diff --git a/docs/source/command_line.rst b/docs/source/command_line.rst
index 3ada442c619e..d188b95e0e1b 100644
--- a/docs/source/command_line.rst
+++ b/docs/source/command_line.rst
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ Here are some more useful flags:
   also currently ignores functions with an empty body or a body that is
   just ellipsis (``...``), since these can be valid as abstract methods.
 
+- ``--warn-return-any`` causes mypy to generate a warning when returning a value
+  with type ``Any`` from a function declared with a non- ``Any`` return type.
+
 - ``--strict-boolean`` will make using non-boolean expressions in conditions
   an error. This means ``if x`` and ``while x`` are disallowed when ``x`` has any
   type other than ``bool``. Instead use explicit checks like ``if x > 0`` or
diff --git a/docs/source/config_file.rst b/docs/source/config_file.rst
index 001f6c9fb042..8eb61e2b9d91 100644
--- a/docs/source/config_file.rst
+++ b/docs/source/config_file.rst
@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@ overridden by the pattern sections matching the module name.
 - ``warn_no_return`` (Boolean, default False) shows errors for
   missing return statements on some execution paths.
 
+- ``warn_return_any`` (Boolean, default False) shows a warning when
+  returning a value with type ``Any`` from a function declared with a
+  non- ``Any`` return type.
+
+
 Example
 *******
 
diff --git a/mypy/checker.py b/mypy/checker.py
index 5e2c385dee66..5beb52a39e56 100644
--- a/mypy/checker.py
+++ b/mypy/checker.py
@@ -1699,6 +1699,10 @@ def check_return_stmt(self, s: ReturnStmt) -> None:
                 typ = self.expr_checker.accept(s.expr, return_type)
                 # Returning a value of type Any is always fine.
                 if isinstance(typ, AnyType):
+                    # (Unless you asked to be warned in that case, and the
+                    # function is not declared to return Any)
+                    if not isinstance(return_type, AnyType) and self.options.warn_return_any:
+                        self.warn(messages.RETURN_ANY.format(return_type), s)
                     return
 
                 if self.is_unusable_type(return_type):
diff --git a/mypy/main.py b/mypy/main.py
index f38ff950343d..4d66a99aed4f 100644
--- a/mypy/main.py
+++ b/mypy/main.py
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ def add_invertible_flag(flag: str,
                         help="warn about casting an expression to its inferred type")
     add_invertible_flag('--no-warn-no-return', dest='warn_no_return', default=True,
                         help="do not warn about functions that end without returning")
+    add_invertible_flag('--warn-return-any', default=False, strict_flag=True,
+                        help="warn about returning values of type Any"
+                             " from non-Any typed functions")
     add_invertible_flag('--warn-unused-ignores', default=False, strict_flag=True,
                         help="warn about unneeded '# type: ignore' comments")
     add_invertible_flag('--show-error-context', default=True,
diff --git a/mypy/messages.py b/mypy/messages.py
index b32c2b282a51..c8b65047d3af 100644
--- a/mypy/messages.py
+++ b/mypy/messages.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 MISSING_RETURN_STATEMENT = 'Missing return statement'
 INVALID_IMPLICIT_RETURN = 'Implicit return in function which does not return'
 INCOMPATIBLE_RETURN_VALUE_TYPE = 'Incompatible return value type'
+RETURN_ANY = 'Returning Any from function with declared return type "{}"'
 RETURN_VALUE_EXPECTED = 'Return value expected'
 NO_RETURN_EXPECTED = 'Return statement in function which does not return'
 INVALID_EXCEPTION = 'Exception must be derived from BaseException'
diff --git a/mypy/options.py b/mypy/options.py
index 5a8903286b22..d44f97995c25 100644
--- a/mypy/options.py
+++ b/mypy/options.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class Options:
         "strict_optional_whitelist",
         "show_none_errors",
         "warn_no_return",
+        "warn_return_any",
         "ignore_errors",
         "strict_boolean",
     }
@@ -65,6 +66,10 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         # Warn about falling off the end of a function returning non-None
         self.warn_no_return = True
 
+        # Warn about returning objects of type Any when the function is
+        # declared with a precise type
+        self.warn_return_any = False
+
         # Warn about unused '# type: ignore' comments
         self.warn_unused_ignores = False
 
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-warnings.test b/test-data/unit/check-warnings.test
index dc2da82d029b..2f2d592b13fd 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-warnings.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-warnings.test
@@ -130,3 +130,38 @@ def f() -> int:
     # This might be an @abstractmethod, for example
     pass
 [out]
+
+
+-- Returning Any
+-- -------------
+
+[case testReturnAnyFromTypedFunction]
+# flags: --warn-return-any
+from typing import Any
+def g() -> Any: pass
+def f() -> int: return g()
+[out]
+main:4: warning: Returning Any from function with declared return type "builtins.int"
+
+[case testReturnAnySilencedFromTypedFunction]
+# flags: --warn-return-any
+from typing import Any
+def g() -> Any: pass
+def f() -> int:
+    result = g() # type: int
+    return result
+[out]
+
+[case testReturnAnyFromUntypedFunction]
+# flags: --warn-return-any
+from typing import Any
+def g() -> Any: pass
+def f(): return g()
+[out]
+
+[case testReturnAnyFromAnyTypedFunction]
+# flags: --warn-return-any
+from typing import Any
+def g() -> Any: pass
+def f() -> Any: return g()
+[out]