diff --git a/docs/rules/no-restricted-globals.md b/docs/rules/no-restricted-globals.md
index 751f5d66de6..c9df9d3391d 100644
--- a/docs/rules/no-restricted-globals.md
+++ b/docs/rules/no-restricted-globals.md
@@ -13,7 +13,35 @@ This rule allows you to specify global variable names that you don't want to use
 
 ## Options
 
-This rule takes a list of strings which are the global variable names.
+This rule takes a list of strings, where each string is a global to be restricted:
+
+```json
+{
+    "rules": {
+        "no-restricted-globals": ["error", "event", "fdescribe"]
+    }
+}
+```
+
+Alternatively, the rule also accepts objects, where the global name and an optional custom message are specified:
+
+```json
+{
+    "rules": {
+        "no-restricted-globals": [
+            "error",
+            {
+                "name": "event",
+                "message": "Use local parameter instead."
+            },
+            {
+                "name": "fdescribe",
+                "message": "Do not commit fdescribe. Use describe instead."
+            }
+        ]
+    }
+}
+```
 
 Examples of **incorrect** code for sample `"event", "fdescribe"` global variable names:
 
@@ -45,6 +73,17 @@ import event from "event-module";
 var event = 1;
 ```
 
+Examples of **incorrect** code for a sample `"event"` global variable name, along with a custom error message:
+
+```js
+/*global event*/
+/* eslint no-restricted-globals: [{ name: "error", message: "Use local parameter instead." }] */
+
+function onClick() {
+    console.log(event);    // Unexpected global variable 'event'. Use local parameter instead.
+}
+```
+
 ## Related Rules
 
 * [no-restricted-properties](no-restricted-properties.md)
diff --git a/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js b/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
index 603a6b2d376..75428fc1747 100644
--- a/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
+++ b/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
  */
 "use strict";
 
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helpers
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE = "Unexpected use of '{{name}}'.",
+    CUSTOM_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE = "Unexpected use of '{{name}}'. {{customMessage}}";
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Rule Definition
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -19,20 +26,43 @@ module.exports = {
         schema: {
             type: "array",
             items: {
-                type: "string"
+                oneOf: [
+                    {
+                        type: "string"
+                    },
+                    {
+                        type: "object",
+                        properties: {
+                            name: { type: "string" },
+                            message: { type: "string" }
+                        },
+                        required: ["name"],
+                        additionalProperties: false
+                    }
+                ]
             },
-            uniqueItems: true
+            uniqueItems: true,
+            minItems: 0
         }
     },
 
     create(context) {
-        const restrictedGlobals = context.options;
 
-        // if no globals are restricted we don't need to check
-        if (restrictedGlobals.length === 0) {
+        // If no globals are restricted, we don't need to do anything
+        if (context.options.length === 0) {
             return {};
         }
 
+        const restrictedGlobalMessages = context.options.reduce((memo, option) => {
+            if (typeof option === "string") {
+                memo[option] = null;
+            } else {
+                memo[option.name] = option.message;
+            }
+
+            return memo;
+        }, {});
+
         /**
          * Report a variable to be used as a restricted global.
          * @param {Reference} reference the variable reference
@@ -40,9 +70,20 @@ module.exports = {
          * @private
          */
         function reportReference(reference) {
-            context.report({ node: reference.identifier, message: "Unexpected use of '{{name}}'.", data: {
-                name: reference.identifier.name
-            } });
+            const name = reference.identifier.name,
+                customMessage = restrictedGlobalMessages[name],
+                message = customMessage
+                    ? CUSTOM_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE
+                    : DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE;
+
+            context.report({
+                node: reference.identifier,
+                message,
+                data: {
+                    name,
+                    customMessage
+                }
+            });
         }
 
         /**
@@ -52,7 +93,7 @@ module.exports = {
          * @private
          */
         function isRestricted(name) {
-            return restrictedGlobals.indexOf(name) >= 0;
+            return restrictedGlobalMessages.hasOwnProperty(name);
         }
 
         return {
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js b/tests/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
index df9d6e4ffb0..6ce7b9cd5c5 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/no-restricted-globals.js
@@ -20,46 +20,158 @@ const ruleTester = new RuleTester();
 
 ruleTester.run("no-restricted-globals", rule, {
     valid: [
-        { code: "foo" },
-        { code: "foo", options: ["bar"] },
-        { code: "var foo = 1;", options: ["foo"] },
-        { code: "event", env: { browser: true }, options: ["bar"] },
-        { code: "import foo from 'bar';", options: ["foo"], parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6, sourceType: "module" } },
-        { code: "function foo() {}", options: ["foo"] },
-        { code: "function fn() { var foo; }", options: ["foo"] },
-        { code: "foo.bar", options: ["bar"] }
+        {
+            code: "foo"
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo",
+            options: ["bar"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "var foo = 1;",
+            options: ["foo"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "event",
+            env: { browser: true },
+            options: ["bar"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "import foo from 'bar';",
+            options: ["foo"],
+            parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6, sourceType: "module" }
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function foo() {}",
+            options: ["foo"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { var foo; }",
+            options: ["foo"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo.bar",
+            options: ["bar"]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo",
+            options: [{ name: "bar", message: "Use baz instead." }]
+        }
     ],
     invalid: [
         {
-            code: "foo", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo",
+            options: ["foo"],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: ["foo"],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: ["foo"],
+            globals: { foo: false },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "event",
+            options: ["foo", "event"],
+            env: { browser: true },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'event'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo",
+            options: ["foo"],
+            globals: { foo: false },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo()",
+            options: ["foo"],
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "function fn() { foo; }", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo.bar()",
+            options: ["foo"],
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "function fn() { foo; }", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
             globals: { foo: false },
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "event", options: ["foo", "event"],
+            code: "event",
+            options: ["foo", { name: "event" }],
             env: { browser: true },
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'event'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "foo", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
             globals: { foo: false },
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "foo()", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo()",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
         },
         {
-            code: "foo.bar()", options: ["foo"],
+            code: "foo.bar()",
+            options: [{ name: "foo" }],
             errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "function fn() { foo; }",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            globals: { foo: false },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "event",
+            options: ["foo", { name: "event", message: "Use local event parameter." }],
+            env: { browser: true },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'event'. Use local event parameter.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            globals: { foo: false },
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo()",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "foo.bar()",
+            options: [{ name: "foo", message: "Use bar instead." }],
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected use of 'foo'. Use bar instead.", type: "Identifier" }]
         }
     ]
 });