diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/clangtidy.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/clangtidy.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..816d45fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/clangtidy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+## Clang-tidy target
+
+If `clang-tidy` is installed and the project's source root contains a
+`.clang-tidy` (or `_clang-tidy`) file, Meson will automatically define
+a `clang-tidy` target that runs Clang-Tidy on all source files.
+
+If you have defined your own `clang-tidy` target, Meson will not
+generate its own target.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 1f3fb7777..fe1eee6d0 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -2657,7 +2657,6 @@ https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=47485'''))
         self.create_target_alias('meson-scan-build')
 
     def generate_clangtool(self, name):
-        import shutil
         target_name = 'clang-' + name
         if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(self.environment.source_dir, '.clang-' + name)) and \
                 not os.path.exists(os.path.join(self.environment.source_dir, '_clang-' + name)):
@@ -2677,10 +2676,17 @@ https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=47485'''))
             return
         self.generate_clangtool('format')
 
+    def generate_clangtidy(self):
+        import shutil
+        if not shutil.which('clang-tidy'):
+            return
+        self.generate_clangtool('tidy')
+
     # For things like scan-build and other helper tools we might have.
     def generate_utils(self):
         self.generate_scanbuild()
         self.generate_clangformat()
+        self.generate_clangtidy()
         cmd = self.environment.get_build_command() + ['--internal', 'uninstall']
         elem = NinjaBuildElement(self.all_outputs, 'meson-uninstall', 'CUSTOM_COMMAND', 'PHONY')
         elem.add_item('COMMAND', cmd)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/scripts/clangtidy.py b/mesonbuild/scripts/clangtidy.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..11c737ff1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mesonbuild/scripts/clangtidy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Copyright 2019 The Meson development team
+
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import pathlib
+import subprocess
+from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+
+from ..compilers import lang_suffixes
+
+def clangformat(srcdir_name, builddir_name):
+    srcdir = pathlib.Path(srcdir_name)
+    suffixes = set(lang_suffixes['c']).union(set(lang_suffixes['cpp']))
+    suffixes.add('h')
+    futures = []
+    with ThreadPoolExecutor() as e:
+        for f in (x for suff in suffixes for x in srcdir.glob('**/*.' + suff)):
+            strf = str(f)
+            if strf.startswith(builddir_name):
+                continue
+            futures.append(e.submit(subprocess.check_call, ['clang-tidy', '-p', builddir_name, strf]))
+        [x.result() for x in futures]
+    return 0
+
+def run(args):
+    srcdir_name = args[0]
+    builddir_name = args[1]
+    return clangformat(srcdir_name, builddir_name)
diff --git a/run_unittests.py b/run_unittests.py
index a2b083fb0..2df8bcb6e 100755
--- a/run_unittests.py
+++ b/run_unittests.py
@@ -3659,6 +3659,19 @@ recommended as it is not supported on some platforms''')
             if os.path.exists(testheader):
                 os.unlink(testheader)
 
+    @skipIfNoExecutable('clang-tidy')
+    def test_clang_tidy(self):
+        if self.backend is not Backend.ninja:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('Clang-tidy is for now only supported on Ninja, not {}'.format(self.backend.name))
+        if shutil.which('c++') is None:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('Clang-tidy breaks when ccache is used and "c++" not in path.')
+        if is_osx():
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('Apple ships a broken clang-tidy that chokes on -pipe.')
+        testdir = os.path.join(self.unit_test_dir, '70 clang-tidy')
+        self.init(testdir, override_envvars={'CXX': 'c++'})
+        out = self.run_target('clang-tidy')
+        self.assertIn('cttest.cpp:4:20', out)
+
     def test_introspect_buildoptions_without_configured_build(self):
         testdir = os.path.join(self.unit_test_dir, '59 introspect buildoptions')
         testfile = os.path.join(testdir, 'meson.build')
diff --git a/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/.clang-tidy b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/.clang-tidy
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..393529479
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/.clang-tidy	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Checks: '-*,modernize-use-bool-literals'
diff --git a/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/cttest.cpp b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/cttest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..07b35a666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/cttest.cpp	
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include<cstdio>
+
+int main(int, char**) {
+    bool intbool = 1;
+    printf("Intbool is %d\n", (int)intbool);
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/meson.build b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..737474b02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/70 clang-tidy/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+project('clangtidytest', 'cpp', default_options: 'cpp_std=c++14')
+
+executable('cttest', 'cttest.cpp')