diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 14518a6a674a..ac70020e7a0d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/text v0.3.4 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.1.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b
 	honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.1-2020.1.6
 	mvdan.cc/gofumpt v0.1.0
 	mvdan.cc/interfacer v0.0.0-20180901003855-c20040233aed
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 70ad38f793f6..0fa06f89b88d 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -653,6 +653,8 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 h1:D8xgwECY7CYvx+Y2n4sBz93Jn9JRvxdiyyo8CTfuKaY=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0/go.mod h1:RDklbk79AGWmwhnvt/jBztapEOGDOx6ZbXqjP6csGnQ=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c h1:dUUwHk2QECo/6vqA44rthZ8ie2QXMNeKRTHCNY2nXvo=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b h1:h8qDotaEPuJATrMmW04NCwg7v22aHH28wwpauUhK9Oo=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190102054323-c2f93a96b099/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190106161140-3f1c8253044a/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190418001031-e561f6794a2a/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
diff --git a/pkg/commands/config.go b/pkg/commands/config.go
index 4b63e2e5239f..230281160f8b 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/config.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/config.go
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ func (e *Executor) initConfig() {
 	}
 	e.initRunConfiguration(pathCmd) // allow --config
 	cmd.AddCommand(pathCmd)
+
+	enableNewCmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "enable-new",
+		Short: "Enable all linters not explicitly disabled in the active config file",
+		Run:   e.executeEnableNewCmd,
+	}
+	e.initRunConfiguration(enableNewCmd) // allow --config
+	cmd.AddCommand(enableNewCmd)
 }
 
 func (e *Executor) getUsedConfig() string {
@@ -55,12 +63,12 @@ func (e *Executor) executePathCmd(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		e.log.Fatalf("Usage: golangci-lint config path")
 	}
 
-	usedConfigFile := e.getUsedConfig()
-	if usedConfigFile == "" {
+	usedConfigFilePath := e.getUsedConfig()
+	if usedConfigFilePath == "" {
 		e.log.Warnf("No config file detected")
 		os.Exit(exitcodes.NoConfigFileDetected)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Println(usedConfigFile)
+	fmt.Println(usedConfigFilePath)
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/enable_new.go b/pkg/commands/enable_new.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d0a4ed9e0ea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/commands/enable_new.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/lint/linter"
+)
+
+func (e *Executor) executeEnableNewCmd(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	if len(args) != 0 {
+		e.log.Fatalf("Usage: golangci-lint config enable-new")
+	}
+
+	if e.cfg.Linters.EnableAll {
+		e.log.Fatalf("enable-new is not compatible with the enable-all linters setting")
+	}
+
+	unmentionedLinters, err := e.getUnmentionedLinters()
+	if err != nil {
+		e.log.Fatalf("Failed to determine unmentioned linters: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	var newLinterNames []string
+	for _, l := range unmentionedLinters {
+		newLinterNames = append(newLinterNames, l.Name())
+	}
+
+	configFilePath := e.getUsedConfig()
+	if configFilePath == "" {
+		e.log.Fatalf("No config file detected")
+	}
+
+	color.Yellow("\nEnabling the following new linters in %q:\n", configFilePath)
+	printLinterConfigs(unmentionedLinters)
+
+	if err = config.UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(configFilePath, newLinterNames); err != nil {
+		e.log.Fatalf("failed to update config file: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) getUnmentionedLinters() ([]*linter.Config, error) {
+	enabledLinters, err := e.EnabledLintersSet.GetEnabledLintersMap()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not determine enabled linters")
+	}
+
+	var newLinters []*linter.Config
+
+NextLinterConfig:
+	for _, lc := range e.DBManager.GetAllSupportedLinterConfigs() {
+		for _, name := range lc.AllNames() {
+			if enabledLinters[name] != nil {
+				continue NextLinterConfig
+			}
+			for _, e := range e.cfg.Linters.Disable {
+				if e == name {
+					continue NextLinterConfig
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		newLinters = append(newLinters, lc)
+	}
+
+	return newLinters, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters.go b/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bda6b7b2e870
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+// UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters adds new linters to the "linters" config in the file at the provided path
+func UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(configFilePath string, newLinters []string) error {
