diff --git a/base/reflection.jl b/base/reflection.jl
index 63165a62226db1..d40e4ac0dabed7 100644
--- a/base/reflection.jl
+++ b/base/reflection.jl
@@ -1083,6 +1083,22 @@ function isambiguous(m1::Method, m2::Method; ambiguous_bottom::Bool=false)
     return true
 end
 
+"""
+    delete_method(m::Method)
+
+Make method `m` uncallable and force recompilation of any methods that use(d) it.
+"""
+function delete_method(m::Method)
+    ccall(:jl_method_table_disable, Void, (Any, Any), MethodTable(m), m)
+end
+
+MethodTable(m::Method) = get_methodtable(m.sig)
+
+get_methodtable(u::UnionAll) = get_methodtable(u.body)
+get_methodtable(sig) = _get_methodtable(sig.parameters[1])
+_get_methodtable(u::UnionAll) = _get_methodtable(u.body)
+_get_methodtable(f) = f.name.mt
+
 """
     has_bottom_parameter(t) -> Bool
 
diff --git a/src/gf.c b/src/gf.c
index 5c1fcfef0525ea..fcab86e85ff9df 100644
--- a/src/gf.c
+++ b/src/gf.c
@@ -1131,6 +1131,8 @@ static int check_ambiguous_visitor(jl_typemap_entry_t *oldentry, struct typemap_
         closure->after = 1;
         return 1;
     }
+    if (oldentry->max_world < ~(size_t)0)
+        return 1;
     union jl_typemap_t map = closure->defs;
     jl_tupletype_t *type = (jl_tupletype_t*)closure->match.type;
     jl_method_t *m = closure->newentry->func.method;
@@ -1212,7 +1214,7 @@ static int check_ambiguous_visitor(jl_typemap_entry_t *oldentry, struct typemap_
     return 1;
 }
 
-static jl_value_t *check_ambiguous_matches(union jl_typemap_t defs, jl_typemap_entry_t *newentry)
+static jl_value_t *check_ambiguous_matches(union jl_typemap_t defs, jl_typemap_entry_t *newentry, jl_typemap_intersection_visitor_fptr fptr)
 {
     jl_tupletype_t *type = newentry->sig;
     jl_tupletype_t *ttypes = (jl_tupletype_t*)jl_unwrap_unionall((jl_value_t*)type);
@@ -1226,7 +1228,7 @@ static jl_value_t *check_ambiguous_matches(union jl_typemap_t defs, jl_typemap_e
             va = NULL;
     }
     struct ambiguous_matches_env env;
-    env.match.fptr = check_ambiguous_visitor;
+    env.match.fptr = fptr;
     env.match.type = (jl_value_t*)type;
     env.match.va = va;
     env.match.ti = NULL;
@@ -1241,6 +1243,47 @@ static jl_value_t *check_ambiguous_matches(union jl_typemap_t defs, jl_typemap_e
     return env.shadowed;
 }
 
+static int check_disabled_ambiguous_visitor(jl_typemap_entry_t *oldentry, struct typemap_intersection_env *closure0)
+{
+    struct ambiguous_matches_env *closure = container_of(closure0, struct ambiguous_matches_env, match);
+    if (oldentry == closure->newentry) {
+        closure->after = 1;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    if (!closure->after || oldentry->max_world < ~(size_t)0)  // the second condition prevents us from confusion in multiple cycles of add/delete
+        return 1;
+    jl_tupletype_t *sig = oldentry->sig;
+    jl_value_t *isect = closure->match.ti;
+    if (closure->shadowed == NULL)
+        closure->shadowed = (jl_value_t*)jl_alloc_vec_any(0);
+
+    int i, l = jl_array_len(closure->shadowed);
+    for (i = 0; i < l; i++) {
+        jl_method_t *mth = (jl_method_t*)jl_array_ptr_ref(closure->shadowed, i);
+        jl_value_t *isect2 = jl_type_intersection(mth->sig, (jl_value_t*)sig);
+        // see if the intersection was covered by precisely the disabled method
+        // that means we now need to record the ambiguity
+        if (jl_types_equal(isect, isect2)) {
+            jl_method_t *mambig = mth;
+            jl_method_t *m = oldentry->func.method;
+            if (m->ambig == jl_nothing) {
+                m->ambig = (jl_value_t*) jl_alloc_vec_any(0);
+                jl_gc_wb(m, m->ambig);
+            }
+            if (mambig->ambig == jl_nothing) {
+                mambig->ambig = (jl_value_t*) jl_alloc_vec_any(0);
+                jl_gc_wb(mambig, mambig->ambig);
+            }
+            jl_array_ptr_1d_push((jl_array_t*) m->ambig, (jl_value_t*) mambig);
+            jl_array_ptr_1d_push((jl_array_t*) mambig->ambig, (jl_value_t*) m);
+        }
+    }
+
+    jl_array_ptr_1d_push((jl_array_t*)closure->shadowed, oldentry->func.value);
+    return 1;
+}
+
+
 static void method_overwrite(jl_typemap_entry_t *newentry, jl_method_t *oldvalue)
 {
     // method overwritten
@@ -1405,6 +1448,34 @@ void jl_method_instance_delete(jl_method_instance_t *mi)
         jl_uv_puts(JL_STDOUT, "<<<\n", 4);
 }
 
