diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e74c844d7..e322d4d55 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ Feature enhancements:
 
 * Added or improved file type filtering for Bazel, dvc, FlatBuffers, Futhark,
   minified files, Mint, pofiles (from GNU gettext) Racket, VCL, Yang
-* [PR #1856](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/pull/1856):
+* [FEATURE #1404](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/pull/1404):
+  ripgrep now prints a warning if nothing is searched.
+* [FEATURE #1856](https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/pull/1856):
   The README now links to a
   [Spanish translation](https://github.com/UltiRequiem/traducciones/tree/master/ripgrep).
 
diff --git a/crates/core/main.rs b/crates/core/main.rs
index 5a8a5eb42..18b54ec3f 100644
--- a/crates/core/main.rs
+++ b/crates/core/main.rs
@@ -83,12 +83,14 @@ fn search(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
     let mut stats = args.stats()?;
     let mut searcher = args.search_worker(args.stdout())?;
     let mut matched = false;
+    let mut searched = false;
 
     for result in args.walker()? {
         let subject = match subject_builder.build_from_result(result) {
             Some(subject) => subject,
             None => continue,
         };
+        searched = true;
         let search_result = match searcher.search(&subject) {
             Ok(search_result) => search_result,
             Err(err) => {
@@ -108,6 +110,9 @@ fn search(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
             break;
         }
     }
+    if !searched {
+        eprint_nothing_searched();
+    }
     if let Some(ref stats) = stats {
         let elapsed = Instant::now().duration_since(started_at);
         // We don't care if we couldn't print this successfully.
@@ -129,11 +134,13 @@ fn search_parallel(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
     let bufwtr = args.buffer_writer()?;
     let stats = args.stats()?.map(Mutex::new);
     let matched = AtomicBool::new(false);
+    let searched = AtomicBool::new(false);
     let mut searcher_err = None;
     args.walker_parallel()?.run(|| {
         let bufwtr = &bufwtr;
         let stats = &stats;
         let matched = &matched;
+        let searched = &searched;
         let subject_builder = &subject_builder;
         let mut searcher = match args.search_worker(bufwtr.buffer()) {
             Ok(searcher) => searcher,
@@ -148,6 +155,7 @@ fn search_parallel(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
                 Some(subject) => subject,
                 None => return WalkState::Continue,
             };
+            searched.store(true, SeqCst);
             searcher.printer().get_mut().clear();
             let search_result = match searcher.search(&subject) {
                 Ok(search_result) => search_result,
@@ -181,6 +189,9 @@ fn search_parallel(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
     if let Some(err) = searcher_err.take() {
         return Err(err);
     }
+    if !searched.load(SeqCst) {
+        eprint_nothing_searched();
+    }
     if let Some(ref locked_stats) = stats {
         let elapsed = Instant::now().duration_since(started_at);
         let stats = locked_stats.lock().unwrap();
@@ -191,6 +202,14 @@ fn search_parallel(args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
     Ok(matched.load(SeqCst))
 }
 
+fn eprint_nothing_searched() {
+    err_message!(
+        "No files were searched, which means ripgrep probably \
+         applied a filter you didn't expect.\n\
+         Running with --debug will show why files are being skipped."
+    );
+}
+
 /// The top-level entry point for listing files without searching them. This
 /// recursively steps through the file list (current directory by default) and
 /// prints each path sequentially using a single thread.
diff --git a/tests/feature.rs b/tests/feature.rs
index e140fdfe1..3cae70754 100644
--- a/tests/feature.rs
+++ b/tests/feature.rs
@@ -787,6 +787,47 @@ rgtest!(f1466_no_ignore_files, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
     eqnice!("foo\n", cmd.arg("-u").stdout());
 });
 
+// See: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/issues/1404
+rgtest!(f1404_nothing_searched_warning, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
+    dir.create(".ignore", "ignored-dir/**");
+    dir.create_dir("ignored-dir");
+    dir.create("ignored-dir/foo", "needle");
+
+    // Test that, if ripgrep searches only ignored folders/files, then there
+    // is a non-zero exit code.
+    cmd.arg("needle");
+    cmd.assert_err();
+
+    // Test that we actually get an error message that we expect.
+    let output = cmd.cmd().output().unwrap();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+    let expected = "\
+        No files were searched, which means ripgrep probably applied \
+        a filter you didn't expect.\n\
+        Running with --debug will show why files are being skipped.\n\
+    ";
+    eqnice!(expected, stderr);
+});
+
+// See: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/issues/1404
+rgtest!(f1404_nothing_searched_ignored, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
+    dir.create(".ignore", "ignored-dir/**");
+    dir.create_dir("ignored-dir");
+    dir.create("ignored-dir/foo", "needle");
+
+    // Test that, if ripgrep searches only ignored folders/files, then there
+    // is a non-zero exit code.
+    cmd.arg("--no-messages").arg("needle");
+    cmd.assert_err();
+
+    // But since --no-messages is given, there should not be any error message
+    // printed.
+    let output = cmd.cmd().output().unwrap();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+    let expected = "";
+    eqnice!(expected, stderr);
+});
+
 rgtest!(no_context_sep, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
     dir.create("test", "foo\nctx\nbar\nctx\nfoo\nctx");
     cmd.args(&["-A1", "--no-context-separator", "foo", "test"]);
diff --git a/tests/regression.rs b/tests/regression.rs
index 6e3454f66..1c2b5c151 100644
--- a/tests/regression.rs
+++ b/tests/regression.rs
@@ -392,7 +392,9 @@ rgtest!(r428_color_context_path, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
 });
 
 // See: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/issues/428
-rgtest!(r428_unrecognized_style, |_: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
+rgtest!(r428_unrecognized_style, |dir: Dir, mut cmd: TestCommand| {
+    dir.create("file.txt", "Sherlock");
+
     cmd.arg("--colors=match:style:").arg("Sherlock");
     cmd.assert_err();