diff --git a/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/main/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRule.kt b/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/main/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRule.kt
index 255d5cf0b2..266bbbfe1e 100644
--- a/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/main/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRule.kt
+++ b/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/main/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRule.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.pinterest.ktlint.ruleset.standard
 
 import com.pinterest.ktlint.core.Rule
+import com.pinterest.ktlint.core.ast.ElementType.BY_KEYWORD
 import com.pinterest.ktlint.core.ast.ElementType.DOT_QUALIFIED_EXPRESSION
 import com.pinterest.ktlint.core.ast.ElementType.IMPORT_DIRECTIVE
 import com.pinterest.ktlint.core.ast.ElementType.OPERATION_REFERENCE
@@ -44,9 +45,28 @@ class NoUnusedImportsRule : Rule("no-unused-imports") {
         // by (https://github.com/shyiko/ktlint/issues/54)
         "getValue", "setValue"
     )
+
+    private val conditionalWhitelist = mapOf<String, (node: ASTNode) -> Boolean>(
+        Pair(
+            // Ignore provideDelegate if there is a `by` anywhere in the file
+            "org.gradle.kotlin.dsl.provideDelegate",
+            { rootNode ->
+                var hasByKeyword = false
+                rootNode.visit { child ->
+                    if (child.elementType == BY_KEYWORD) {
+                        hasByKeyword = true
+                        return@visit
+                    }
+                }
+                hasByKeyword
+            }
+        )
+    )
+
     private val ref = mutableSetOf<String>()
     private val imports = mutableSetOf<String>()
     private var packageName = ""
+    private var rootNode: ASTNode? = null
 
     override fun visit(
         node: ASTNode,
@@ -54,8 +74,10 @@ class NoUnusedImportsRule : Rule("no-unused-imports") {
         emit: (offset: Int, errorMessage: String, canBeAutoCorrected: Boolean) -> Unit
     ) {
         if (node.isRoot()) {
+            rootNode = node
             ref.clear() // rule can potentially be executed more than once (when formatting)
             ref.add("*")
+            imports.clear()
             var parentExpression: String? = null
             node.visit { vnode ->
                 val psi = vnode.psi
@@ -92,7 +114,9 @@ class NoUnusedImportsRule : Rule("no-unused-imports") {
                     importDirective.delete()
                 }
             } else if (name != null && (!ref.contains(name) || !isAValidImport(importPath)) &&
-                !operatorSet.contains(name) && !name.isComponentN()
+                !operatorSet.contains(name) &&
+                !name.isComponentN() &&
+                conditionalWhitelist[importPath]?.invoke(rootNode!!) != true
             ) {
                 emit(node.startOffset, "Unused import", true)
                 if (autoCorrect) {
diff --git a/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/test/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRuleTest.kt b/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/test/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRuleTest.kt
index d9bf25ba76..d39b914db9 100644
--- a/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/test/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRuleTest.kt
+++ b/ktlint-ruleset-standard/src/test/kotlin/com/pinterest/ktlint/ruleset/standard/NoUnusedImportsRuleTest.kt
@@ -395,4 +395,50 @@ class NoUnusedImportsRuleTest {
             """.trimIndent()
         )
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `provideDelegate is allowed if there is a by keyword`() {
+        assertThat(
+            NoUnusedImportsRule().lint(
+                """
+                import org.gradle.api.Plugin
+                import org.gradle.api.Project
+                import org.gradle.api.tasks.WriteProperties
+                import org.gradle.kotlin.dsl.getValue
+                import org.gradle.kotlin.dsl.provideDelegate
+                import org.gradle.kotlin.dsl.registering
+
+                class DumpVersionProperties : Plugin<Project> {
+                    override fun apply(target: Project) {
+                        with(target) {
+                            val dumpVersionProperties by tasks.registering(WriteProperties::class) {
+                                setProperties(mapOf("version" to "1.2.3"))
+                                outputFile = rootDir.resolve("version.properties")
+                            }
+
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                """.trimIndent()
+            )
+        ).isEmpty()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `provideDelegate is not allowed without by keyword`() {
+        assertThat(
+            NoUnusedImportsRule().lint(
+                """
+                import org.gradle.kotlin.dsl.provideDelegate
+
+                fun main() {
+                }
+                """.trimIndent()
+            )
+        ).isEqualTo(
+            listOf(
+                LintError(1, 1, "no-unused-imports", "Unused import")
+            )
+        )
+    }
 }