diff --git a/lib/src/command/get.dart b/lib/src/command/get.dart
index b94114001..a5ea74299 100644
--- a/lib/src/command/get.dart
+++ b/lib/src/command/get.dart
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class GetCommand extends PubCommand {
         help: "Report what dependencies would change but don't change any.");
 
     argParser.addFlag('precompile',
-        defaultsTo: true,
+        defaultsTo: false,
         help: "Precompile executables in immediate dependencies.");
 
     argParser.addFlag('packages-dir', negatable: true, hide: true);
diff --git a/lib/src/command/run.dart b/lib/src/command/run.dart
index 7014348ec..c5da1b3c9 100644
--- a/lib/src/command/run.dart
+++ b/lib/src/command/run.dart
@@ -71,8 +71,13 @@ class RunCommand extends PubCommand {
 
     var exitCode = await runExecutable(entrypoint, package, executable, args,
         checked: argResults['enable-asserts'] || argResults['checked'],
-        snapshotPath: useSnapshot ? snapshotPath : null,
-        recompile: entrypoint.precompileExecutables);
+        snapshotPath: useSnapshot ? snapshotPath : null, recompile: () {
+      final pkg = entrypoint.packageGraph.packages[package];
+      // The recompile function will only be called when [package] exists.
+      assert(pkg != null);
+      final executablePath = pkg.path(p.join("bin", executable));
+      return entrypoint.precompileExecutable(package, executablePath);
+    });
     await flushThenExit(exitCode);
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/command/upgrade.dart b/lib/src/command/upgrade.dart
index e65e75c6f..98e44ae7e 100644
--- a/lib/src/command/upgrade.dart
+++ b/lib/src/command/upgrade.dart
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class UpgradeCommand extends PubCommand {
         help: "Report what dependencies would change but don't change any.");
 
     argParser.addFlag('precompile',
-        defaultsTo: true,
+        defaultsTo: false,
         help: "Precompile executables in immediate dependencies.");
 
     argParser.addFlag('packages-dir', negatable: true, hide: true);
diff --git a/lib/src/entrypoint.dart b/lib/src/entrypoint.dart
index 1b407fce2..36a9d2b32 100644
--- a/lib/src/entrypoint.dart
+++ b/lib/src/entrypoint.dart
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Entrypoint {
   Future acquireDependencies(SolveType type,
       {List<String> useLatest,
       bool dryRun = false,
-      bool precompile = true}) async {
+      bool precompile = false}) async {
     var result = await resolveVersions(type, cache, root,
         lockFile: lockFile, useLatest: useLatest);
 
@@ -294,20 +294,32 @@ class Entrypoint {
   }
 
   //// Precompiles [executables] to snapshots from the filesystem.
-  Future _precompileExecutables(Map<String, List<String>> executables) {
+  Future<void> _precompileExecutables(Map<String, List<String>> executables) {
     return waitAndPrintErrors(executables.keys.map((package) {
       var dir = p.join(_snapshotPath, package);
       cleanDir(dir);
-      return waitAndPrintErrors(executables[package].map((path) {
-        var url = p.toUri(p.join(packageGraph.packages[package].dir, path));
-        return dart.snapshot(
-            url, p.join(dir, p.basename(path) + '.snapshot.dart2'),
-            packagesFile: p.toUri(packagesFile),
-            name: '$package:${p.basenameWithoutExtension(path)}');
-      }));
+      return waitAndPrintErrors(executables[package]
+          .map((path) => _precompileExecutable(package, path)));
     }));
   }
 
+  /// Precompiles executable .dart file at [path] to a snapshot.
+  Future<void> precompileExecutable(String package, String path) async {
+    return await log.progress("Precompiling executable", () async {
+      var dir = p.join(_snapshotPath, package);
+      ensureDir(dir);
+      return waitAndPrintErrors([_precompileExecutable(package, path)]);
+    });
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _precompileExecutable(String package, String path) async {
+    var dir = p.join(_snapshotPath, package);
+    var url = p.toUri(p.join(packageGraph.packages[package].dir, path));
+    await dart.snapshot(url, p.join(dir, p.basename(path) + '.snapshot.dart2'),
+        packagesFile: p.toUri(packagesFile),
+        name: '$package:${p.basenameWithoutExtension(path)}');
+  }
+
   /// Deletes outdated cached executable snapshots.
   ///
   /// If [changed] is passed, only dependencies whose contents might be changed
diff --git a/lib/src/executable.dart b/lib/src/executable.dart
index e38188807..a48c33342 100644
--- a/lib/src/executable.dart
+++ b/lib/src/executable.dart
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ Future<int> runExecutable(Entrypoint entrypoint, String package,
   entrypoint.migrateCache();
 
   // Unless the user overrides the verbosity, we want to filter out the
-  // normal pub output that may be shown when recompiling snapshots.
-  if (log.verbosity == log.Verbosity.NORMAL) {
+  // normal pub output that may be shown when recompiling snapshots if we are
+  // not attached to a terminal. This is to not pollute stdout when the output
+  // of `pub run` is piped somewhere.
+  if (log.verbosity == log.Verbosity.NORMAL && !stdout.hasTerminal) {
     log.verbosity = log.Verbosity.WARNING;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/global_packages.dart b/lib/src/global_packages.dart
index e13c63ee7..eafdea814 100644
--- a/lib/src/global_packages.dart
+++ b/lib/src/global_packages.dart
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class GlobalPackages {
     var entrypoint = Entrypoint(path, cache);
 
