diff --git a/src/compiler/parser/html-parser.js b/src/compiler/parser/html-parser.js
index b7c2f1d0e92..670ee3ddf15 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser/html-parser.js
+++ b/src/compiler/parser/html-parser.js
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ const decodingMap = {
 const encodedAttr = /&(?:lt|gt|quot|amp);/g
 const encodedAttrWithNewLines = /&(?:lt|gt|quot|amp|#10);/g
 
+// #5992
+const isIgnoreNewlineTag = makeMap('pre,textarea', true)
+const shouldIgnoreFirstNewline = (tag, html) => tag && isIgnoreNewlineTag(tag) && html[0] === '\n'
+
 function decodeAttr (value, shouldDecodeNewlines) {
   const re = shouldDecodeNewlines ? encodedAttrWithNewLines : encodedAttr
   return value.replace(re, match => decodingMap[match])
@@ -75,6 +79,9 @@ export function parseHTML (html, options) {
     last = html
     // Make sure we're not in a plaintext content element like script/style
     if (!lastTag || !isPlainTextElement(lastTag)) {
+      if (shouldIgnoreFirstNewline(lastTag, html)) {
+        advance(1)
+      }
       let textEnd = html.indexOf('<')
       if (textEnd === 0) {
         // Comment:
@@ -152,16 +159,19 @@ export function parseHTML (html, options) {
         options.chars(text)
       }
     } else {
-      var stackedTag = lastTag.toLowerCase()
-      var reStackedTag = reCache[stackedTag] || (reCache[stackedTag] = new RegExp('([\\s\\S]*?)(</' + stackedTag + '[^>]*>)', 'i'))
-      var endTagLength = 0
-      var rest = html.replace(reStackedTag, function (all, text, endTag) {
+      let endTagLength = 0
+      const stackedTag = lastTag.toLowerCase()
+      const reStackedTag = reCache[stackedTag] || (reCache[stackedTag] = new RegExp('([\\s\\S]*?)(</' + stackedTag + '[^>]*>)', 'i'))
+      const rest = html.replace(reStackedTag, function (all, text, endTag) {
         endTagLength = endTag.length
         if (!isPlainTextElement(stackedTag) && stackedTag !== 'noscript') {
           text = text
             .replace(/<!--([\s\S]*?)-->/g, '$1')
             .replace(/<!\[CDATA\[([\s\S]*?)]]>/g, '$1')
         }
+        if (shouldIgnoreFirstNewline(stackedTag, text)) {
+          text = text.slice(1)
+        }
         if (options.chars) {
           options.chars(text)
         }
diff --git a/test/unit/modules/compiler/parser.spec.js b/test/unit/modules/compiler/parser.spec.js
index 171faf6672f..71e032f15b9 100644
--- a/test/unit/modules/compiler/parser.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/modules/compiler/parser.spec.js
@@ -495,6 +495,21 @@ describe('parser', () => {
     expect(span.children[0].text).toBe(' ')
   })
 
+  // #5992
+  it('ignore the first newline in <pre> tag', function () {
+    const options = extend({}, baseOptions)
+    const ast = parse('<div><pre>\nabc</pre>\ndef<pre>\n\nabc</pre></div>', options)
+    const pre = ast.children[0]
+    expect(pre.children[0].type).toBe(3)
+    expect(pre.children[0].text).toBe('abc')
+    const text = ast.children[1]
+    expect(text.type).toBe(3)
+    expect(text.text).toBe('\ndef')
+    const pre2 = ast.children[2]
+    expect(pre2.children[0].type).toBe(3)
+    expect(pre2.children[0].text).toBe('\nabc')
+  })
+
   it('forgivingly handle < in plain text', () => {
     const options = extend({}, baseOptions)
     const ast = parse('<p>1 < 2 < 3</p>', options)
@@ -530,8 +545,7 @@ describe('parser', () => {
     expect(whitespace.children.length).toBe(1)
     expect(whitespace.children[0].type).toBe(3)
     // textarea is whitespace sensitive
-    expect(whitespace.children[0].text).toBe(`
-        <p>Test 1</p>
+    expect(whitespace.children[0].text).toBe(`        <p>Test 1</p>
         test2
       `)