diff --git a/parser/gotest/gotest.go b/parser/gotest/gotest.go
index 1894758..375f8de 100644
--- a/parser/gotest/gotest.go
+++ b/parser/gotest/gotest.go
@@ -109,10 +109,21 @@ func SetSubtestMode(mode SubtestMode) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// AssumeNoBuildOutput is an Option disables "build_output" event parsing. This
+// option is most useful when running tests that are known to build correctly,
+// or have already been built (e.g. via go test -c, or an alternative build
+// system).
+func AssumeNoBuildOutput() Option {
+	return func(p *Parser) {
+		p.assumeNoBuildOutput = true
+	}
+}
+
 // Parser is a Go test output Parser.
 type Parser struct {
-	packageName string
-	subtestMode SubtestMode
+	packageName         string
+	subtestMode         SubtestMode
+	assumeNoBuildOutput bool
 
 	timestampFunc func() time.Time
 
@@ -208,7 +219,7 @@ func (p *Parser) parseLine(line string) (events []Event) {
 		return p.benchSummary(matches[1], matches[2], matches[3], matches[4], matches[5], matches[6])
 	} else if matches := regexEndBenchmark.FindStringSubmatch(line); len(matches) == 3 {
 		return p.endBench(matches[1], matches[2])
-	} else if strings.HasPrefix(line, "# ") {
+	} else if !p.assumeNoBuildOutput && strings.HasPrefix(line, "# ") {
 		fields := strings.Fields(strings.TrimPrefix(line, "# "))
 		if len(fields) == 1 || len(fields) == 2 {
 			return p.buildOutput(fields[0])
diff --git a/parser/gotest/gotest_test.go b/parser/gotest/gotest_test.go
index c6300d9..481cf79 100644
--- a/parser/gotest/gotest_test.go
+++ b/parser/gotest/gotest_test.go
@@ -225,3 +225,40 @@ func TestParseLine(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseLine_AssumeNoBuildOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []parseLineTest{
+		{
+			"# package/name/failing1",
+			[]Event{{Type: "output", Data: "# package/name/failing1"}},
+		},
+		{
+			"# package/name/failing2 [package/name/failing2.test]",
+			[]Event{{Type: "output", Data: "# package/name/failing2 [package/name/failing2.test]"}},
+		},
+	}
+
+    // Include all the other tests that don't produce build_output as well, they
+    // should continue functioning normally.
+Outer:
+	for _, test := range parseLineTests {
+		for _, event := range test.events {
+			if event.Type == "build_output" {
+				continue Outer
+			}
+		}
+
+        tests = append(tests, test)
+	}
+
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		name := fmt.Sprintf("%d-%s", i, test.Name())
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			parser := NewParser(AssumeNoBuildOutput())
+			events := parser.parseLine(test.input)
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(test.events, events); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("parseLine(%q) returned unexpected events, diff (-want, +got):\n%v", test.input, diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}