diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 55109959aa5..2f096324e1a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ Core rules are included in the `tslint` package.
   * `"arguments"` checks alignment of function call arguments.
   * `"statements"` checks alignment of statements.
 * `arrow-parens` requires parentheses around the parameters of arrow function definitions.
-* `ban` bans the use of specific functions. Options are ["object", "function"] pairs that ban the use of object.function().
+* `ban` bans the use of specific functions. Options are `["object", "function"]` pairs that ban the use of `object.function()`.  An optional 3rd parameter may be provided (`["object", "function", "Use 'object.otherFunc' instead."]`) to offer an explanation as to why the function has been banned or to offer an alternative.
 * `class-name` enforces PascalCased class and interface names.
 * `comment-format` enforces rules for single-line comments. Rule options:
     * `"check-space"` enforces the rule that all single-line comments must begin with a space, as in `// comment`
diff --git a/src/rules/banRule.ts b/src/rules/banRule.ts
index ec2c6b970b7..c958b6cb81d 100644
--- a/src/rules/banRule.ts
+++ b/src/rules/banRule.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
         ruleName: "ban",
         description: "Bans the use of specific functions.",
         descriptionDetails: "At this time, there is no way to disable global methods with this rule.",
-        optionsDescription: "A list of `['object', 'method']` pairs which ban `object.method()`.",
+        optionsDescription: "A list of `['object', 'method', 'optional explanation here']` which ban `object.method()`.",
         options: {
             type: "list",
             listType: {
@@ -33,15 +33,18 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
                 arrayMembers: [
                     { type: "string" },
                     { type: "string" },
+                    { type: "string" },
                 ],
             },
         },
-        optionExamples: [`[true, ["console", "log"], ["someObject", "someFunction"]]`],
+        optionExamples: [`[true, ["someObject", "someFunction"], ["someObject", "otherFunction", "Optional explanation"]]`],
         type: "functionality",
     };
     /* tslint:enable:object-literal-sort-keys */
 
-    public static FAILURE_STRING_PART = "function invocation disallowed: ";
+    public static FAILURE_STRING_FACTORY = (expression: string, messageAddition?: string) => {
+        return `Calls to '${expression}' are not allowed.${messageAddition ? " " + messageAddition : ""}`;
+    };
 
     public apply(sourceFile: ts.SourceFile): Lint.RuleFailure[] {
         const options = this.getOptions();
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ export class BanFunctionWalker extends Lint.RuleWalker {
                         const failure = this.createFailure(
                             expression.getStart(),
                             expression.getWidth(),
-                            `${Rule.FAILURE_STRING_PART}${leftSideExpression}.${rightSideExpression}`
+                            Rule.FAILURE_STRING_FACTORY(`${leftSideExpression}.${rightSideExpression}`, bannedFunction[2])
                         );
                         this.addFailure(failure);
                     }
diff --git a/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint b/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
index c8067440dae..3ac20772ce8 100644
--- a/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
+++ b/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 console.time();
 window.toString();
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: window.toString]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [Calls to 'window.toString' are not allowed.]
 console.log();
 document.window.toString();
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: window.toString]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [Calls to 'window.toString' are not allowed.]
 reference.randomContainer.window.toString();
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: window.toString]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [Calls to 'window.toString' are not allowed.]
 globals.getDocument().window.toString();
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: window.toString]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    [Calls to 'window.toString' are not allowed.]
 _.keys(obj).forEach(fun);
 _.forEach(fun);
-~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: _.forEach]
+~~~~~~~~~    [Calls to '_.forEach' are not allowed.]
+_.filter(array);
+~~~~~~~~    [Calls to '_.filter' are not allowed. Use the native JavaScript 'myArray.filter' instead.]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/rules/ban/tslint.json b/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
index db8ab1b06b3..0271539a492 100644
--- a/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
+++ b/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 {
   "rules": {
-    "ban": [true, ["window", "toString"], ["_", "forEach"]]
+    "ban": [
+      true, 
+      ["window", "toString"], 
+      ["_", "forEach"],
+      ["_", "filter", "Use the native JavaScript 'myArray.filter' instead."]
+    ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/rules/no-console/test.ts.lint b/test/rules/no-console/test.ts.lint
index a4062a0aa8c..2ee294b7d6b 100644
--- a/test/rules/no-console/test.ts.lint
+++ b/test/rules/no-console/test.ts.lint
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 console.time();
 console.log("log");
-~~~~~~~~~~~             [function invocation disallowed: console.log]
+~~~~~~~~~~~             [Calls to 'console.log' are not allowed.]
 console.dir(object);
-~~~~~~~~~~~             [function invocation disallowed: console.dir]
+~~~~~~~~~~~             [Calls to 'console.dir' are not allowed.]
 console.info("info");
 console.trace("trace");
 console.warn("warn");
-~~~~~~~~~~~~            [function invocation disallowed: console.warn]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~            [Calls to 'console.warn' are not allowed.]
 console.error("error");
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~           [function invocation disallowed: console.error]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~           [Calls to 'console.error' are not allowed.]
 console.something();
 console.timeEnd();