diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 96d615d7b96..3ea3659dd1d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Lints included in this crate:
  - `toplevel_ref_arg`: Warns when a function argument is declared `ref` (i.e. `fn foo(ref x: u8)`, but not `fn foo((ref x, ref y): (u8, u8))`)
  - `eq_op`: Warns on equal operands on both sides of a comparison or bitwise combination
  - `bad_bit_mask`: Denies expressions of the form `_ & mask == select` that will only ever return `true` or `false` (because in the example `select` containing bits that `mask` doesn't have)
+ - `ineffective_bit_mask`: Warns on expressions where a bit mask will be rendered useless by a comparison, e.g. `(x | 1) > 2`
  - `needless_bool` : Warns on if-statements with plain booleans in the then- and else-clause, e.g. `if p { true } else { false }`
  - `ptr_arg`: Warns on fn arguments of the type `&Vec<...>` or `&String`, suggesting to use `&[...]` or `&str` instead, respectively
  - `approx_constant`: Warns if the approximate of a known float constant (in `std::f64::consts` or `std::f32::consts`) is found and suggests to use the constant
diff --git a/src/bit_mask.rs b/src/bit_mask.rs
index 6aece62420e..42e3003d336 100644
--- a/src/bit_mask.rs
+++ b/src/bit_mask.rs
@@ -32,12 +32,18 @@ declare_lint! {
     "Deny the use of incompatible bit masks in comparisons, e.g. '(a & 1) == 2'"
 }
 
+declare_lint! {
+	pub INEFFECTIVE_BIT_MASK,
+	Warn,
+	"Warn on the use of an ineffective bit mask in comparisons, e.g. '(a & 1) > 2'"
+}
+
 #[derive(Copy,Clone)]
 pub struct BitMask;
 
 impl LintPass for BitMask {
     fn get_lints(&self) -> LintArray {
-        lint_array!(BAD_BIT_MASK)
+        lint_array!(BAD_BIT_MASK, INEFFECTIVE_BIT_MASK)
     }
     
     fn check_expr(&mut self, cx: &Context, e: &Expr) {
@@ -102,31 +108,47 @@ fn check_bit_mask(cx: &Context, bit_op: BinOp_, cmp_op: BinOp_, mask_value: u64,
 		},
 		BiLt | BiGe => match bit_op {
 			BiBitAnd => if mask_value < cmp_value {
-				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("incompatible bit mask: _ & {} will always be lower than {}", mask_value,
-					cmp_value));
+				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+					"incompatible bit mask: _ & {} will always be lower than {}", 
+					mask_value, cmp_value));
 			} else { 
 				if mask_value == 0 {
 					cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("&-masking with zero"));
 				}
 			},
 			BiBitOr => if mask_value >= cmp_value {
-				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("incompatible bit mask: _ | {} will never be lower than {}", mask_value,
-					cmp_value));
+				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+					"incompatible bit mask: _ | {} will never be lower than {}", 
+					mask_value, cmp_value));
+			} else {
+				if mask_value < cmp_value {
+					cx.span_lint(INEFFECTIVE_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+						"ineffective bit mask: x | {} compared to {} is the same as x compared directly", 
+						mask_value, cmp_value)); 
+				}
 			},
 			_ => ()
 		},
 		BiLe | BiGt => match bit_op {
 			BiBitAnd => if mask_value <= cmp_value {
-				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("incompatible bit mask: _ & {} will never be higher than {}", mask_value,
-					cmp_value));
+				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+					"incompatible bit mask: _ & {} will never be higher than {}", 
+					mask_value, cmp_value));
 			} else { 
 				if mask_value == 0 {
 					cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("&-masking with zero"));
 				}
 			},
 			BiBitOr => if mask_value > cmp_value {
-				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!("incompatible bit mask: _ | {} will always be higher than {}", mask_value,
-					cmp_value));				
+				cx.span_lint(BAD_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+					"incompatible bit mask: _ | {} will always be higher than {}", 
+					mask_value, cmp_value));				
+			} else {
+				if mask_value < cmp_value {
+					cx.span_lint(INEFFECTIVE_BIT_MASK, *span, &format!(
+						"ineffective bit mask: x | {} compared to {} is the same as x compared directly", 
+						mask_value, cmp_value)); 
+				}
 			},
 			_ => ()
 		},
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 7e21a72dcf2..1655faaf8b0 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ pub fn plugin_registrar(reg: &mut Registry) {
     reg.register_lint_group("clippy", vec![types::BOX_VEC, types::LINKEDLIST,
                                            misc::SINGLE_MATCH, misc::STR_TO_STRING,
                                            misc::TOPLEVEL_REF_ARG, eq_op::EQ_OP,
-                                           bit_mask::BAD_BIT_MASK, ptr_arg::PTR_ARG,
+                                           bit_mask::BAD_BIT_MASK, 
+                                           bit_mask::INEFFECTIVE_BIT_MASK,
+                                           ptr_arg::PTR_ARG,
                                            needless_bool::NEEDLESS_BOOL,
                                            approx_const::APPROX_CONSTANT,
                                            misc::CMP_NAN, misc::FLOAT_CMP,
diff --git a/tests/compile-fail/bit_masks.rs b/tests/compile-fail/bit_masks.rs
index b575dbc4e25..d2646d2589e 100644
--- a/tests/compile-fail/bit_masks.rs
+++ b/tests/compile-fail/bit_masks.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const THREE_BITS : i64 = 7;
 const EVEN_MORE_REDIRECTION : i64 = THREE_BITS;
 
 #[deny(bad_bit_mask)]
+#[allow(ineffective_bit_mask)]
 fn main() {
 	let x = 5;
 	
@@ -34,4 +35,18 @@ fn main() {
 	1 < 2 | x; //~ERROR
 	2 == 3 | x; //~ERROR
 	1 == x & 2; //~ERROR
+	
+	x | 1 > 2; // no error, because we allowed ineffective bit masks
+	ineffective();
+}
+
+#[deny(ineffective_bit_mask)]
+#[allow(bad_bit_mask)]
+fn ineffective() {
+	let x = 5;
+	
+	x | 1 > 2; //~ERROR
+	x | 1 < 3; //~ERROR
+	x | 1 <= 3; //~ERROR
+	x | 1 >= 2; //~ERROR
 }