diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4c93b69..ace78e5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -94,11 +94,10 @@ a parameter:
 
     var parser = PEG.buildParser("start = ('a' / 'b')+");
 
-The method will return generated parser object or throw an exception if the
-grammar is invalid. The exception will contain `message` property with more
-details about the error.
-
-To get parser’s source code, call the `toSource` method on the parser.
+The method will return generated parser object or its source code as a string
+(depending on the value of the `output` option — see below). It will throw an
+exception if the grammar is invalid. The exception will contain `message`
+property with more details about the error.
 
 You can tweak the generated parser by passing a second parameter with an options
 object to `PEG.buildParser`. The following options are supported:
@@ -111,6 +110,9 @@ object to `PEG.buildParser`. The following options are supported:
     (default: `false`)
   * `allowedStartRules` — rules the parser will be allowed to start parsing from
     (default: the first rule in the grammar)
+  * `output` — if set to `"parser"`, the method will return generated parser
+    object; if set to `"source"`, it will return parser source code as a string
+    (default: `"parser"`)
 
 Using the Parser
 ----------------
diff --git a/bin/pegjs b/bin/pegjs
index 0466617..4fe30ab 100755
--- a/bin/pegjs
+++ b/bin/pegjs
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ function readStream(inputStream, callback) {
 var exportVar = "module.exports";
 var options = {
   cache:              false,
-  trackLineAndColumn: false
+  trackLineAndColumn: false,
+  output:             "source"
 };
 
 while (args.length > 0 && isOption(args[0])) {
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ switch (args.length) {
 
 readStream(inputStream, function(input) {
   try {
-    var parser = PEG.buildParser(input, options);
+    var source = PEG.buildParser(input, options);
   } catch (e) {
     if (e.line !== undefined && e.column !== undefined) {
       abort(e.line + ":" + e.column + ": " + e.message);
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ readStream(inputStream, function(input) {
     }
   }
 
-  outputStream.write(exportVar + " = " + parser.toSource() + ";\n");
+  outputStream.write(exportVar + " = " + source + ";\n");
   if (outputStream !== process.stdout) {
     outputStream.end();
   }
diff --git a/lib/compiler.js b/lib/compiler.js
index 9fc0a21..0ebd2cd 100644
--- a/lib/compiler.js
+++ b/lib/compiler.js
@@ -24,16 +24,16 @@ module.exports = {
   compile: function(ast, options) {
     if (options === undefined) { options = {}; }
 
-    var that = this;
+    var that   = this,
+        output = options.output !== undefined ? options.output : "parser";
 
     utils.each(this.appliedPassNames, function(passName) {
       that.passes[passName](ast, options);
     });
 
-    var source = ast.code;
-    var result = eval(source);
-    result._source = source;
-
-    return result;
+    switch (output) {
+      case "parser": return eval(ast.code);
+      case "source": return ast.code;
+    }
   }
 };
diff --git a/lib/compiler/passes/generate-code.js b/lib/compiler/passes/generate-code.js
index 101ea64..f1ed480 100644
--- a/lib/compiler/passes/generate-code.js
+++ b/lib/compiler/passes/generate-code.js
@@ -516,10 +516,7 @@ module.exports = function(ast, options) {
             '      }',
             '      ',
             '      return result;',
-            '    },',
-            '    ',
-            '    /* Returns the parser source code. */',
-            '    toSource: function() { return this._source; }',
+            '    }',
             '  };',
             '  ',
             '  /* Thrown when a parser encounters a syntax error. */',
diff --git a/lib/parser.js b/lib/parser.js
index 8b47929..d03a5bd 100644
--- a/lib/parser.js
+++ b/lib/parser.js
@@ -2840,10 +2840,7 @@ module.exports = (function(){
       }
       
       return result;
-    },
-    
-    /* Returns the parser source code. */
-    toSource: function() { return this._source; }
+    }
   };
   
   /* Thrown when a parser encounters a syntax error. */
diff --git a/spec/generated-parser.spec.js b/spec/generated-parser.spec.js
index 846a9ea..cd2e641 100644
--- a/spec/generated-parser.spec.js
+++ b/spec/generated-parser.spec.js
@@ -934,6 +934,37 @@ describe("generated parser", function() {
       });
     });
 
+    describe("output", function() {
+      var grammar = 'start = "a"';
+
+      describe("without the |output| option", function() {
+        it("returns a parser object", function() {
+          var parser = PEG.buildParser(grammar);
+
+          expect(typeof parser).toBe("object");
+          expect(parser).toParse("a", "a");
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe("when the |output| option is set to \"parser\"", function() {
+        it("returns a parser object", function() {
+          var parser = PEG.buildParser(grammar, { output: "parser" });
+
+          expect(typeof parser).toBe("object");
+          expect(parser).toParse("a", "a");
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe("when the |output| option is set to \"source\"", function() {
+        it("returns a parser source code", function() {
+          var source = PEG.buildParser(grammar, { output: "source" });
+
+          expect(typeof source).toBe("string");
+          expect(eval(source)).toParse("a", "a");
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
     /*
      * Following examples are from Wikipedia, see
      * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parsing_expression_grammar&oldid=335106938.