diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/messages.ftl b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/messages.ftl
index c0cfe39f1e0..7a86ddc7556 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/messages.ftl
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/messages.ftl
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ codegen_llvm_target_machine = could not create LLVM TargetMachine for triple: {$
 codegen_llvm_target_machine_with_llvm_err = could not create LLVM TargetMachine for triple: {$triple}: {$llvm_err}
 
 codegen_llvm_unknown_ctarget_feature =
-    unknown feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `{$feature}`
-    .note = it is still passed through to the codegen backend
+    unknown and unstable feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `{$feature}`
+    .note = it is still passed through to the codegen backend, but use of this feature might be unsound and the behavior of this feature can change in the future
     .possible_feature = you might have meant: `{$rust_feature}`
     .consider_filing_feature_request = consider filing a feature request
 
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ codegen_llvm_unknown_ctarget_feature_prefix =
 
 codegen_llvm_unknown_debuginfo_compression = unknown debuginfo compression algorithm {$algorithm} - will fall back to uncompressed debuginfo
 
+codegen_llvm_unstable_ctarget_feature =
+    unstable feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `{$feature}`
+    .note = this feature is not stably supported; its behavior can change in the future
+
 codegen_llvm_write_bytecode = failed to write bytecode to {$path}: {$err}
 
 codegen_llvm_write_ir = failed to write LLVM IR to {$path}
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/errors.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/errors.rs
index 665d195790c..10ca5ad802a 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/errors.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/errors.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ pub(crate) struct UnknownCTargetFeature<'a> {
     pub rust_feature: PossibleFeature<'a>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Diagnostic)]
+#[diag(codegen_llvm_unstable_ctarget_feature)]
+#[note]
+pub(crate) struct UnstableCTargetFeature<'a> {
+    pub feature: &'a str,
+}
+
 #[derive(Subdiagnostic)]
 pub(crate) enum PossibleFeature<'a> {
     #[help(codegen_llvm_possible_feature)]
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/llvm_util.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/llvm_util.rs
index 7c8ef67ffd1..cc4ccaf19c2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/llvm_util.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_llvm/src/llvm_util.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::back::write::create_informational_target_machine;
 use crate::errors::{
     PossibleFeature, TargetFeatureDisableOrEnable, UnknownCTargetFeature,
-    UnknownCTargetFeaturePrefix,
+    UnknownCTargetFeaturePrefix, UnstableCTargetFeature,
 };
 use crate::llvm;
 use libc::c_int;
@@ -531,25 +531,34 @@ pub(crate) fn global_llvm_features(sess: &Session, diagnostics: bool) -> Vec<Str
             };
 
             let feature = backend_feature_name(s)?;
-            // Warn against use of LLVM specific feature names on the CLI.
-            if diagnostics && !supported_features.iter().any(|&(v, _)| v == feature) {
-                let rust_feature = supported_features.iter().find_map(|&(rust_feature, _)| {
-                    let llvm_features = to_llvm_features(sess, rust_feature);
-                    if llvm_features.contains(&feature) && !llvm_features.contains(&rust_feature) {
-                        Some(rust_feature)
+            // Warn against use of LLVM specific feature names and unstable features on the CLI.
+            if diagnostics {
+                let feature_state = supported_features.iter().find(|&&(v, _)| v == feature);
+                if feature_state.is_none() {
+                    let rust_feature = supported_features.iter().find_map(|&(rust_feature, _)| {
+                        let llvm_features = to_llvm_features(sess, rust_feature);
+                        if llvm_features.contains(&feature)
+                            && !llvm_features.contains(&rust_feature)
+                        {
+                            Some(rust_feature)
+                        } else {
+                            None
+                        }
+                    });
+                    let unknown_feature = if let Some(rust_feature) = rust_feature {
+                        UnknownCTargetFeature {
+                            feature,
+                            rust_feature: PossibleFeature::Some { rust_feature },
+                        }
                     } else {
-                        None
-                    }
-                });
-                let unknown_feature = if let Some(rust_feature) = rust_feature {
-                    UnknownCTargetFeature {
-                        feature,
-                        rust_feature: PossibleFeature::Some { rust_feature },
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    UnknownCTargetFeature { feature, rust_feature: PossibleFeature::None }
-                };
-                sess.emit_warning(unknown_feature);
+                        UnknownCTargetFeature { feature, rust_feature: PossibleFeature::None }
+                    };
+                    sess.emit_warning(unknown_feature);
+                } else if feature_state.is_some_and(|(_name, feature_gate)| feature_gate.is_some())
+                {
+                    // An unstable feature. Warn about using it.
+                    sess.emit_warning(UnstableCTargetFeature { feature });
+                }
             }
 
             if diagnostics {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/target_features.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/target_features.rs
index 9c053338c85..2936f1de3cb 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/target_features.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/target_features.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@
 // check whether they're named already elsewhere in rust
 // e.g. in stdarch and whether the given name matches LLVM's
 // if it doesn't, to_llvm_feature in llvm_util in rustc_codegen_llvm needs to be adapted
+//
+// When adding a new feature, be particularly mindful of features that affect function ABIs. Those
+// need to be treated very carefully to avoid introducing unsoundness! This often affects features
+// that enable/disable hardfloat support (see https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/116344 for an
+// example of this going wrong), but features enabling new SIMD registers are also a concern (see
+// https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/116558 for an example of this going wrong).
+//
+// Stabilizing a target feature (setting the 2nd component of the pair to `None`) requires t-lang
+// approval.
 
 const ARM_ALLOWED_FEATURES: &[(&str, Option<Symbol>)] = &[
     // tidy-alphabetical-start
diff --git a/tests/ui/target-feature/similar-feature-suggestion.stderr b/tests/ui/target-feature/similar-feature-suggestion.stderr
index 2f376065fdf..f39dfd401e0 100644
--- a/tests/ui/target-feature/similar-feature-suggestion.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/target-feature/similar-feature-suggestion.stderr
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-warning: unknown feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `rdrnd`
+warning: unknown and unstable feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `rdrnd`
    |
-   = note: it is still passed through to the codegen backend
+   = note: it is still passed through to the codegen backend, but use of this feature might be unsound and the behavior of this feature can change in the future
    = help: you might have meant: `rdrand`
 
 warning: 1 warning emitted
diff --git a/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.rs b/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bd0d72938f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// compile-flags: -Ctarget-feature=+vaes --crate-type=rlib --target=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+// build-pass
+// needs-llvm-components: x86
+
+#![feature(no_core)]
+#![no_core]
diff --git a/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.stderr b/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d34544c5c27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/target-feature/unstable-feature.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+warning: unstable feature specified for `-Ctarget-feature`: `vaes`
+   |
+   = note: this feature is not stably supported; its behavior can change in the future
+
+warning: 1 warning emitted
+