diff --git a/compiler/cli/cli-js/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/js/K2JsIrCompiler.kt b/compiler/cli/cli-js/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/js/K2JsIrCompiler.kt
index e95c7491889..cbecf0a4041 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/cli-js/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/js/K2JsIrCompiler.kt
+++ b/compiler/cli/cli-js/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/js/K2JsIrCompiler.kt
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ class K2JsIrCompiler : CLICompiler<K2JSCompilerArguments>() {
                     backendContext = backendContext,
                     emitNameSection = arguments.wasmDebug,
                     allowIncompleteImplementations = arguments.irDce,
+                    generateWat = true,
                 )
 
                 val launcherKind = when (arguments.wasmLauncher) {
diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.wasm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/wasm/compiler.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.wasm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/wasm/compiler.kt
index c6dc6121c5a..fcf73716f3e 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.wasm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/wasm/compiler.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.wasm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/wasm/compiler.kt
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.wasm.ir.convertors.WasmIrToText
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream
 import java.io.File
 
-class WasmCompilerResult(val wat: String, val js: String, val wasm: ByteArray)
+class WasmCompilerResult(val wat: String?, val js: String, val wasm: ByteArray)
 
 fun compileToLoweredIr(
     depsDescriptors: ModulesStructure,
@@ -76,15 +76,20 @@ fun compileWasm(
     backendContext: WasmBackendContext,
     emitNameSection: Boolean = false,
     allowIncompleteImplementations: Boolean = false,
+    generateWat: Boolean = false,
 ): WasmCompilerResult {
     val compiledWasmModule = WasmCompiledModuleFragment(backendContext.irBuiltIns)
     val codeGenerator = WasmModuleFragmentGenerator(backendContext, compiledWasmModule, allowIncompleteImplementations = allowIncompleteImplementations)
     allModules.forEach { codeGenerator.generateModule(it) }
 
     val linkedModule = compiledWasmModule.linkWasmCompiledFragments()
-    val watGenerator = WasmIrToText()
-    watGenerator.appendWasmModule(linkedModule)
-    val wat = watGenerator.toString()
+    val wat = if (generateWat) {
+        val watGenerator = WasmIrToText()
+        watGenerator.appendWasmModule(linkedModule)
+        watGenerator.toString()
+    } else {
+        null
+    }
 
     val js = compiledWasmModule.generateJs()
 
@@ -168,10 +173,9 @@ fun writeCompilationResult(
     dir: File,
     loaderKind: WasmLoaderKind,
     fileNameBase: String = "index",
-    writeWat: Boolean = true,
 ) {
     dir.mkdirs()
-    if (writeWat) {
+    if (result.wat != null) {
         File(dir, "$fileNameBase.wat").writeText(result.wat)
     }
     File(dir, "$fileNameBase.wasm").writeBytes(result.wasm)
diff --git a/js/js.tests/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/testOld/BasicWasmBoxTest.kt b/js/js.tests/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/testOld/BasicWasmBoxTest.kt
index 3afd3f17d30..a9801f30bae 100644
--- a/js/js.tests/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/testOld/BasicWasmBoxTest.kt
+++ b/js/js.tests/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/js/testOld/BasicWasmBoxTest.kt
@@ -127,11 +127,14 @@ abstract class BasicWasmBoxTest(
                 propertyLazyInitialization = true,
             )
 
+            val generateWat = debugMode >= DebugMode.DEBUG
+
             val compilerResult = compileWasm(
                 allModules = allModules,
                 backendContext = backendContext,
                 emitNameSection = true,
                 allowIncompleteImplementations = false,
+                generateWat = generateWat,
             )
 
             eliminateDeadDeclarations(allModules, backendContext)
@@ -141,6 +144,7 @@ abstract class BasicWasmBoxTest(
                 backendContext = backendContext,
                 emitNameSection = true,
                 allowIncompleteImplementations = true,
+                generateWat = generateWat,
             )
 
             val testJsQuiet = """
@@ -176,7 +180,7 @@ abstract class BasicWasmBoxTest(
                     println(" ------ $name Test file://$path/test.js")
                 }
 
-                writeCompilationResult(res, dir, WasmLoaderKind.D8, writeWat = debugMode >= DebugMode.DEBUG)
+                writeCompilationResult(res, dir, WasmLoaderKind.D8)
                 File(dir, "test.js").writeText(testJs)
                 ExternalTool(System.getProperty("javascript.engine.path.V8"))
                     .run(