diff --git a/src/librustc/lint/context.rs b/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
index 94f17ea779ac8..d77b8e4b43702 100644
--- a/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/lint/context.rs
@@ -462,7 +462,13 @@ pub fn raw_struct_lint<'a>(sess: &'a Session,
 
     if let Some(span) = def {
         let explanation = "lint level defined here";
-        err.span_note(span, &explanation);
+        let span_explanation = (span, explanation.to_owned());
+        let already_noted: bool = sess.one_time_diagnostics.borrow()
+            .contains(&span_explanation);
+        if !already_noted {
+            err.span_note(span, explanation);
+            sess.one_time_diagnostics.borrow_mut().insert(span_explanation);
+        }
     }
 
     err
diff --git a/src/librustc/session/mod.rs b/src/librustc/session/mod.rs
index 100b204b50135..1e277e2d297ad 100644
--- a/src/librustc/session/mod.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/session/mod.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use middle::dependency_format;
 use session::search_paths::PathKind;
 use session::config::{DebugInfoLevel, PanicStrategy};
 use ty::tls;
-use util::nodemap::{NodeMap, FnvHashMap};
+use util::nodemap::{NodeMap, FnvHashMap, FnvHashSet};
 use mir::transform as mir_pass;
 
 use syntax::ast::{NodeId, NodeIdAssigner, Name};
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ pub struct Session {
     pub working_dir: PathBuf,
     pub lint_store: RefCell<lint::LintStore>,
     pub lints: RefCell<NodeMap<Vec<(lint::LintId, Span, String)>>>,
+    /// Set of (span, message) tuples tracking lint (sub)diagnostics that have
+    /// been set once, but should not be set again, in order to avoid
+    /// redundantly verbose output.
+    pub one_time_diagnostics: RefCell<FnvHashSet<(Span, String)>>,
     pub plugin_llvm_passes: RefCell<Vec<String>>,
     pub mir_passes: RefCell<mir_pass::Passes>,
     pub plugin_attributes: RefCell<Vec<(String, AttributeType)>>,
@@ -523,6 +527,7 @@ pub fn build_session_(sopts: config::Options,
         working_dir: env::current_dir().unwrap(),
         lint_store: RefCell::new(lint::LintStore::new()),
         lints: RefCell::new(NodeMap()),
+        one_time_diagnostics: RefCell::new(FnvHashSet()),
         plugin_llvm_passes: RefCell::new(Vec::new()),
         mir_passes: RefCell::new(mir_pass::Passes::new()),
         plugin_attributes: RefCell::new(Vec::new()),
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-group-style.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-group-style.rs
index 393e46ab5394c..a88e0c63ac374 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-group-style.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-group-style.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ mod test {
 
     #[forbid(bad_style)]
     //~^ NOTE lint level defined here
-    //~^^ NOTE lint level defined here
     mod bad {
         fn CamelCase() {} //~ ERROR function `CamelCase` should have a snake case name
 
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@ mod test {
     mod warn {
         #![warn(bad_style)]
         //~^ NOTE lint level defined here
-        //~| NOTE lint level defined here
 
         fn CamelCase() {} //~ WARN function `CamelCase` should have a snake case name
 
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-no-drop-on-repr-extern.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-no-drop-on-repr-extern.rs
index 91e5065517dcc..8c911cad34bfe 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-no-drop-on-repr-extern.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-no-drop-on-repr-extern.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #![feature(unsafe_no_drop_flag)]
 #![deny(drop_with_repr_extern)]
 //~^ NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
 
 #[repr(C)] struct As { x: Box<i8> }
 #[repr(C)] enum Ae { Ae(Box<i8>), _None }
diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-unconditional-recursion.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-unconditional-recursion.rs
index 94e189aa47f6f..bee5a2c45be6d 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/lint-unconditional-recursion.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/lint-unconditional-recursion.rs
@@ -10,19 +10,7 @@
 
 #![deny(unconditional_recursion)]
 //~^ NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
-//~| NOTE lint level defined here
+
 #![allow(dead_code)]
 fn foo() { //~ ERROR function cannot return without recurring
     foo(); //~ NOTE recursive call site