+	configData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(configFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not read config file")
+	}
+
+	var docNode yaml.Node
+	if err = yaml.Unmarshal(configData, &docNode); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unmarshal config file %q", configFilePath)
+	}
+
+	var configNode *yaml.Node
+	if len(docNode.Content) > 0 {
+		configNode = docNode.Content[0]
+	} else {
+		configNode = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}
+		docNode.Content = append(docNode.Content, configNode)
+	}
+
+	// guess the indent level by looking at the column of second level nodes
+	indentSpaces := 2
+GuessSpaces:
+	for _, n := range configNode.Content {
+		for _, nn := range n.Content {
+			indentSpaces = nn.Column - 1
+			break GuessSpaces
+		}
+	}
+
+	lintersNode := findOrInsertKeyedValue(configNode, "linters", &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode})
+
+	// find the "linters" -> "enable" node (or create it)
+	enableNode := findOrInsertKeyedValue(lintersNode, "enable", &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.SequenceNode})
+
+	for _, l := range newLinters {
+		node := &yaml.Node{}
+		node.SetString(l)
+		enableNode.Content = append(enableNode.Content, node)
+	}
+
+	configFile, err := os.OpenFile(configFilePath, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_TRUNC, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to open file %q for writing", configFilePath)
+	}
+
+	encoder := yaml.NewEncoder(configFile)
+	encoder.SetIndent(indentSpaces)
+	err = encoder.Encode(docNode.Content[0])
+	if err == nil {
+		err = encoder.Close()
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		err = configFile.Close()
+	}
+	return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to update config file %q", configFilePath)
+}
+
+func findOrInsertKeyedValue(node *yaml.Node, key string, value *yaml.Node) *yaml.Node {
+	for i, n := range node.Content {
+		var childKey string
+		err := n.Decode(&childKey)
+		if err == nil && key == childKey {
+			return node.Content[i+1]
+		}
+	}
+	keyNode := &yaml.Node{}
+	keyNode.SetString(key)
+	node.Content = append(node.Content, keyNode, value)
+	return value
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters_test.go b/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..84a026c2cefe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/update_config_with_new_linters_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/logutils"
+)
+
+func TestUpdateConfigWithNewLinters(t *testing.T) {
+	writeConfig := func(t *testing.T, cfg string) string {
+		tmpFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "golangci-lint-test-config-*.yml")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		_, err = io.WriteString(tmpFile, cfg)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		err = tmpFile.Close()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			os.Remove(tmpFile.Name())
+		})
+		return tmpFile.Name()
+	}
+
+	readConfig := func(t *testing.T, filePath string) Config {
+		var cfg Config
+		cmdLineCfg := Config{Run: Run{Config: filePath}}
+		r := NewFileReader(&cfg, &cmdLineCfg, logutils.NewStderrLog("testing"))
+		err := r.Read()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		return cfg
+	}
+
+	t.Run(`when the "linters" -> "enable" node exists, we add to it, matching the indent size`, func(t *testing.T) {
+		cfgFilePath := writeConfig(t, `
+linters:
+   enable:
+   - other-linter
+`)
+		err := UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(cfgFilePath, []string{"new-linter"})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		cfg := readConfig(t, cfgFilePath)
+		require.Contains(t, cfg.Linters.Enable, "new-linter")
+
+		data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(cfgFilePath)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, string(data), "\n"+strings.Repeat(" ", 6)+"- new-linter",
+			"indent size does not match")
+	})
+
+	t.Run(`when there is no "enable" node, we create one`, func(t *testing.T) {
+		cfgFilePath := writeConfig(t, `
+linters: {}
+`)
+		err := UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(cfgFilePath, []string{"new-linter"})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		cfg := readConfig(t, cfgFilePath)
+		assert.Contains(t, cfg.Linters.Enable, "new-linter")
+	})
+
+	t.Run(`when the file is empty, we create values from scratch`, func(t *testing.T) {
+		cfgFilePath := writeConfig(t, `
+{}
+`)
+		err := UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(cfgFilePath, []string{"new-linter"})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		cfg := readConfig(t, cfgFilePath)
+		assert.Contains(t, cfg.Linters.Enable, "new-linter")
+	})
+
+	t.Run(`when there is no "linters" node, we create one`, func(t *testing.T) {
+		cfgFilePath := writeConfig(t, "")
+		err := UpdateConfigFileWithNewLinters(cfgFilePath, []string{"new-linter"})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		cfg := readConfig(t, cfgFilePath)
+		assert.Contains(t, cfg.Linters.Enable, "new-linter")
+	})
+}