diff --git a/spec/babel-spec.coffee b/spec/babel-spec.coffee
index 4aec0ef8d..1f71faa93 100644
--- a/spec/babel-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/babel-spec.coffee
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ describe "Babel transpiler support", ->
       observedDigest = babel.createBabelVersionAndOptionsDigest(version, defaultOptions)
       expect(observedDigest).toEqual expectedDigest
 
+  describe 'when a .js file starts with /** use babel */;', ->
+    it "transpiles it using babel", ->
+      transpiled = require('./fixtures/babel/babel-comment.js')
+      expect(transpiled(3)).toBe 4
+      expect(grim.getDeprecationsLength()).toBe 0
+
   describe "when a .js file starts with 'use babel';", ->
     it "transpiles it using babel", ->
       transpiled = require('./fixtures/babel/babel-single-quotes.js')
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/babel/babel-comment.js b/spec/fixtures/babel/babel-comment.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4fb454999
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/babel/babel-comment.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+/** use babel */
+
+module.exports = v => v + 1
diff --git a/src/babel.coffee b/src/babel.coffee
index 201210817..0adc19db4 100644
--- a/src/babel.coffee
+++ b/src/babel.coffee
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ transpile = (sourceCode, filePath, cachePath) ->
 # either generated on the fly or pulled from cache.
 loadFile = (module, filePath) ->
   sourceCode = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8')
-  if sourceCode.startsWith('"use babel"') or sourceCode.startsWith("'use babel'")
+  if sourceCode.startsWith('"use babel"') or sourceCode.startsWith("'use babel'") or sourceCode.startsWith('/** use babel */')
     # Continue.
   else if sourceCode.startsWith('"use 6to5"') or sourceCode.startsWith("'use 6to5'")
     # Create a manual deprecation since the stack is too deep to use Grim