diff --git a/Cabal/src/Distribution/PackageDescription/Check.hs b/Cabal/src/Distribution/PackageDescription/Check.hs
index 13094319151..29f158b8f08 100644
--- a/Cabal/src/Distribution/PackageDescription/Check.hs
+++ b/Cabal/src/Distribution/PackageDescription/Check.hs
@@ -871,42 +871,43 @@ checkGhcOptions fieldName getOptions pkg =
         ++ "should only be used for executables."
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extensions"
-      [ (flag, prettyShow extension) | flag <- all_ghc_options
+      [ (flag, prettyShow extension) | flag <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts
                                   , Just extension <- [ghcExtension flag] ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extensions"
-      [ (flag, extension) | flag@('-':'X':extension) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, extension) | flag@('-':'X':extension) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "cpp-options" $
-         [ (flag, flag) | flag@('-':'D':_) <- all_ghc_options ]
-      ++ [ (flag, flag) | flag@('-':'U':_) <- all_ghc_options ]
+         [ (flag, flag) | flag@('-':'D':_) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
+      ++ [ (flag, flag) | flag@('-':'U':_) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "include-dirs"
-      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'I':dir) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'I':dir) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extra-libraries"
-      [ (flag, lib) | flag@('-':'l':lib) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, lib) | flag@('-':'l':lib) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extra-libraries-static"
-      [ (flag, lib) | flag@('-':'l':lib) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, lib) | flag@('-':'l':lib) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extra-lib-dirs"
-      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'L':dir) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'L':dir) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extra-lib-dirs-static"
-      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'L':dir) <- all_ghc_options ]
+      [ (flag, dir) | flag@('-':'L':dir) <- ghc_options_no_rtsopts ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "frameworks"
       [ (flag, fmwk) | (flag@"-framework", fmwk) <-
-           zip all_ghc_options (safeTail all_ghc_options) ]
+           zip ghc_options_no_rtsopts (safeTail ghc_options_no_rtsopts) ]
 
   , checkAlternatives fieldName "extra-framework-dirs"
       [ (flag, dir) | (flag@"-framework-path", dir) <-
-           zip all_ghc_options (safeTail all_ghc_options) ]
+           zip ghc_options_no_rtsopts (safeTail ghc_options_no_rtsopts) ]
   ]
 
   where
     all_ghc_options    = concatMap getOptions (allBuildInfo pkg)
+    ghc_options_no_rtsopts = rmRtsOpts all_ghc_options
     lib_ghc_options    = concatMap (getOptions . libBuildInfo)
                          (allLibraries pkg)
     test_ghc_options      = concatMap (getOptions . testBuildInfo)
@@ -967,6 +968,11 @@ checkGhcOptions fieldName getOptions pkg =
     enable  e = Just (EnableExtension e)
     disable e = Just (DisableExtension e)
 
+    rmRtsOpts :: [String] -> [String]
+    rmRtsOpts ("-with-rtsopts":_:xs) = rmRtsOpts xs
+    rmRtsOpts (x:xs) = x : rmRtsOpts xs
+    rmRtsOpts [] = []
+
 checkCCOptions :: PackageDescription -> [PackageCheck]
 checkCCOptions = checkCLikeOptions "C" "cc-options" ccOptions
 
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/LICENSE b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6b1d0bfabc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+LICENSE
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/Main.hs b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/Main.hs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c2e4af9606d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/Main.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module Main where
+
+main :: IO ()
+main = undefined
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/my.cabal b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/my.cabal
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5f7ff1e905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/my.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+name: RtsOptsClean
+version: 0.1
+author: Artem Pelenitsyn
+synopsis: Make sure -with-rtsopts do not produce spurious warnings (fix #4255)
+category: PackageTests
+build-type: Simple
+cabal-version: 2.0
+
+description:
+    Make sure -with-rtsopts do not produce spurious warnings
+
+Executable RtsOptsClean
+    default-language: Haskell2010
+    build-depends: base <5.0
+    main-is:
+        Main.hs
+    ghc-options:
+      -rtsopts
+      -with-rtsopts "-I0"
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.cabal.out b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.cabal.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..95acd6aa1eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.cabal.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Setup configure
+Configuring RtsOptsClean-0.1...
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.out b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..95acd6aa1eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Setup configure
+Configuring RtsOptsClean-0.1...
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.test.hs b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.test.hs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7c85bd662b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/PackageTests/RtsOptsClean/setup.test.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import Test.Cabal.Prelude
+
+-- Test that setup shows all the 'autogen-modules' warnings.
+main = setupAndCabalTest $ do
+    setup' "configure" [] >>=
+         assertOutputDoesNotContain "Warning: Instead of 'ghc-options: -I0' use 'include-dirs: 0'"
diff --git a/changelog.d/issue-4255 b/changelog.d/issue-4255
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b1a5f199660
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/issue-4255
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+synopsis: Avoid spurious warnings from -with-rtsopts
+packages: Cabal
+issues: #4255
+prs: #8183