diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java
index d4a1fad3f5f..8fd7df18622 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java
@@ -1060,8 +1060,25 @@ public class KotlinTestUtils {
 
             if (!isIgnored && AUTOMATICALLY_MUTE_FAILED_TESTS) {
                 String text = doLoadFile(testDataFile);
-                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name();
-                String newText = directive + "\n" + text;
+                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name() + "\n";
+
+                String newText;
+                if (text.startsWith("// !")) {
+                    StringBuilder prefixBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+                    int l = 0;
+                    while (text.startsWith("// !", l)) {
+                        int r = text.indexOf("\n", l) + 1;
+                        if (r <= 0) r = text.length();
+                        prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l, r));
+                        l = r;
+                    }
+                    prefixBuilder.append(directive);
+                    prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l));
+
+                    newText = prefixBuilder.toString();
+                } else {
+                    newText = directive + text;
+                }
 
                 if (!newText.equals(text)) {
                     System.err.println("\"" + directive + "\" was added to \"" + testDataFile + "\"");
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.173 b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.173
index 235ab97f3ce..f07a34719b7 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.173
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.173
@@ -1060,8 +1060,25 @@ public class KotlinTestUtils {
 
             if (!isIgnored && AUTOMATICALLY_MUTE_FAILED_TESTS) {
                 String text = doLoadFile(testDataFile);
-                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name();
-                String newText = directive + "\n" + text;
+                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name() + "\n";
+
+                String newText;
+                if (text.startsWith("// !")) {
+                    StringBuilder prefixBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+                    int l = 0;
+                    while (text.startsWith("// !", l)) {
+                        int r = text.indexOf("\n", l) + 1;
+                        if (r <= 0) r = text.length();
+                        prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l, r));
+                        l = r;
+                    }
+                    prefixBuilder.append(directive);
+                    prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l));
+
+                    newText = prefixBuilder.toString();
+                } else {
+                    newText = directive + text;
+                }
 
                 if (!newText.equals(text)) {
                     System.err.println("\"" + directive + "\" was added to \"" + testDataFile + "\"");
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as31 b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as31
index c0ed2433d4a..b57a877c3fe 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as31
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as31
@@ -1060,8 +1060,25 @@ public class KotlinTestUtils {
 
             if (!isIgnored && AUTOMATICALLY_MUTE_FAILED_TESTS) {
                 String text = doLoadFile(testDataFile);
-                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name();
-                String newText = directive + "\n" + text;
+                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name() + "\n";
+
+                String newText;
+                if (text.startsWith("// !")) {
+                    StringBuilder prefixBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+                    int l = 0;
+                    while (text.startsWith("// !", l)) {
+                        int r = text.indexOf("\n", l) + 1;
+                        if (r <= 0) r = text.length();
+                        prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l, r));
+                        l = r;
+                    }
+                    prefixBuilder.append(directive);
+                    prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l));
+
+                    newText = prefixBuilder.toString();
+                } else {
+                    newText = directive + text;
+                }
 
                 if (!newText.equals(text)) {
                     System.err.println("\"" + directive + "\" was added to \"" + testDataFile + "\"");
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as32 b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as32
index 2cab28f4256..3fc0ff51cbb 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as32
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/KotlinTestUtils.java.as32
@@ -1060,8 +1060,25 @@ public class KotlinTestUtils {
 
             if (!isIgnored && AUTOMATICALLY_MUTE_FAILED_TESTS) {
                 String text = doLoadFile(testDataFile);
-                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name();
-                String newText = directive + "\n" + text;
+                String directive = InTextDirectivesUtils.IGNORE_BACKEND_DIRECTIVE_PREFIX + targetBackend.name() + "\n";
+
+                String newText;
+                if (text.startsWith("// !")) {
+                    StringBuilder prefixBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+                    int l = 0;
+                    while (text.startsWith("// !", l)) {
+                        int r = text.indexOf("\n", l) + 1;
+                        if (r <= 0) r = text.length();
+                        prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l, r));
+                        l = r;
+                    }
+                    prefixBuilder.append(directive);
+                    prefixBuilder.append(text.substring(l));
+
+                    newText = prefixBuilder.toString();
+                } else {
+                    newText = directive + text;
+                }
 
                 if (!newText.equals(text)) {
                     System.err.println("\"" + directive + "\" was added to \"" + testDataFile + "\"");