diff --git a/src/compiler/emitter.ts b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
index f8b6e984a2..41083e722a 100644
--- a/src/compiler/emitter.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
@@ -3959,6 +3959,21 @@ module ts {
                     // NOTE(cyrusn): Some expressions may seem to be side effect free, but may 
                     // actually have side effects.  For example, a binary + expression may cause
                     // the toString method to be called on value, which may have side effects.
+
+                    // These are the set of syntactic productions which we know could definitely
+                    // have side effects:
+                    case SyntaxKind.CallExpression:
+                    case SyntaxKind.NewExpression:
+                        return true;
+
+                    case SyntaxKind.PropertyAccessExpression:
+                    case SyntaxKind.ElementAccessExpression:
+                        // Property/Element access might end up causing an accessor to run.  As
+                        // such, we have to assume there will be side effects.
+                        return true;
+
+                    // These are the set of syntactic productions which we know definitely do not
+                    // have side effects:
                     case SyntaxKind.StringLiteral:
                     case SyntaxKind.NoSubstitutionTemplateLiteral:
                     case SyntaxKind.NumericLiteral:
@@ -3975,6 +3990,8 @@ module ts {
                     case SyntaxKind.SetAccessor:
                         return false;
 
+                    // These constructs may or may not have side effects depending on their 
+                    // constituent children.
                     case SyntaxKind.ArrayBindingPattern:
                     case SyntaxKind.ObjectBindingPattern:
                         return forEach((<BindingPattern>node).elements, hasPossibleSideEffects);
@@ -3987,16 +4004,9 @@ module ts {
                         return hasPossibleSideEffects((<ParameterDeclaration>node).name) ||
                             hasPossibleSideEffects((<ParameterDeclaration>node).initializer);
 
-                    case SyntaxKind.PropertyAccessExpression:
-                        return hasPossibleSideEffects((<PropertyAccessExpression>node).expression);
-
                     case SyntaxKind.ArrayLiteralExpression:
                         return forEach((<ArrayLiteralExpression>node).elements, hasPossibleSideEffects);
 
-                    case SyntaxKind.ElementAccessExpression:
-                        return hasPossibleSideEffects((<ElementAccessExpression>node).expression) ||
-                            hasPossibleSideEffects((<ElementAccessExpression>node).argumentExpression);
-
                     case SyntaxKind.ParenthesizedExpression:
                         return hasPossibleSideEffects((<ParenthesizedExpression>node).expression);
 
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements11.js b/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements11.js
index 54ec778105..3f0b2dab8e 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements11.js
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements11.js
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ function bar(a = v[0]) {
 
 //// [functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements11.js]
 var v;
-function foo(a) { }
-function bar(a) {
+function foo(a) {
+    if (a === void 0) { a = v[0]; }
+}
+function bar(a) {
+    if (a === void 0) { a = v[0]; }
 }
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements9.js b/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements9.js
index e982227560..81e6612958 100644
--- a/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements9.js
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements9.js
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ function bar(a = console.log) {
 }
 
 //// [functionWithDefaultParameterWithNoStatements9.js]
-function foo(a) { }
-function bar(a) {
+function foo(a) {
+    if (a === void 0) { a = console.log; }
+}
+function bar(a) {
+    if (a === void 0) { a = console.log; }
 }