diff --git a/src/librustc_lint/unused.rs b/src/librustc_lint/unused.rs
index ef6475f9ee4c7..56f863ab3aa84 100644
--- a/src/librustc_lint/unused.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_lint/unused.rs
@@ -302,19 +302,38 @@ impl EarlyLintPass for UnusedParens {
             Assign(_, ref value) => (value, "assigned value", false),
             AssignOp(.., ref value) => (value, "assigned value", false),
             InPlace(_, ref value) => (value, "emplacement value", false),
-            Call(_, ref args) => {
-                for arg in args {
-                    self.check_unused_parens_core(cx, arg, "function argument", false)
+            // either function/method call, or something this lint doesn't care about
+            ref call_or_other => {
+                let args_to_check;
+                let call_kind;
+                match *call_or_other {
+                    Call(_, ref args) => {
+                        call_kind = "function";
+                        args_to_check = &args[..];
+                    },
+                    MethodCall(_, ref args) => {
+                        call_kind = "method";
+                        // first "argument" is self (which sometimes needs parens)
+                        args_to_check = &args[1..];
+                    }
+                    // actual catch-all arm
+                    _ => { return; }
                 }
-                return;
-            },
-            MethodCall(_, ref args) => {
-                for arg in &args[1..] { // first "argument" is self (which sometimes needs parens)
-                    self.check_unused_parens_core(cx, arg, "method argument", false)
+                // Don't lint if this is a nested macro expansion: otherwise, the lint could
+                // trigger in situations that macro authors shouldn't have to care about, e.g.,
+                // when a parenthesized token tree matched in one macro expansion is matched as
+                // an expression in another and used as a fn/method argument (Issue #47775)
+                if e.span.ctxt().outer().expn_info()
+                    .map_or(false, |info| info.call_site.ctxt().outer()
+                            .expn_info().is_some()) {
+                        return;
+                }
+                let msg = format!("{} argument", call_kind);
+                for arg in args_to_check {
+                    self.check_unused_parens_core(cx, arg, &msg, false);
                 }
                 return;
             }
-            _ => return,
         };
         self.check_unused_parens_core(cx, &value, msg, struct_lit_needs_parens);
     }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.rs b/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b4e6c5074e3d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Copyright 2018 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
+// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
+// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+// must-compile-successfully
+
+#![warn(unused_parens)]
+
+macro_rules! the_worship_the_heart_lifts_above {
+    ( @as_expr, $e:expr) => { $e };
+    ( @generate_fn, $name:tt) => {
+        #[allow(dead_code)] fn the_moth_for_the_star<'a>() -> Option<&'a str> {
+            Some(the_worship_the_heart_lifts_above!( @as_expr, $name ))
+        }
+    };
+    ( $name:ident ) => { the_worship_the_heart_lifts_above!( @generate_fn, (stringify!($name))); }
+    // ↑ Notably, this does 𝘯𝘰𝘵 warn: we're declining to lint unused parens in
+    // function/method arguments inside of nested macros because of situations
+    // like those reported in Issue #47775
+}
+
+macro_rules! and_the_heavens_reject_not {
+    () => {
+        // ↓ But let's test that we still lint for unused parens around
+        // function args inside of simple, one-deep macros.
+        #[allow(dead_code)] fn the_night_for_the_morrow() -> Option<isize> { Some((2)) }
+        //~^ WARN unnecessary parentheses around function argument
+    }
+}
+
+the_worship_the_heart_lifts_above!(rah);
+and_the_heavens_reject_not!();
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.stderr b/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..097ec1b1c8010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/lint/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+warning: unnecessary parentheses around function argument
+  --> $DIR/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.rs:32:83
+   |
+32 |         #[allow(dead_code)] fn the_night_for_the_morrow() -> Option<isize> { Some((2)) }
+   |                                                                                   ^^^ help: remove these parentheses
+...
+38 | and_the_heavens_reject_not!();
+   | ------------------------------ in this macro invocation
+   |
+note: lint level defined here
+  --> $DIR/issue-47775-nested-macro-unnecessary-parens-arg.rs:13:9
+   |
+13 | #![warn(unused_parens)]
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+