diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 089897811a59..e4a1a602c439 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1000,6 +1000,7 @@ Released 2018-09-13
 [`let_unit_value`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#let_unit_value
 [`linkedlist`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#linkedlist
 [`logic_bug`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#logic_bug
+[`main_recursion`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#main_recursion
 [`manual_memcpy`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#manual_memcpy
 [`manual_swap`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#manual_swap
 [`many_single_char_names`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#many_single_char_names
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 38651f72eb36..ff64fc937882 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 A collection of lints to catch common mistakes and improve your [Rust](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust) code.
 
-[There are 309 lints included in this crate!](https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html)
+[There are 310 lints included in this crate!](https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html)
 
 We have a bunch of lint categories to allow you to choose how much Clippy is supposed to ~~annoy~~ help you:
 
diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/lib.rs b/clippy_lints/src/lib.rs
index 8e2340175415..258be38e48b1 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/lib.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/lib.rs
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ pub mod let_if_seq;
 pub mod lifetimes;
 pub mod literal_representation;
 pub mod loops;
+pub mod main_recursion;
 pub mod map_clone;
 pub mod map_unit_fn;
 pub mod matches;
@@ -473,6 +474,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(reg: &mut rustc_plugin::Registry<'_>, conf: &Conf) {
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box types::LetUnitValue);
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box types::UnitCmp);
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box loops::Loops);
+    reg.register_late_lint_pass(box main_recursion::MainRecursion::default());
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box lifetimes::Lifetimes);
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box entry::HashMapPass);
     reg.register_late_lint_pass(box ranges::Ranges);
@@ -760,6 +762,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(reg: &mut rustc_plugin::Registry<'_>, conf: &Conf) {
         loops::WHILE_IMMUTABLE_CONDITION,
         loops::WHILE_LET_LOOP,
         loops::WHILE_LET_ON_ITERATOR,
+        main_recursion::MAIN_RECURSION,
         map_clone::MAP_CLONE,
         map_unit_fn::OPTION_MAP_UNIT_FN,
         map_unit_fn::RESULT_MAP_UNIT_FN,
@@ -933,6 +936,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(reg: &mut rustc_plugin::Registry<'_>, conf: &Conf) {
         loops::FOR_KV_MAP,
         loops::NEEDLESS_RANGE_LOOP,
         loops::WHILE_LET_ON_ITERATOR,
+        main_recursion::MAIN_RECURSION,
         map_clone::MAP_CLONE,
         matches::MATCH_BOOL,
         matches::MATCH_OVERLAPPING_ARM,
diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/main_recursion.rs b/clippy_lints/src/main_recursion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..88f1e685ced3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/main_recursion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+use rustc::hir::{Crate, Expr, ExprKind, QPath};
+use rustc::lint::{LateContext, LateLintPass, LintArray, LintPass};
+use rustc::{declare_tool_lint, impl_lint_pass};
+use syntax::symbol::sym;
+
+use crate::utils::{is_entrypoint_fn, snippet, span_help_and_lint};
+use if_chain::if_chain;
+
+declare_clippy_lint! {
+    /// **What it does:** Checks for recursion using the entrypoint.
+    ///
+    /// **Why is this bad?** Apart from special setups (which we could detect following attributes like #![no_std]),
+    /// recursing into main() seems like an unintuitive antipattern we should be able to detect.
+    ///
+    /// **Known problems:** None.
+    ///
+    /// **Example:**
+    /// ```no_run
+    /// fn main() {
+    ///     main();
+    /// }
+    /// ```
+    pub MAIN_RECURSION,
+    style,
+    "recursion using the entrypoint"
+}
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct MainRecursion {
+    has_no_std_attr: bool,
+}
+
+impl_lint_pass!(MainRecursion => [MAIN_RECURSION]);
+
+impl LateLintPass<'_, '_> for MainRecursion {
+    fn check_crate(&mut self, _: &LateContext<'_, '_>, krate: &Crate) {
+        self.has_no_std_attr = krate.attrs.iter().any(|attr| attr.path == sym::no_std);
+    }
+
+    fn check_expr_post(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'_, '_>, expr: &Expr) {
+        if self.has_no_std_attr {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if_chain! {
+            if let ExprKind::Call(func, _) = &expr.node;
+            if let ExprKind::Path(path) = &func.node;
+            if let QPath::Resolved(_, path) = &path;
+            if let Some(def_id) = path.res.opt_def_id();
+            if is_entrypoint_fn(cx, def_id);
+            then {
+                span_help_and_lint(
+                    cx,
+                    MAIN_RECURSION,
+                    func.span,
+                    &format!("recursing into entrypoint `{}`", snippet(cx, func.span, "main")),
+                    "consider using another function for this recursion"
+                )
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lintlist/mod.rs b/src/lintlist/mod.rs
index aa4576640209..93712e8eb68d 100644
--- a/src/lintlist/mod.rs
+++ b/src/lintlist/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub use lint::Lint;
 pub use lint::LINT_LEVELS;
 
