diff --git a/docs/source/command_line.rst b/docs/source/command_line.rst
index 10760f418026..ed40803510d4 100644
--- a/docs/source/command_line.rst
+++ b/docs/source/command_line.rst
@@ -553,6 +553,36 @@ of the above sections.
     Note: the exact list of flags enabled by running :option:`--strict` may change
     over time.
 
+.. option:: --disable-error-code
+
+    This flag allows disabling one or multiple error codes globally.
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        # no flag
+        x = 'a string'
+        x.trim()  # error: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
+
+        # --disable-error-code attr-defined
+        x = 'a string'
+        x.trim()
+
+.. option:: --enable-error-code
+
+    This flag allows enabling one or multiple error codes globally.
+
+    Note: This flag will override disabled error codes from the --disable-error-code
+    flag
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        # --disable-error-code attr-defined
+        x = 'a string'
+        x.trim()
+
+        # --disable-error-code attr-defined --enable-error-code attr-defined
+        x = 'a string'
+        x.trim()  # error: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
 
 .. _configuring-error-messages:
 
diff --git a/mypy/build.py b/mypy/build.py
index 8d84196af642..c94ca94a3d70 100644
--- a/mypy/build.py
+++ b/mypy/build.py
@@ -223,7 +223,9 @@ def _build(sources: List[BuildSource],
                     options.show_error_codes,
                     options.pretty,
                     lambda path: read_py_file(path, cached_read, options.python_version),
-                    options.show_absolute_path)
+                    options.show_absolute_path,
+                    options.enabled_error_codes,
+                    options.disabled_error_codes)
     plugin, snapshot = load_plugins(options, errors, stdout, extra_plugins)
 
     # Add catch-all .gitignore to cache dir if we created it
diff --git a/mypy/errorcodes.py b/mypy/errorcodes.py
index 47206c53e9de..0df1989d17dd 100644
--- a/mypy/errorcodes.py
+++ b/mypy/errorcodes.py
@@ -3,19 +3,26 @@
 These can be used for filtering specific errors.
 """
 
-from typing import List
+from typing import Dict, List
 from typing_extensions import Final
 
 
 # All created error codes are implicitly stored in this list.
 all_error_codes = []  # type: List[ErrorCode]
 
+error_codes = {}  # type: Dict[str, ErrorCode]
+
 
 class ErrorCode:
-    def __init__(self, code: str, description: str, category: str) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, code: str,
+                 description: str,
+                 category: str,
+                 default_enabled: bool = True) -> None:
         self.code = code
         self.description = description
         self.category = category
+        self.default_enabled = default_enabled
+        error_codes[code] = self
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return '<ErrorCode {}>'.format(self.code)
diff --git a/mypy/errors.py b/mypy/errors.py
index b3747658b6f3..465bc5f0cabd 100644
--- a/mypy/errors.py
+++ b/mypy/errors.py
@@ -164,7 +164,9 @@ def __init__(self,
                  show_error_codes: bool = False,
                  pretty: bool = False,
                  read_source: Optional[Callable[[str], Optional[List[str]]]] = None,
-                 show_absolute_path: bool = False) -> None:
+                 show_absolute_path: bool = False,
+                 enabled_error_codes: Optional[Set[ErrorCode]] = None,
+                 disabled_error_codes: Optional[Set[ErrorCode]] = None) -> None:
         self.show_error_context = show_error_context
         self.show_column_numbers = show_column_numbers
         self.show_error_codes = show_error_codes
@@ -172,6 +174,8 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.pretty = pretty
         # We use fscache to read source code when showing snippets.
         self.read_source = read_source
+        self.enabled_error_codes = enabled_error_codes or set()
+        self.disabled_error_codes = disabled_error_codes or set()
         self.initialize()
 
     def initialize(self) -> None:
@@ -195,7 +199,9 @@ def copy(self) -> 'Errors':
                      self.show_error_codes,
                      self.pretty,
                      self.read_source,
-                     self.show_absolute_path)
+                     self.show_absolute_path,
+                     self.enabled_error_codes,
+                     self.disabled_error_codes)
         new.file = self.file
         new.import_ctx = self.import_ctx[:]
         new.function_or_member = self.function_or_member[:]
@@ -351,15 +357,25 @@ def add_error_info(self, info: ErrorInfo) -> None:
         self._add_error_info(file, info)
 
     def is_ignored_error(self, line: int, info: ErrorInfo, ignores: Dict[int, List[str]]) -> bool:
-        if line not in ignores:
+        if info.code and self.is_error_code_enabled(info.code) is False:
+            return True
+        elif line not in ignores:
             return False
         elif not ignores[line]:
             # Empty list means that we ignore all errors
             return True
-        elif info.code:
+        elif info.code and self.is_error_code_enabled(info.code) is True:
             return info.code.code in ignores[line]
         return False
 
