diff --git a/blocks/contrast-checker/index.js b/blocks/contrast-checker/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..885936258d8ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/contrast-checker/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/**
+ * External dependencies
+ */
+import tinycolor from 'tinycolor2';
+
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { Notice } from '@wordpress/components';
+
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import './style.scss';
+
+function ContrastChecker( { backgroundColor, textColor, isLargeText } ) {
+	if ( ! backgroundColor || ! textColor ) {
+		return null;
+	}
+	const tinyBackgroundColor = tinycolor( backgroundColor );
+	const tinyTextColor = tinycolor( textColor );
+	if ( tinycolor.isReadable(
+		tinyBackgroundColor,
+		tinyTextColor,
+		{ level: 'AA', size: ( isLargeText ? 'large' : 'small' ) }
+	) ) {
+		return null;
+	}
+	const msg = tinyBackgroundColor.getBrightness() < tinyTextColor.getBrightness() ?
+		__( 'This color combination may be hard for people to read. Try using a darker background color and/or a brighter text color.' ) :
+		__( 'This color combination may be hard for people to read. Try using a brighter background color and/or a darker text color.' );
+	return (
+		<div className="blocks-contrast-checker">
+			<Notice status="warning" content={ msg } isDismissible={ false } />
+		</div>
+	);
+}
+
+export default ContrastChecker;
diff --git a/blocks/contrast-checker/style.scss b/blocks/contrast-checker/style.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2456bd495e4ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/contrast-checker/style.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+.blocks-contrast-checker > .notice {
+	margin: 0;
+}
diff --git a/blocks/library/button/index.js b/blocks/library/button/index.js
index 666e244d4e062..e7edef6b8bd19 100644
--- a/blocks/library/button/index.js
+++ b/blocks/library/button/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { Component } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { Dashicon, IconButton, PanelBody } from '@wordpress/components';
 
 /**
@@ -16,70 +17,100 @@ import BlockControls from '../../block-controls';
 import ToggleControl from '../../inspector-controls/toggle-control';
 import BlockAlignmentToolbar from '../../block-alignment-toolbar';
 import ColorPalette from '../../color-palette';
+import ContrastChecker from '../../contrast-checker';
 import InspectorControls from '../../inspector-controls';
 import BlockDescription from '../../block-description';
 
 const { attr, children } = source;
+const { getComputedStyle } = window;
 
-registerBlockType( 'core/button', {
-	title: __( 'Button' ),
+class ButtonBlock extends Component {
+	constructor() {
+		super( ...arguments );
 
-	icon: 'button',
+		this.containers = {};
+		this.fallbackColors = {};
 
-	category: 'layout',
+		this.state = {
+			fallbackBackgroundColor: undefined,
+			fallbackTextColor: undefined,
+		};
 
-	attributes: {
-		url: {
-			type: 'string',
-			source: attr( 'a', 'href' ),
-		},
-		title: {
-			type: 'string',
-			source: attr( 'a', 'title' ),
-		},
-		text: {
-			type: 'array',
-			source: children( 'a' ),
-		},
-		align: {
-			type: 'string',
-			default: 'none',
-		},
-		color: {
-			type: 'string',
-		},
-		textColor: {
-			type: 'string',
-		},
-	},
+		this.updateAlignment = this.updateAlignment.bind( this );
+		this.toggleClear = this.toggleClear.bind( this );
+		this.bindRef = this.bindRef.bind( this );
+	}
 
-	getEditWrapperProps( attributes ) {
-		const { align, clear } = attributes;
-		const props = {};
+	componentDidMount() {
+		this.grabColors();
+	}
 
-		if ( 'left' === align || 'right' === align || 'center' === align ) {
-			props[ 'data-align' ] = align;
+	componentDidUpdate() {
+		this.grabColors();
+	}
+
+	updateAlignment( nextAlign ) {
+		this.props.setAttributes( { align: nextAlign } );
+	}
+
+	toggleClear() {
+		const { attributes, setAttributes } = this.props;
+		setAttributes( { clear: ! attributes.clear } );
+	}
+
+	bindRef( node ) {
+		if ( ! node ) {
+			return;
 		}
 