 // begin lint list, do not remove this comment, it’s used in `update_lints`
-pub const ALL_LINTS: [Lint; 309] = [
+pub const ALL_LINTS: [Lint; 310] = [
     Lint {
         name: "absurd_extreme_comparisons",
         group: "correctness",
@@ -917,6 +917,13 @@ pub const ALL_LINTS: [Lint; 309] = [
         deprecation: None,
         module: "booleans",
     },
+    Lint {
+        name: "main_recursion",
+        group: "style",
+        desc: "recursion using the entrypoint",
+        deprecation: None,
+        module: "main_recursion",
+    },
     Lint {
         name: "manual_memcpy",
         group: "perf",
diff --git a/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.rs b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..995787c53366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// ignore-macos
+// ignore-windows
+
+#![feature(main)]
+
+#[warn(clippy::main_recursion)]
+#[allow(unconditional_recursion)]
+#[main]
+fn a() {
+    println!("Hello, World!");
+    a();
+}
diff --git a/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.stderr b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f52fc949f6c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/entrypoint_recursion.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+error: recursing into entrypoint `a`
+  --> $DIR/entrypoint_recursion.rs:11:5
+   |
+LL |     a();
+   |     ^
+   |
+   = note: `-D clippy::main-recursion` implied by `-D warnings`
+   = help: consider using another function for this recursion
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+
diff --git a/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/no_std_main_recursion.rs b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/no_std_main_recursion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4d19f38e2d0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/no_std_main_recursion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#![feature(lang_items, link_args, start, libc)]
+#![link_args = "-nostartfiles"]
+#![no_std]
+
+use core::panic::PanicInfo;
+use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+
+static N: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
+
+#[warn(clippy::main_recursion)]
+#[start]
+fn main(argc: isize, argv: *const *const u8) -> isize {
+    let x = N.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+    N.store(x + 1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+
+    if x < 3 {
+        main(argc, argv);
+    }
+
+    0
+}
+
+#[allow(clippy::empty_loop)]
+#[panic_handler]
+fn panic(_info: &PanicInfo) -> ! {
+    loop {}
+}
+
+#[lang = "eh_personality"]
+extern "C" fn eh_personality() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.rs b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..89ff6609934d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#[warn(clippy::main_recursion)]
+#[allow(unconditional_recursion)]
+fn main() {
+    println!("Hello, World!");
+    main();
+}
diff --git a/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.stderr b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0a260f9d2309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/crate_level_checks/std_main_recursion.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+error: recursing into entrypoint `main`
+  --> $DIR/std_main_recursion.rs:5:5
+   |
+LL |     main();
+   |     ^^^^
+   |
+   = note: `-D clippy::main-recursion` implied by `-D warnings`
+   = help: consider using another function for this recursion
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+