+static int typemap_search(jl_typemap_entry_t *entry, void *closure)
+{
+    if ((void*)(entry->func.method) == *(jl_method_t**)closure) {
+        *(jl_typemap_entry_t**)closure = entry;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    return 1;
+}
+
+//JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_method_table_disable(jl_methtable_t *mt, jl_typemap_entry_t *methodentry)
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_method_table_disable(jl_methtable_t *mt, jl_method_t *method)
+{
+    struct invalidate_conflicting_env env;
+    env.invalidated = 0;
+    jl_typemap_entry_t *methodentry = (jl_typemap_entry_t*)(method);
+    if (jl_typemap_visitor(mt->defs, typemap_search, &methodentry))
+        jl_error("method not in method table");
+    JL_LOCK(&mt->writelock);
+    // Narrow the world age on the method to make it uncallable
+    methodentry->max_world = jl_world_counter++;
+    // Recompute ambiguities (deleting a more specific method might reveal ambiguities that it previously resolved)
+    env.max_world = methodentry->max_world;
+    check_ambiguous_matches(mt->defs, methodentry, check_disabled_ambiguous_visitor); // TODO: decrease repeated work?
+    // Invalidate the backedges
+    jl_typemap_visitor(methodentry->func.method->specializations, (jl_typemap_visitor_fptr)invalidate_backedges, &env);
+    JL_UNLOCK(&mt->writelock);
+}
+
 JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_method_table_insert(jl_methtable_t *mt, jl_method_t *method, jl_tupletype_t *simpletype)
 {
     assert(jl_is_method(method));
@@ -1430,7 +1501,7 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_method_table_insert(jl_methtable_t *mt, jl_method_t *method
         method_overwrite(newentry, (jl_method_t*)oldvalue);
     }
     else {
-        oldvalue = check_ambiguous_matches(mt->defs, newentry);
+        oldvalue = check_ambiguous_matches(mt->defs, newentry, check_ambiguous_visitor);
         if (mt->backedges) {
             jl_value_t **backedges = (jl_value_t**)jl_array_data(mt->backedges);
             size_t i, na = jl_array_len(mt->backedges);
diff --git a/test/reflection.jl b/test/reflection.jl
index 0af98d038865d0..74d1539cd6074c 100644
--- a/test/reflection.jl
+++ b/test/reflection.jl
@@ -771,3 +771,129 @@ cinfo = cinfos[]
 test_similar_codeinfo(cinfo, cinfo_generated)
 