-		if ( clear ) {
-			props[ 'data-clear' ] = 'true';
+		this.containers.background = node;
+		this.containers.text = node.querySelector( '[contenteditable="true"]' );
+	}
+
+	grabColors() {
+		const { background, text } = this.containers;
+		const { textColor, color } = this.props.attributes;
+		const { fallbackTextColor, fallbackBackgroundColor } = this.state;
+
+		if ( ! color && ! fallbackBackgroundColor && background ) {
+			this.setState( { fallbackBackgroundColor: getComputedStyle( background ).backgroundColor } );
 		}
 
-		return props;
-	},
+		if ( ! textColor && ! fallbackTextColor && text ) {
+			this.setState( { fallbackTextColor: getComputedStyle( text ).color } );
+		}
+	}
+
+	render() {
+		const {
+			attributes,
+			setAttributes,
+			focus,
+			setFocus,
+			className,
+		} = this.props;
 
-	edit( { attributes, setAttributes, focus, setFocus, className } ) {
-		const { text, url, title, align, color, textColor, clear } = attributes;
-		const updateAlignment = ( nextAlign ) => setAttributes( { align: nextAlign } );
-		const toggleClear = () => setAttributes( { clear: ! clear } );
+		const {
+			text,
+			url,
+			title,
+			align,
+			color,
+			textColor,
+			clear,
+		} = attributes;
 
+		const {
+			fallbackBackgroundColor,
+			fallbackTextColor,
+		} = this.state;
 		return [
 			focus && (
 				<BlockControls key="controls">
-					<BlockAlignmentToolbar value={ align } onChange={ updateAlignment } />
+					<BlockAlignmentToolbar value={ align } onChange={ this.updateAlignment } />
 				</BlockControls>
 			),
-			<span key="button" className={ className } title={ title } style={ { backgroundColor: color } } >
+			<span key="button" className={ className } title={ title } style={ { backgroundColor: color } } ref={ this.bindRef }>
 				<Editable
 					tagName="span"
 					placeholder={ __( 'Add text…' ) }
@@ -102,7 +133,7 @@ registerBlockType( 'core/button', {
 						<ToggleControl
 							label={ __( 'Stand on a line' ) }
 							checked={ !! clear }
-							onChange={ toggleClear }
+							onChange={ this.toggleClear }
 						/>
 						<PanelBody title={ __( 'Button Background Color' ) }>
 							<ColorPalette
@@ -116,6 +147,11 @@ registerBlockType( 'core/button', {
 								onChange={ ( colorValue ) => setAttributes( { textColor: colorValue } ) }
 							/>
 						</PanelBody>
+						<ContrastChecker
+							textColor={ textColor || fallbackTextColor }
+							backgroundColor={ color || fallbackBackgroundColor }
+							isLargeText={ true }
+						/>
 					</InspectorControls>
 				}
 			</span>,
@@ -132,6 +168,58 @@ registerBlockType( 'core/button', {
 				</form>
 			),
 		];
+	}
+}
+
+registerBlockType( 'core/button', {
+	title: __( 'Button' ),
+
+	icon: 'button',
+
+	category: 'layout',
+
+	attributes: {
+		url: {
+			type: 'string',
+			source: attr( 'a', 'href' ),
+		},
+		title: {
+			type: 'string',
+			source: attr( 'a', 'title' ),
+		},
+		text: {
+			type: 'array',
+			source: children( 'a' ),
+		},
+		align: {
+			type: 'string',
+			default: 'none',
+		},
+		color: {
+			type: 'string',
+		},
+		textColor: {
+			type: 'string',
+		},
+	},
+
+	getEditWrapperProps( attributes ) {
+		const { align, clear } = attributes;
+		const props = {};
+
+		if ( 'left' === align || 'right' === align || 'center' === align ) {
+			props[ 'data-align' ] = align;
+		}
+
+		if ( clear ) {
+			props[ 'data-clear' ] = 'true';
+		}
+
+		return props;
+	},
+
+	edit( props ) {
+		return <ButtonBlock { ...props } />;
 	},
 
 	save( { attributes } ) {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 923bfe17e2dab..d9a050e1aa86f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
     "rememo": "2.3.3",
     "showdown": "1.7.4",
     "simple-html-tokenizer": "0.4.1",
+    "tinycolor2": "1.4.1",
     "uuid": "3.1.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {