diff --git a/django/core/management/__init__.py b/django/core/management/__init__.py
index 051747947e..842fd6481f 100644
--- a/django/core/management/__init__.py
+++ b/django/core/management/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from django.core.management.base import (
     BaseCommand, CommandError, CommandParser, handle_default_options,
 )
 from django.core.management.color import color_style
-from django.utils import lru_cache, six
+from django.utils import autoreload, lru_cache, six
 from django.utils._os import npath, upath
 
 
@@ -308,7 +308,20 @@ class ManagementUtility(object):
                 settings.configure()
 
         if settings.configured:
-            django.setup()
+            # Start the auto-reloading dev server even if the code is broken.
+            # The hardcoded condition is a code smell but we can't rely on a
+            # flag on the command class because we haven't located it yet.
+            if subcommand == 'runserver' and '--noreload' not in self.argv:
+                try:
+                    autoreload.check_errors(django.setup)()
+                except Exception:
+                    # The exception will be raised later in the child process
+                    # started by the autoreloader.
+                    pass
+
+            # In all other cases, django.setup() is required to succeed.
+            else:
+                django.setup()
 
         self.autocomplete()
 
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py b/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
index 700da7f31d..6d05fa8d6b 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             self.inner_run(None, **options)
 
     def inner_run(self, *args, **options):
+        # If an exception was silenced in ManagementUtility.execute in order
+        # to be raised in the child process, raise it now.
+        autoreload.raise_last_exception()
+
         threading = options.get('use_threading')
         shutdown_message = options.get('shutdown_message', '')
         quit_command = 'CTRL-BREAK' if sys.platform == 'win32' else 'CONTROL-C'
diff --git a/django/utils/autoreload.py b/django/utils/autoreload.py
index c4b12241f0..0cf00a9646 100644
--- a/django/utils/autoreload.py
+++ b/django/utils/autoreload.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import traceback
 from django.apps import apps
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.signals import request_finished
+from django.utils import six
 from django.utils._os import npath
 from django.utils.six.moves import _thread as thread
 
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ I18N_MODIFIED = 2
 _mtimes = {}
 _win = (sys.platform == "win32")
 
+_exception = None
 _error_files = []
 _cached_modules = set()
 _cached_filenames = []
@@ -219,11 +221,14 @@ def code_changed():
 
 def check_errors(fn):
     def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        global _exception
         try:
             fn(*args, **kwargs)
         except (ImportError, IndentationError, NameError, SyntaxError,
                 TypeError, AttributeError):
-            et, ev, tb = sys.exc_info()
+            _exception = sys.exc_info()
+
+            et, ev, tb = _exception
 
             if getattr(ev, 'filename', None) is None:
                 # get the filename from the last item in the stack
@@ -239,6 +244,12 @@ def check_errors(fn):
     return wrapper
 
 
+def raise_last_exception():
+    global _exception
+    if _exception is not None:
+        six.reraise(*_exception)
+
+
 def ensure_echo_on():
     if termios:
         fd = sys.stdin
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.5.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.5.txt
index 543e8824be..ac1735bb16 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.5.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.5.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ Django 1.8.5 fixes several bugs in 1.8.4.
 Bugfixes
 ========
 
+* Made the development server's autoreload more robust (:ticket:`24704`).
+
 * Fixed ``AssertionError`` in some delete queries with a model containing a
   field that is both a foreign and primary key (:ticket:`24951`).