diff --git a/bin/6to5-minify b/bin/6to5-minify
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..de65baf7ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/6to5-minify
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+var opts = require("./6to5").opts;
+opts.optional = (opts.optional || []).concat("minification");
+opts.format = {
+  compact: true
+};
diff --git a/bin/6to5/index.js b/bin/6to5/index.js
index 0dbd8f364e..898766e94c 100755
--- a/bin/6to5/index.js
+++ b/bin/6to5/index.js
@@ -114,12 +114,17 @@ exports.opts = {
   loose:                  commander.loose
 };
 
-var fn;
+setTimeout(function () {
+  // this is just a hack to give `6to5-minify` and other files including this
+  // time to modify `exports.opts`
 
-if (commander.outDir) {
-  fn = require("./dir");
-} else {
-  fn = require("./file");
-}
+  var fn;
 
-fn(commander, filenames, exports.opts);
+  if (commander.outDir) {
+    fn = require("./dir");
+  } else {
+    fn = require("./file");
+  }
+
+  fn(commander, filenames, exports.opts);
+}, 0);
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/buffer.js b/lib/6to5/generation/buffer.js
index 224c5468a3..440d13ab8d 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/buffer.js
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ Buffer.prototype.rightBrace = function () {
 
 Buffer.prototype.keyword = function (name) {
   this.push(name);
-  this.push(" ");
+  this.space();
 };
 
 Buffer.prototype.space = function () {
+  if (this.format.compact) return;
+
   if (this.buf && !this.isLast([" ", "\n"])) {
     this.push(" ");
   }
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/expressions.js b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/expressions.js
index f7376d97b4..cb5a49d253 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/expressions.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/expressions.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ exports.UnaryExpression = function (node, print) {
   }
 
   this.push(node.operator);
-  if (hasSpace) this.space();
+  if (hasSpace) this.push(" ");
   print(node.argument);
 };
 
@@ -33,9 +33,13 @@ exports.UpdateExpression = function (node, print) {
 
 exports.ConditionalExpression = function (node, print) {
   print(node.test);
-  this.push(" ? ");
+  this.space();
+  this.push("?");
+  this.space();
   print(node.consequent);
-  this.push(" : ");
+  this.space();
+  this.push(":");
+  this.space();
   print(node.alternate);
 };
 
@@ -44,13 +48,13 @@ exports.NewExpression = function (node, print) {
   print(node.callee);
   if (node.arguments.length || this.format.parentheses) {
     this.push("(");
-    print.join(node.arguments, { separator: ", " });
+    print.list(node.arguments);
     this.push(")");
   }
 };
 
 exports.SequenceExpression = function (node, print) {
-  print.join(node.expressions, { separator: ", " });
+  print.list(node.expressions);
 };
 
 exports.ThisExpression = function () {
@@ -72,9 +76,7 @@ exports.CallExpression = function (node, print) {
     separator += " ";
   }
 
-  print.join(node.arguments, {
-    separator: separator
-  });
+  print.list(node.arguments, { separator: separator });
 
   if (node._prettyCall) {
     this.newline();
@@ -115,10 +117,11 @@ exports.BinaryExpression =
 exports.LogicalExpression =
 exports.AssignmentPattern =
 exports.AssignmentExpression = function (node, print) {
+  // todo: add cases where the spaces can be dropped when in compact mode
   print(node.left);
-  this.space();
+  this.push(" ");
   this.push(node.operator);
-  this.space();
+  this.push(" ");
   print(node.right);
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/methods.js b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/methods.js
index 0a3caf3a59..d82fc036f8 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/methods.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/methods.js
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@ var t = require("../../types");
 
 exports._params = function (node, print) {
   this.push("(");
-
-  print.join(node.params, {
-    separator: ", "
-  });
-
+  print.list(node.params);
   this.push(")");
 };
 
@@ -45,11 +41,14 @@ exports.FunctionExpression = function (node, print) {
   if (node.async) this.push("async ");
   this.push("function");
   if (node.generator) this.push("*");
-  this.push(" ");
+
   if (node.id) {
-    this.space();
+    this.push(" ");
     print(node.id);
+  } else {
+    this.space();
   }
+
   this._params(node, print);
   this.space();
   print(node.body);
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
index 55fcfd092e..b5f6d02fcd 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/statements.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ exports.IfStatement = function (node, print) {
   if (node.alternate) {
     if (this.isLast("}")) this.push(" ");
     this.keyword("else");
+    this.push(" ");
     print.indentOnComments(node.alternate);
   }
 };
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ exports.VariableDeclaration = function (node, print, parent) {
     sep += " ";
   }
 
-  print.join(node.declarations, { separator: sep });
+  print.list(node.declarations, { separator: sep });
 
   if (!t.isFor(parent)) {
     this.semicolon();
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/types.js b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/types.js
index 51ec82daad..117af92ea1 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/generators/types.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/generators/types.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ exports.ObjectPattern = function (node, print) {
     this.push("{");
     this.space();
 
-    print.join(props, { separator: ", ", indent: true });
+    print.list(props, { indent: true });
 
     this.space();
     this.push("}");
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ exports.Property = function (node, print) {
       if (node.shorthand) return;
     }
 
-    this.push(": ");
+    this.push(":");
+    this.space();
     print(node.value);
   }
 };
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ exports.ArrayPattern = function (node, print) {
       // both (all) of the holes.
       self.push(",");
     } else {
-      if (i > 0) self.push(" ");
+      if (i > 0 && !self.format.compact) self.push(" ");
       print(elem);
       if (i < len - 1) self.push(",");
     }
diff --git a/lib/6to5/generation/index.js b/lib/6to5/generation/index.js
index 657aada805..61ec7c085d 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/generation/index.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/generation/index.js
@@ -111,6 +111,16 @@ CodeGenerator.prototype.buildPrint = function (parent) {
     return self.printJoin(print, nodes, opts);
   };
 
+  print.list = function (items, opts) {
+    opts = opts || {};
+
+    var sep = opts.separator || ", ";
+    if (self.format.compact) sep = ",";
+    opts.separator = sep;
+
+    print.join(items, opts);
+  };
+
   print.block = function (node) {
     return self.printBlock(print, node);
   };