+    def is_error_code_enabled(self, error_code: ErrorCode) -> bool:
+        if error_code in self.disabled_error_codes:
+            return False
+        elif error_code in self.enabled_error_codes:
+            return True
+        else:
+            return error_code.default_enabled
+
     def clear_errors_in_targets(self, path: str, targets: Set[str]) -> None:
         """Remove errors in specific fine-grained targets within a file."""
         if path in self.error_info_map:
diff --git a/mypy/main.py b/mypy/main.py
index 8e80364234b4..7038ce40a5c1 100644
--- a/mypy/main.py
+++ b/mypy/main.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from mypy.find_sources import create_source_list, InvalidSourceList
 from mypy.fscache import FileSystemCache
 from mypy.errors import CompileError
+from mypy.errorcodes import error_codes
 from mypy.options import Options, BuildType
 from mypy.config_parser import parse_version, parse_config_file
 from mypy.split_namespace import SplitNamespace
@@ -612,6 +613,14 @@ def add_invertible_flag(flag: str,
         '--strict', action='store_true', dest='special-opts:strict',
         help=strict_help)
 
+    strictness_group.add_argument(
+        '--disable-error-code', metavar='NAME', action='append', default=[],
+        help="Disable a specific error code")
+    strictness_group.add_argument(
+        '--enable-error-code', metavar='NAME', action='append', default=[],
+        help="Enable a specific error code"
+    )
+
     error_group = parser.add_argument_group(
         title='Configuring error messages',
         description="Adjust the amount of detail shown in error messages.")
@@ -860,6 +869,23 @@ def set_strict_flags() -> None:
         parser.error("You can't make a variable always true and always false (%s)" %
                      ', '.join(sorted(overlap)))
 
+    # Process `--enable-error-code` and `--disable-error-code` flags
+    disabled_codes = set(options.disable_error_code)
+    enabled_codes = set(options.enable_error_code)
+
+    valid_error_codes = set(error_codes.keys())
+
+    invalid_codes = (enabled_codes | disabled_codes) - valid_error_codes
+    if invalid_codes:
+        parser.error("Invalid error code(s): %s" %
+                     ', '.join(sorted(invalid_codes)))
+
+    options.disabled_error_codes |= {error_codes[code] for code in disabled_codes}
+    options.enabled_error_codes |= {error_codes[code] for code in enabled_codes}
+
+    # Enabling an error code always overrides disabling
+    options.disabled_error_codes -= options.enabled_error_codes
+
     # Set build flags.
     if options.strict_optional_whitelist is not None:
         # TODO: Deprecate, then kill this flag
diff --git a/mypy/options.py b/mypy/options.py
index 54e106d2efe7..975c3d8b40f6 100644
--- a/mypy/options.py
+++ b/mypy/options.py
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@
 import pprint
 import sys
 
-from typing_extensions import Final
+from typing_extensions import Final, TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Dict, List, Mapping, Optional, Pattern, Set, Tuple, Callable, Any
 
 from mypy import defaults
 from mypy.util import get_class_descriptors, replace_object_state
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from mypy.errors import ErrorCode
+
 
 class BuildType:
     STANDARD = 0  # type: Final[int]
@@ -177,6 +180,14 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         # Variable names considered False
         self.always_false = []  # type: List[str]
 
+        # Error codes to disable
+        self.disable_error_code = []  # type: List[str]
+        self.disabled_error_codes = set()  # type: Set[ErrorCode]
+
+        # Error codes to enable
+        self.enable_error_code = []  # type: List[str]
+        self.enabled_error_codes = set()  # type: Set[ErrorCode]
+
         # Use script name instead of __main__
         self.scripts_are_modules = False
 
