diff --git a/compiler/rustc_driver/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_driver/src/lib.rs
index 8e176efb2a9ed..d59c91318b4e7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_driver/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_driver/src/lib.rs
@@ -367,6 +367,19 @@ fn run_compiler(
                 return early_exit();
             }
 
+            // We need to get at least far before we have even a hope of generating a binary.
+            // FIXME: is that true? maybe we can ignore unresolved locals in dead code and that sort of thing
+            // That might require making name-resolution incremental, though.
+            if !sess.opts.unstable_opts.borrowck_unreachable {
+                // Make sure the user sees dead code warnings, so they know which items aren't checked.
+                // Normally that's done by `tcx.analysis()`, but we bypass that here.
+                queries.global_ctxt()?.peek_mut().enter(|tcx| {
+                    tcx.hir()
+                        .par_for_each_module(|module| tcx.ensure().check_mod_deathness(module));
+                });
+                return queries.linker().map(Some);
+            }
+
             queries.global_ctxt()?;
 
             if sess.opts.unstable_opts.no_analysis {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
index fc0b11183f7bf..8924952e3e4f5 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ impl<'tcx> Queries<'tcx> {
             let crate_name = self.crate_name()?.peek().clone();
             let outputs = self.prepare_outputs()?.peek().clone();
             let dep_graph = self.dep_graph()?.peek().clone();
-            let (krate, resolver, lint_store) = self.expansion()?.take();
+            let (krate, resolver, lint_store) = self.expansion()?.peek().clone();
             Ok(passes::create_global_ctxt(
                 self.compiler,
                 lint_store,
@@ -237,7 +237,9 @@ impl<'tcx> Queries<'tcx> {
         self.ongoing_codegen.compute(|| {
             let outputs = self.prepare_outputs()?;
             self.global_ctxt()?.peek_mut().enter(|tcx| {
-                tcx.analysis(()).ok();
+                if tcx.sess.opts.unstable_opts.borrowck_unreachable {
+                    tcx.analysis(()).ok();
+                }
 
                 // Don't do code generation if there were any errors
                 self.session().compile_status()?;
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mono.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mono.rs
index 15a24aa4ace51..ba498c5c6242d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mono.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mono.rs
@@ -175,6 +175,13 @@ impl<'tcx> MonoItem<'tcx> {
             MonoItem::GlobalAsm(..) => return true,
         };
 
+        // We need this for `-Zborrowck-unreachable=no`, since we don't borrowck the whole crate at once, only on-demand.
+        if let Some(local) = def_id.as_local() {
+            if tcx.hir().maybe_body_owned_by(local).is_some() {
+                tcx.ensure().mir_borrowck(local);
+            }
+        }
+
         !tcx.subst_and_check_impossible_predicates((def_id, &substs))
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
index f9ee202466f67..7cf0351b6b77f 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/options.rs
@@ -1225,6 +1225,8 @@ options! {
     binary_dep_depinfo: bool = (false, parse_bool, [TRACKED],
         "include artifacts (sysroot, crate dependencies) used during compilation in dep-info \
         (default: no)"),
+    borrowck_unreachable: bool = (true, parse_bool, [TRACKED],
+        "force borrowck to run even on functions that are never used"),
     box_noalias: Option<bool> = (None, parse_opt_bool, [TRACKED],
         "emit noalias metadata for box (default: yes)"),
     branch_protection: Option<BranchProtection> = (None, parse_branch_protection, [TRACKED],
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.rs b/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6628017cc8f4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// compile-flags: -Z borrowck-unreachable=no
+// build-fail
+fn live_code(s: &str) -> &'static str {
+    s //~ ERROR lifetime may not live long enough
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("{}", live_code("he he he"));
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.stderr b/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2659cc0decdc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/borrowck-live-code.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+error: lifetime may not live long enough
+  --> $DIR/borrowck-live-code.rs:4:5
+   |
+LL | fn live_code(s: &str) -> &'static str {
+   |                 - let's call the lifetime of this reference `'1`
+LL |     s
+   |     ^ returning this value requires that `'1` must outlive `'static`
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.rs b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0c2934aaaedf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// compile-flags: -Z borrowck-unreachable=no
+// run-pass
+
+fn dead_code(s: &str) -> &'static str {  //~ WARNING dead_code
+    s
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("he he he")
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.stderr b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b08af3866b57b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-borrowck-dead-code.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+warning: function `dead_code` is never used
+  --> $DIR/no-borrowck-dead-code.rs:4:4
+   |
+LL | fn dead_code(s: &str) -> &'static str {
+   |    ^^^^^^^^^
+   |
+   = note: `#[warn(dead_code)]` on by default
+
+warning: 1 warning emitted
+
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.rs b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..038058152b3f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// compile-flags: -Z borrowck-unreachable=no
+// run-pass
+
+fn dead_code(s: &str) -> bool { //~ WARNING never used
+    true
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("he he he")
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.stderr b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0cac8d85b2f87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/no-typeck-dead-code.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+warning: function `dead_code` is never used
+  --> $DIR/no-typeck-dead-code.rs:4:4
+   |
+LL | fn dead_code(s: &str) -> bool {
+   |    ^^^^^^^^^
+   |
+   = note: `#[warn(dead_code)]` on by default
+
+warning: 1 warning emitted
+
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.rs b/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..bab3ee257e381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// compile-flags: -Z borrowck-unreachable=no
+fn live_code(s: &str) -> bool {
+    s //~ ERROR mismatched types
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("{}", live_code("he he he"));
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.stderr b/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b7ba37dff8339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/fuckit/typeck-live-code.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+error[E0308]: mismatched types
+  --> $DIR/typeck-live-code.rs:3:5
+   |
+LL | fn live_code(s: &str) -> bool {
+   |                          ---- expected `bool` because of return type
+LL |     s
+   |     ^ expected `bool`, found `&str`
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+
+For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0308`.