diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
index 6cc66dd255..473ce5a18b 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
@@ -169,20 +169,19 @@ exports.DebuggerStatement = function () {
 exports.VariableDeclaration = function (node, print, parent) {
   this.push(node.kind + " ");
 
-  var inits = 0;
-  var noInits = 0;
+  var hasInits = false;
+  // don't add whitespace to loop heads
   if (!t.isFor(parent)) {
     for (var i = 0; i < node.declarations.length; i++) {
       if (node.declarations[i].init) {
-        inits++;
-      } else {
-        noInits++;
+        // has an init so let's split it up over multiple lines
+        hasInits = true;
       }
     }
   }
 
   var sep = ",";
-  if (inits > noInits) { // more inits than no inits so let's add a newline
+  if (hasInits) {
     sep += "\n" + util.repeat(node.kind.length + 1);
   } else {
     sep += " ";
diff --git a/test/fixtures/generation/types/VariableDeclaration-VariableDeclarator/expected.js b/test/fixtures/generation/types/VariableDeclaration-VariableDeclarator/expected.js
index 86c14e5b1f..487fff2ae2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/generation/types/VariableDeclaration-VariableDeclarator/expected.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/generation/types/VariableDeclaration-VariableDeclarator/expected.js
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ let foo = "foo";
 var foo = "bar";
 const foo = "foo";
 
-let foo, bar = "bar";
-var foo, bar = "bar";
+let foo,
+    bar = "bar";
+var foo,
+    bar = "bar";
 
 let foo = "foo",
     bar = "bar";