 @test_throws ErrorException code_lowered(f22979, typeof.(x22979), false)
+
+module MethodDeletion
+using Test
+
+# Deletion after compiling top-level call
+bar1(x) = 1
+bar1(x::Int) = 2
+foo1(x) = bar1(x)
+faz1(x) = foo1(x)
+@test faz1(1) == 2
+@test faz1(1.0) == 1
+m = first(methods(bar1, Tuple{Int}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test bar1(1) == 1
+@test bar1(1.0) == 1
+@test foo1(1) == 1
+@test foo1(1.0) == 1
+@test faz1(1) == 1
+@test faz1(1.0) == 1
+
+# Deletion after compiling middle-level call
+bar2(x) = 1
+bar2(x::Int) = 2
+foo2(x) = bar2(x)
+faz2(x) = foo2(x)
+@test foo2(1) == 2
+@test foo2(1.0) == 1
+m = first(methods(bar2, Tuple{Int}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test bar2(1.0) == 1
+@test bar2(1) == 1
+@test foo2(1) == 1
+@test foo2(1.0) == 1
+@test faz2(1) == 1
+@test faz2(1.0) == 1
+
+# Deletion after compiling low-level call
+bar3(x) = 1
+bar3(x::Int) = 2
+foo3(x) = bar3(x)
+faz3(x) = foo3(x)
+@test bar3(1) == 2
+@test bar3(1.0) == 1
+m = first(methods(bar3, Tuple{Int}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test bar3(1) == 1
+@test bar3(1.0) == 1
+@test foo3(1) == 1
+@test foo3(1.0) == 1
+@test faz3(1) == 1
+@test faz3(1.0) == 1
+
+# Deletion before any compilation
+bar4(x) = 1
+bar4(x::Int) = 2
+foo4(x) = bar4(x)
+faz4(x) = foo4(x)
+m = first(methods(bar4, Tuple{Int}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test bar4(1) == 1
+@test bar4(1.0) == 1
+@test foo4(1) == 1
+@test foo4(1.0) == 1
+@test faz4(1) == 1
+@test faz4(1.0) == 1
+
+# Methods with keyword arguments
+fookw(x; direction=:up) = direction
+fookw(y::Int) = 2
+@test fookw("string") == :up
+@test fookw(1) == 2
+m = collect(methods(fookw))[2]
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test fookw(1) == 2
+@test_throws MethodError fookw("string")
+
+# functions with many methods
+types = (Float64, Int32, String)
+for T1 in types, T2 in types, T3 in types
+    @eval foomany(x::$T1, y::$T2, z::$T3) = y
+end
+@test foomany(Int32(5), "hello", 3.2) == "hello"
+m = first(methods(foomany, Tuple{Int32, String, Float64}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test_throws MethodError foomany(Int32(5), "hello", 3.2)
+
+struct EmptyType end
+Base.convert(::Type{EmptyType}, x::Integer) = EmptyType()
+m = first(methods(convert, Tuple{Type{EmptyType}, Integer}))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test_throws MethodError convert(EmptyType, 1)
+
+# parametric methods
+parametric(A::Array{T,N}, i::Vararg{Int,N}) where {T,N} = N
+@test parametric(rand(2,2), 1, 1) == 2
+m = first(methods(parametric))
+Base.delete_method(m)
+@test_throws MethodError parametric(rand(2,2), 1, 1)
+
+# Deletion and ambiguity detection
+foo(::Int, ::Int) = 1
+foo(::Real, ::Int) = 2
+foo(::Int, ::Real) = 3
+@test all(map(g->g.ambig==nothing, methods(foo)))
+Base.delete_method(first(methods(foo)))
+@test !all(map(g->g.ambig==nothing, methods(foo)))
+@test_throws MethodError foo(1, 1)
+foo(::Int, ::Int) = 1
+foo(1, 1)
+@test map(g->g.ambig==nothing, methods(foo)) == [true, false, false]
+Base.delete_method(first(methods(foo)))
+@test_throws MethodError foo(1, 1)
+@test map(g->g.ambig==nothing, methods(foo)) == [false, false]
+
+# multiple deletions and ambiguities
+typeparam(::Type{T}, a::Array{T}) where T<:AbstractFloat = 1
+typeparam(::Type{T}, a::Array{T}) where T = 2
+for mth in collect(methods(typeparam))
+    Base.delete_method(mth)
+end
+typeparam(::Type{T}, a::AbstractArray{T}) where T<:AbstractFloat = 1
+typeparam(::Type{T}, a::AbstractArray{T}) where T = 2
+@test typeparam(Float64, rand(2))  == 1
+@test typeparam(Int, rand(Int, 2)) == 2
+
+end