs b/cli/src/compile.rs
index ec3c3a53..b88b3c29 100644
--- a/cli/src/compile.rs
+++ b/cli/src/compile.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ use std::path::Path;
 
 use typst::doc::Document;
 use typst_ts_compiler::{
-    service::{CompileActor, CompileDriver, CompileExporter, Compiler, DynamicLayoutCompiler},
+    service::{
+        features::{FeatureSet, DIAG_FMT_FEATURE},
+        CompileActor, CompileDriver, CompileExporter, Compiler, DynamicLayoutCompiler,
+    },
     TypstSystemWorld,
 };
 use typst_ts_core::{config::CompileOpts, exporter_builtins::GroupExporter, path::PathClean};
@@ -101,10 +104,14 @@ pub fn compile_export(args: CompileArgs, exporter: GroupExporter<Document>) -> !
 
     let watch_root = driver.world().root.as_ref().to_owned();
 
+    let feature_set =
+        FeatureSet::default().configure(&DIAG_FMT_FEATURE, args.diagnostic_format.into());
+
     // CompileExporter + DynamicLayoutCompiler + WatchDriver
     let driver = CompileExporter::new(driver).with_exporter(exporter);
     let driver = DynamicLayoutCompiler::new(driver, output_dir).with_enable(args.dynamic_layout);
-    let actor = CompileActor::new(driver, watch_root).with_watch(args.watch);
+    let actor =
+        CompileActor::new_with_features(driver, watch_root, feature_set).with_watch(args.watch);
 
     utils::async_continue(async move {
         utils::logical_exit(actor.run());
diff --git a/cli/src/lib.rs b/cli/src/lib.rs
index ae1624f8..68f605d4 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use core::fmt;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 pub mod compile;
@@ -148,6 +149,14 @@ pub struct CompileArgs {
     #[clap(long)]
     pub format: Vec<String>,
 
+    /// In which format to emit diagnostics
+    #[clap(
+        long,
+        default_value_t = DiagnosticFormat::Human,
+        value_parser = clap::value_parser!(DiagnosticFormat)
+    )]
+    pub diagnostic_format: DiagnosticFormat,
+
     /// Enable tracing.
     /// Possible usage: --trace=verbosity={0..3}
     ///   where verbosity: {0..3} -> {warning, info, debug, trace}
@@ -280,6 +289,37 @@ pub struct GenPackagesDocArgs {
     pub dynamic_layout: bool,
 }
 
+/// Which format to use for diagnostics.
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd, ValueEnum)]
+pub enum DiagnosticFormat {
+    Human,
+    Short,
+}
+
+impl From<DiagnosticFormat> for typst_ts_compiler::service::DiagnosticFormat {
+    fn from(fmt: DiagnosticFormat) -> Self {
+        match fmt {
+            DiagnosticFormat::Human => Self::Human,
+            DiagnosticFormat::Short => Self::Short,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for DiagnosticFormat {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::Human
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for DiagnosticFormat {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        self.to_possible_value()
+            .expect("no values are skipped")
+            .get_name()
+            .fmt(f)
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn get_cli(sub_command_required: bool) -> Command {
     let cli = Command::new("$").disable_version_flag(true);
     Opts::augment_args(cli).subcommand_required(sub_command_required)
diff --git a/compiler/src/service/compile.rs b/compiler/src/service/compile.rs
index 7ef0760e..005417fd 100644
--- a/compiler/src/service/compile.rs
+++ b/compiler/src/service/compile.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ pub struct CompileActor<C: Compiler> {
     estimated_shadow_files: HashSet<Arc<Path>>,
     /// The latest compiled document.
     latest_doc: Option<Arc<TypstDocument>>,
+    /// feature set for compile_once mode.
+    once_feature_set: FeatureSet,
     /// Shared feature set for watch mode.
     watch_feature_set: Arc<FeatureSet>,
 
@@ -101,13 +103,15 @@ impl<C: Compiler + ShadowApi + WorldExporter + Send + 'static> CompileActor<C>
 where
     C::World: for<'files> codespan_reporting::files::Files<'files, FileId = TypstFileId>,
 {
-    /// Create a new compiler thread.
-    pub fn new(compiler: C, root: PathBuf) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_with_features(compiler: C, root: PathBuf, feature_set: FeatureSet) -> Self {
         let (steal_send, steal_recv) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
         let (memory_send, memory_recv) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
 
-        let watch_feature_set =
-            Arc::new(FeatureSet::default().configure(&WITH_COMPILING_STATUS_FEATURE, true));
+        let watch_feature_set = Arc::new(
+            feature_set
+                .clone()
+                .configure(&WITH_COMPILING_STATUS_FEATURE, true),
+        );
 
         Self {
             compiler: CompileReporter::new(compiler)
@@ -120,6 +124,7 @@ where
 
             estimated_shadow_files: Default::default(),
             latest_doc: None,
+            once_feature_set: feature_set,
             watch_feature_set,
 
             steal_send,
@@ -130,6 +135,11 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    /// Create a new compiler thread.
+    pub fn new(compiler: C, root: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self::new_with_features(compiler, root, FeatureSet::default())
+    }
+
     /// Run the compiler thread synchronously.
     pub fn run(self) -> bool {
         use tokio::runtime::Handle;
@@ -146,7 +156,9 @@ where
     /// until it exits.
     async fn block_run_inner(mut self) -> bool {
         if !self.enable_watch {
-            let compiled = self.compiler.compile(&mut Default::default());
+            let compiled = self
+                .compiler
+                .compile(&mut CompileEnv::default().configure(self.once_feature_set));
             return compiled.is_ok();
         }
 
@@ -162,7 +174,9 @@ where
     /// Spawn the compiler thread.
     pub async fn spawn(mut self) -> Option<JoinHandle<()>> {
         if !self.enable_watch {
-            self.compiler.compile(&mut Default::default()).ok();
+            self.compiler
+                .compile(&mut CompileEnv::default().configure(self.once_feature_set))
+                .ok();
             return None;
         }
 
diff --git a/compiler/src/service/diag.rs b/compiler/src/service/diag.rs
index 32d59128..f4782e63 100644
--- a/compiler/src/service/diag.rs
+++ b/compiler/src/service/diag.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ use typst::{diag::SourceDiagnostic, World};
 use typst::eval::eco_format;
 use typst_ts_core::{GenericExporter, PhantomParamData, TakeAs, TypstFileId};
 
-use super::features::{CompileFeature, FeatureSet, WITH_COMPILING_STATUS_FEATURE};
+use super::features::{
+    CompileFeature, FeatureSet, DIAG_FMT_FEATURE, WITH_COMPILING_STATUS_FEATURE,
+};
 use super::{CompileReport, DiagStatus};
 
 /// Which format to use for diagnostics.
@@ -47,12 +49,20 @@ fn color_stream() -> StandardStream {
 pub fn print_diagnostics<'files, W: World + Files<'files, FileId = TypstFileId>>(
     world: &'files W,
     errors: ecow::EcoVec<SourceDiagnostic>,
+    diagnostic_format: DiagnosticFormat,
 ) -> Result<(), codespan_reporting::files::Error> {
-    let mut w = color_stream();
-    let config = term::Config {
+    let mut w = match diagnostic_format {
+        DiagnosticFormat::Human => color_stream(),
+        DiagnosticFormat::Short => StandardStream::stderr(ColorChoice::Never),
+    };
+
+    let mut config = term::Config {
         tab_width: 2,
         ..Default::default()
     };
+    if diagnostic_format == DiagnosticFormat::Short {
+        config.display_style = term::DisplayStyle::Short;
+    }
 
     for diagnostic in errors {
         let diag = match diagnostic.severity {
@@ -150,7 +160,7 @@ where
         }
 
         if let Some(diag) = output.diagnostics() {
-            let _err = print_diagnostics(world, diag);
+            let _err = print_diagnostics(world, diag, DIAG_FMT_FEATURE.retrieve(&features));
             // todo: log in browser compiler
             #[cfg(feature = "system-compile")]
             if _err.is_err() {
diff --git a/compiler/src/service/features.rs b/compiler/src/service/features.rs
index d23ff00e..b1b208a5 100644
--- a/compiler/src/service/features.rs
+++ b/compiler/src/service/features.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use ecow::EcoString;
 use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 
+use super::diag::DiagnosticFormat;
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
 pub struct FeatureSlot(u16);
 
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ impl From<&LazyFeatureSlot> for FeatureSlot {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Default)]
+#[derive(Default, Clone)]
 pub struct FeatureSet {
     features: Vec<EcoString>,
 }
@@ -52,6 +54,30 @@ pub trait CompileFeature<T> {
     fn retrieve(&self, features: &FeatureSet) -> T;
 }
 
+pub struct DiagFmtFeature;
+const DIAG_FEATURE: FeatureSlot = FeatureSlot(0);
+pub static DIAG_FMT_FEATURE: DiagFmtFeature = DiagFmtFeature;
+
+impl CompileFeature<DiagnosticFormat> for DiagFmtFeature {
+    fn configure(&self, features: FeatureSet, value: DiagnosticFormat) -> FeatureSet {
+        features.configure_slot(
+            DIAG_FEATURE,
+            match value {
+                DiagnosticFormat::Human => "",
+                DiagnosticFormat::Short => "s",
+            }
+            .into(),
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn retrieve(&self, features: &FeatureSet) -> DiagnosticFormat {
+        features
+            .slot(DIAG_FEATURE)
+            .and_then(|s| (s == "s").then_some(DiagnosticFormat::Short))
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Default)]
 pub struct BuiltinFeature<T>(LazyFeatureSlot, std::marker::PhantomData<T>);
 
diff --git a/compiler/src/service/mod.rs b/compiler/src/service/mod.rs
index 8f1fe687..0dc1aa9f 100644
--- a/compiler/src/service/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/src/service/mod.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub(crate) mod session;
 #[cfg(feature = "system-compile")]
 pub use session::*;
 
-use self::features::FeatureSet;
+pub use self::{diag::DiagnosticFormat, features::FeatureSet};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "system-compile")]
 pub type CompileDriver = CompileDriverImpl<crate::TypstSystemWorld>;
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ where
         &self,
         errors: ecow::EcoVec<SourceDiagnostic>,
     ) -> Result<(), codespan_reporting::files::Error> {
-        diag::print_diagnostics(self.world(), errors)
+        diag::print_diagnostics(self.world(), errors, DiagnosticFormat::Human)
     }
 
     /// Print status message to the terminal.