diff --git a/.eslintrc b/.eslintrc
index 9f150c5d21..8d3689443b 100644
--- a/.eslintrc
+++ b/.eslintrc
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ rules:
   align-function-arguments: 2
   align-multiline-assignment: 2
   assert-fail-single-argument: 2
+  assert-throws-arguments: [2, { requireTwo: false }]
   new-with-error: [2, Error, RangeError, TypeError, SyntaxError, ReferenceError]
   no-useless-regex-char-class-escape: [2, { override: ['[', ']'] }]
 
diff --git a/tools/eslint-rules/assert-throws-arguments.js b/tools/eslint-rules/assert-throws-arguments.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..434a0ca455
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/eslint-rules/assert-throws-arguments.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Check that assert.throws is never called with a string as
+ * second argument.
+ * @author Michaël Zasso
+ */
+'use strict';
+
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Rule Definition
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function checkThrowsArguments(context, node) {
+  if (node.callee.type === 'MemberExpression' &&
+      node.callee.object.name === 'assert' &&
+      node.callee.property.name === 'throws') {
+    const args = node.arguments;
+    if (args.length > 3) {
+      context.report({
+        message: 'Too many arguments',
+        node: node
+      });
+    } else if (args.length > 1) {
+      const error = args[1];
+      if (error.type === 'Literal' && typeof error.value === 'string') {
+        context.report({
+          message: 'Unexpected string as second argument',
+          node: error
+        });
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (context.options[0].requireTwo) {
+        context.report({
+          message: 'Expected at least two arguments',
+          node: node
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  meta: {
+    schema: [
+      {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+          requireTwo: {
+            type: 'boolean'
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  create: function(context) {
+    return {
+      CallExpression: (node) => checkThrowsArguments(context, node)
+    };
+  }
+};