diff --git a/packages/javascript-kernel/src/executor.ts b/packages/javascript-kernel/src/executor.ts
index 6cd1efb..0919aa7 100644
--- a/packages/javascript-kernel/src/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/javascript-kernel/src/executor.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import type { IMimeBundle } from '@jupyterlab/nbformat';
 
 export { IDisplayData, IDisplayCallbacks, DisplayHelper } from './display';
 
+/** Matches the word "eval" in a stack frame (user eval code). */
+const RE_EVAL = /\beval\b/;
+
 /**
  * Configuration for magic imports.
  */
@@ -768,23 +771,42 @@ export class JavaScriptExecutor {
    * @returns The cleaned stack trace string.
    */
   cleanStackTrace(error: Error): string {
-    const errStackStr = error.stack || '';
-    const errStackLines = errStackStr.split('\n');
-    const usedLines: string[] = [];
+    const header = `${error.name}: ${error.message}`;
+    const stack = error.stack || '';
+    const lines = stack.split('\n');
+    const userFrames: string[] = [];
+
+    for (const line of lines) {
+      const trimmed = line.trim();
+      if (!trimmed) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      // Some browsers repeat `Name: message` as the first stack line.
+      if (trimmed.startsWith(`${error.name}:`)) {
+        continue;
+      }
 
-    for (const line of errStackLines) {
-      // Stop at internal implementation details
+      // Stop once we reach internal executor frames.
       if (
-        line.includes('makeAsyncFromCode') ||
-        line.includes('new Function') ||
-        line.includes('asyncFunction')
+        trimmed.includes('makeAsyncFromCode') ||
+        trimmed.includes('new Function') ||
+        trimmed.includes('asyncFunction')
       ) {
         break;
       }
-      usedLines.push(line);
+
+      // Only keep lines that reference user eval code.
+      if (RE_EVAL.test(trimmed) || trimmed.includes('<anonymous>')) {
+        userFrames.push(line);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (userFrames.length > 0) {
+      return `${header}\n${userFrames.join('\n')}`;
     }
 
-    return usedLines.join('\n');
+    return header;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/javascript-kernel/src/runtime_evaluator.ts b/packages/javascript-kernel/src/runtime_evaluator.ts
index 7492625..d77c917 100644
--- a/packages/javascript-kernel/src/runtime_evaluator.ts
+++ b/packages/javascript-kernel/src/runtime_evaluator.ts
@@ -53,10 +53,20 @@ export class JavaScriptRuntimeEvaluator {
     code: string,
     executionCount: number
   ): Promise<KernelMessage.IExecuteReplyMsg['content']> {
+    // Parse-time errors are syntax errors, so show only `Name: message`.
+    let asyncFunction: () => Promise<any>;
+    let withReturn: boolean;
     try {
-      const { asyncFunction, withReturn } =
-        this._executor.makeAsyncFromCode(code);
+      const parsed = this._executor.makeAsyncFromCode(code);
+      asyncFunction = parsed.asyncFunction;
+      withReturn = parsed.withReturn;
+    } catch (error) {
+      const normalized = normalizeError(error);
+      return this._emitError(executionCount, normalized, false);
+    }
 
+    // Runtime errors may include useful eval frames from user code.
+    try {
       const resultPromise = this._evalFunc(asyncFunction);
 
       if (withReturn) {
@@ -84,24 +94,7 @@ export class JavaScriptRuntimeEvaluator {
       };
     } catch (error) {
       const normalized = normalizeError(error);
-      const cleanedStack = this._executor.cleanStackTrace(normalized);
-
-      const content: KernelMessage.IReplyErrorContent = {
-        status: 'error',
-        ename: normalized.name || 'Error',
-        evalue: normalized.message || '',
-        traceback: [cleanedStack]
-      };
-
-      this._onOutput({
-        type: 'execute_error',
-        bundle: content
-      });
-
-      return {
-        ...content,
-        execution_count: executionCount
-      };
+      return this._emitError(executionCount, normalized, true);
     }
   }
 
@@ -148,6 +141,36 @@ export class JavaScriptRuntimeEvaluator {
     return asyncFunc.call(this._globalScope);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Build and emit an execute error reply.
+   */
+  private _emitError(
+    executionCount: number,
+    error: Error,
+    includeStack: boolean
+  ): KernelMessage.IExecuteReplyMsg['content'] {
+    const traceback = includeStack
+      ? this._executor.cleanStackTrace(error)
+      : `${error.name}: ${error.message}`;
+
+    const content: KernelMessage.IReplyErrorContent = {
+      status: 'error',
+      ename: error.name || 'Error',
+      evalue: error.message || '',
+      traceback: [traceback]
+    };
+
+    this._onOutput({
+      type: 'execute_error',
+      bundle: content
+    });
+
+    return {
+      ...content,
+      execution_count: executionCount
+    };
+  }
+
   /**
    * Patch console methods in runtime scope to emit Jupyter stream messages.
    */