     // Get the package's dependencies.
-    await entrypoint.acquireDependencies(SolveType.GET);
+    await entrypoint.acquireDependencies(SolveType.GET, precompile: true);
     var name = entrypoint.root.name;
 
     // Call this just to log what the current active package is, if any.
diff --git a/test/run/package_api_test.dart b/test/run/package_api_test.dart
index cdb6b5ba6..e79e841f6 100644
--- a/test/run/package_api_test.dart
+++ b/test/run/package_api_test.dart
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@ main() {
       d.appPubspec({"foo": "any"})
     ]).create();
 
-    await pubGet(output: contains("Precompiled foo:script."));
+    await pubGet();
 
     var pub = await pubRun(args: ["foo:script"]);
 
+    expect(pub.stdout, emits('Precompiling executable...'));
+    expect(pub.stdout, emits('Precompiled foo:script.'));
     expect(pub.stdout, emits("null"));
     expect(pub.stdout,
         emits(p.toUri(p.join(d.sandbox, "myapp/.packages")).toString()));
diff --git a/test/run/runs_from_a_dependency_override_after_dependency_test.dart b/test/run/runs_from_a_dependency_override_after_dependency_test.dart
index 12d0f9958..b283169ac 100644
--- a/test/run/runs_from_a_dependency_override_after_dependency_test.dart
+++ b/test/run/runs_from_a_dependency_override_after_dependency_test.dart
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ main() {
       d.appPubspec({"foo": null})
     ]).create();
 
-    await pubGet();
+    await pubGet(args: ['--precompile']);
 
     var pub = await pubRun(args: ["foo:bar"]);
     expect(pub.stdout, emits("foobar"));
diff --git a/test/snapshot_test.dart b/test/snapshot_test.dart
index bc3ff7329..310b6850e 100644
--- a/test/snapshot_test.dart
+++ b/test/snapshot_test.dart
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ main() {
       await d.appDir({"foo": "1.2.3"}).create();
 
       await pubGet(
+          args: ['--precompile'],
           output: allOf([
-        contains("Precompiled foo:hello."),
-        contains("Precompiled foo:goodbye.")
-      ]));
+            contains("Precompiled foo:hello."),
+            contains("Precompiled foo:goodbye.")
+          ]));
 
       await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin'), [
         d.file('sdk-version', '0.1.2+3\n'),
@@ -67,10 +68,11 @@ main() {
       await d.appDir({"foo": "1.2.3"}).create();
 
       await pubGet(
+          args: ['--precompile'],
           output: allOf([
-        contains("Precompiled foo:hello."),
-        contains("Precompiled foo:goodbye.")
-      ]));
+            contains("Precompiled foo:hello."),
+            contains("Precompiled foo:goodbye.")
+          ]));
 
       await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin'), [
         d.file('sdk-version', '0.1.2+3\n'),
@@ -102,7 +104,8 @@ main() {
 
         await d.appDir({"foo": "any"}).create();
 
-        await pubGet(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubGet(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('hello!'))
@@ -115,7 +118,8 @@ main() {
           ]);
         });
 
-        await pubUpgrade(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubUpgrade(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('hello 2!'))
@@ -146,7 +150,8 @@ main() {
 
         await d.appDir({"foo": "any"}).create();
 
-        await pubGet(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubGet(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('hello!'))
@@ -158,7 +163,8 @@ main() {
           ]);
         });
 
-        await pubUpgrade(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubUpgrade(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('hello 2!'))
@@ -182,7 +188,8 @@ main() {
           "foo": {"git": "../foo.git"}
         }).create();
 
-        await pubGet(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubGet(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('Hello!'))
@@ -193,7 +200,8 @@ main() {
               [d.file("hello.dart", "void main() => print('Goodbye!');")])
         ]).commit();
 
-        await pubUpgrade(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubUpgrade(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin', 'foo'), [
           d.file('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2', contains('Goodbye!'))
@@ -214,7 +222,8 @@ main() {
 
         await d.appDir({"foo": "5.6.7"}).create();
 
-        await pubGet(output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
+        await pubGet(
+            args: ['--precompile'], output: contains("Precompiled foo:hello."));
 
         await d.dir(p.join(appPath, '.dart_tool', 'pub', 'bin'), [
           d.dir('foo', [d.outOfDateSnapshot('hello.dart.snapshot.dart2')])
@@ -224,7 +233,7 @@ main() {
 
         // In the real world this would just print "hello!", but since we collect
         // all output we see the precompilation messages as well.
-        expect(process.stdout, emits("Precompiling executables..."));
+        expect(process.stdout, emits("Precompiling executable..."));
         expect(process.stdout, emitsThrough("hello!"));
         await process.shouldExit();