diff --git a/src/compiler/parser.ts b/src/compiler/parser.ts
index cbe589f5f0..54f7a806f3 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parser.ts
@@ -3533,16 +3533,13 @@ module ts {
         function parseClassDeclaration(pos: number, flags: NodeFlags): ClassDeclaration {
             var node = <ClassDeclaration>createNode(SyntaxKind.ClassDeclaration, pos);
             node.flags = flags;
-            var errorCountBeforeClassDeclaration = file._parserDiagnostics.length;
             parseExpected(SyntaxKind.ClassKeyword);
             node.name = parseIdentifier();
             node.typeParameters = parseTypeParameters();
             // TODO(jfreeman): Parse arbitrary sequence of heritage clauses and error for order and duplicates
+
             node.baseType = parseOptional(SyntaxKind.ExtendsKeyword) ? parseTypeReference() : undefined;
-            var implementsKeywordStart = scanner.getTokenPos();
-            var implementsKeywordLength: number;
             if (parseOptional(SyntaxKind.ImplementsKeyword)) {
-                implementsKeywordLength = scanner.getStartPos() - implementsKeywordStart;
                 node.implementedTypes = parseDelimitedList(ParsingContext.BaseTypeReferences, parseTypeReference);
             }
             var errorCountBeforeClassBody = file._parserDiagnostics.length;
@@ -3553,31 +3550,20 @@ module ts {
             else {
                 node.members = createMissingList<Declaration>();
             }
-            if (node.implementedTypes && !node.implementedTypes.length && errorCountBeforeClassBody === errorCountBeforeClassDeclaration) {
-                grammarErrorAtPos(implementsKeywordStart, implementsKeywordLength, Diagnostics._0_list_cannot_be_empty, "implements");
-            }
             return finishNode(node);
         }
 
         function parseInterfaceDeclaration(pos: number, flags: NodeFlags): InterfaceDeclaration {
             var node = <InterfaceDeclaration>createNode(SyntaxKind.InterfaceDeclaration, pos);
             node.flags = flags;
-            var errorCountBeforeInterfaceDeclaration = file._parserDiagnostics.length;
             parseExpected(SyntaxKind.InterfaceKeyword);
             node.name = parseIdentifier();
             node.typeParameters = parseTypeParameters();
             // TODO(jfreeman): Parse arbitrary sequence of heritage clauses and error for order and duplicates
-            var extendsKeywordStart = scanner.getTokenPos();
-            var extendsKeywordLength: number;
             if (parseOptional(SyntaxKind.ExtendsKeyword)) {
-                extendsKeywordLength = scanner.getStartPos() - extendsKeywordStart;
                 node.baseTypes = parseDelimitedList(ParsingContext.BaseTypeReferences, parseTypeReference);
             }
-            var errorCountBeforeInterfaceBody = file._parserDiagnostics.length;
             node.members = parseTypeLiteral().members;
-            if (node.baseTypes && !node.baseTypes.length && errorCountBeforeInterfaceBody === errorCountBeforeInterfaceDeclaration) {
-                grammarErrorAtPos(extendsKeywordStart, extendsKeywordLength, Diagnostics._0_list_cannot_be_empty, "extends");
-            }
             return finishNode(node);
         }
 
@@ -4152,7 +4138,14 @@ module ts {
         }
 
         function visitClassDeclaration(node: ClassDeclaration) {
-            checkForTrailingComma(node.implementedTypes);
+            checkForTrailingComma(node.implementedTypes) ||
+                checkForAtLeastOneHeritageClause(node.implementedTypes, "implements");
+        }
+
+        function checkForAtLeastOneHeritageClause(types: NodeArray<TypeNode>, listType: string): boolean {
+            if (types && types.length === 0) {
+                return grammarErrorAtPos(types.pos, 0, Diagnostics._0_list_cannot_be_empty, listType)
+            }
         }
 
         function visitConstructor(node: ConstructorDeclaration) {
@@ -4315,7 +4308,8 @@ module ts {
         }
 
         function visitInterfaceDeclaration(node: InterfaceDeclaration) {
-            checkForTrailingComma(node.baseTypes);
+            checkForTrailingComma(node.baseTypes) ||
+                checkForAtLeastOneHeritageClause(node.baseTypes, "extends");
         }
 
         function visitMethod(node: MethodDeclaration) {
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.errors.txt
index 6ec231b933..6d637831c4 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.errors.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.ts(1,19): error TS1097: 'implements' list cannot be empty.
+tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.ts(1,29): error TS1097: 'implements' list cannot be empty.
 tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.ts(1,17): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'A'.
 
 
 ==== tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause4.ts (2 errors) ====
     class C extends A implements {
-                      ~~~~~~~~~~
+                                
 !!! error TS1097: 'implements' list cannot be empty.
                     ~
 !!! error TS2304: Cannot find name 'A'.
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.errors.txt
index 1f235691df..2f7ca3d99a 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.errors.txt
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.errors.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.ts(1,13): error TS1097: 'extends' list cannot be empty.
+tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.ts(1,20): error TS1097: 'extends' list cannot be empty.
 
 
 ==== tests/cases/conformance/parser/ecmascript5/ErrorRecovery/ExtendsOrImplementsClauses/parserErrorRecovery_ExtendsOrImplementsClause6.ts (1 errors) ====
     interface I extends { }
-                ~~~~~~~
+                       
 !!! error TS1097: 'extends' list cannot be empty.
\ No newline at end of file