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-flags.test b/test-data/unit/check-flags.test
index 0e23476c4d0e..865995376f5d 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-flags.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-flags.test
@@ -1530,3 +1530,48 @@ def f(a = None):
 no_implicit_optional = True
 \[mypy-m]
 no_implicit_optional = False
+
+[case testDisableErrorCode]
+# flags: --disable-error-code attr-defined
+x = 'should be fine'
+x.trim()
+
+[case testDisableDifferentErrorCode]
+# flags: --disable-error-code name-defined --show-error-code
+x = 'should not be fine'
+x.trim()  # E: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
+
+[case testDisableMultipleErrorCode]
+# flags: --disable-error-code attr-defined --disable-error-code return-value --show-error-code
+x = 'should be fine'
+x.trim()
+
+def bad_return_type() -> str:
+    return None
+
+bad_return_type('no args taken!')  # E: Too many arguments for "bad_return_type"  [call-arg]
+
+[case testEnableErrorCode]
+# flags: --disable-error-code attr-defined --enable-error-code attr-defined --show-error-code
+x = 'should be fine'
+x.trim()  # E: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
+
+[case testEnableDifferentErrorCode]
+# flags: --disable-error-code attr-defined --enable-error-code name-defined --show-error-code
+x = 'should not be fine'
+x.trim()  # E: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
+
+[case testEnableMultipleErrorCode]
+# flags: \
+    --disable-error-code attr-defined \
+    --disable-error-code return-value \
+    --disable-error-code call-arg \
+    --enable-error-code attr-defined \
+    --enable-error-code return-value --show-error-code
+x = 'should be fine'
+x.trim()  # E: "str" has no attribute "trim"  [attr-defined]
+
+def bad_return_type() -> str:
+    return None  # E: Incompatible return value type (got "None", expected "str")  [return-value]
+
+bad_return_type('no args taken!')
diff --git a/test-data/unit/cmdline.test b/test-data/unit/cmdline.test
index c8fbb512da01..24e3d31bc342 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/cmdline.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/cmdline.test
@@ -1092,3 +1092,53 @@ import foo.bar
 [out]
 src/foo/bar.py: error: Source file found twice under different module names: 'src.foo.bar' and 'foo.bar'
 == Return code: 2
+
+[case testEnableInvalidErrorCode]
+# cmd: mypy --enable-error-code YOLO test.py
+[file test.py]
+x = 1
+[out]
+usage: mypy [-h] [-v] [-V] [more options; see below]
+            [-m MODULE] [-p PACKAGE] [-c PROGRAM_TEXT] [files ...]
+mypy: error: Invalid error code(s): YOLO
+== Return code: 2
+
+[case testDisableInvalidErrorCode]
+# cmd: mypy --disable-error-code YOLO test.py
+[file test.py]
+x = 1
+[out]
+usage: mypy [-h] [-v] [-V] [more options; see below]
+            [-m MODULE] [-p PACKAGE] [-c PROGRAM_TEXT] [files ...]
+mypy: error: Invalid error code(s): YOLO
+== Return code: 2
+
+[case testEnableAndDisableInvalidErrorCode]
+# cmd: mypy --disable-error-code YOLO --enable-error-code YOLO2 test.py
+[file test.py]
+x = 1
+[out]
+usage: mypy [-h] [-v] [-V] [more options; see below]
+            [-m MODULE] [-p PACKAGE] [-c PROGRAM_TEXT] [files ...]
+mypy: error: Invalid error code(s): YOLO, YOLO2
+== Return code: 2
+
+[case testEnableValidAndInvalidErrorCode]
+# cmd: mypy --enable-error-code attr-defined --enable-error-code YOLO test.py
+[file test.py]
+x = 1
+[out]
+usage: mypy [-h] [-v] [-V] [more options; see below]
+            [-m MODULE] [-p PACKAGE] [-c PROGRAM_TEXT] [files ...]
+mypy: error: Invalid error code(s): YOLO
+== Return code: 2
+
+[case testDisableValidAndInvalidErrorCode]
+# cmd: mypy --disable-error-code attr-defined --disable-error-code YOLO test.py
+[file test.py]
+x = 1
+[out]
+usage: mypy [-h] [-v] [-V] [more options; see below]
+            [-m MODULE] [-p PACKAGE] [-c PROGRAM_TEXT] [files ...]
+mypy: error: Invalid error code(s): YOLO
+== Return code: 2