diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index a8fa060c5930d1..ef720a2f57ca6a 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -949,7 +949,7 @@ REPLServer.prototype.convertToContext = function(cmd) {
 function isRecoverableError(e) {
   return e &&
       e.name === 'SyntaxError' &&
-      /^(Unexpected end of input|Unexpected token :)/.test(e.message);
+      /^(Unexpected end of input|Unexpected token)/.test(e.message);
 }
 
 function Recoverable(err) {
diff --git a/test/simple/test-repl-unexpected-token-recoverable.js b/test/simple/test-repl-unexpected-token-recoverable.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..ace64582716d32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-repl-unexpected-token-recoverable.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+/*
+ * This is a regression test for https://github.com/joyent/node/issues/8874.
+ */
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+
+var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+// use -i to force node into interactive mode, despite stdout not being a TTY
+var args = [ '-i' ];
+var child = spawn(process.execPath, args);
+
+var input = 'var foo = "bar\\\nbaz"';
+// Match '...' as well since it marks a multi-line statement
+var expectOut = /^> ... undefined\n/;
+
+child.stderr.setEncoding('utf8');
+child.stderr.on('data', function(c) {
+  throw new Error('child.stderr be silent');
+});
+
+child.stdout.setEncoding('utf8');
+var out = '';
+child.stdout.on('data', function(c) {
+  out += c;
+});
+
+child.stdout.on('end', function() {
+  assert(expectOut.test(out));
+  console.log('ok');
+});
+
+child.stdin.end(input);