diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts b/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
index ba6f742c4c1..10fa0e27b97 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticInformationMap.generated.ts
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ module ts {
         Parameter_0_of_exported_function_has_or_is_using_name_1_from_private_module_2: { code: 4077, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Parameter '{0}' of exported function has or is using name '{1}' from private module '{2}'." },
         Parameter_0_of_exported_function_has_or_is_using_private_name_1: { code: 4078, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Parameter '{0}' of exported function has or is using private name '{1}'." },
         The_current_host_does_not_support_the_0_option: { code: 5001, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "The current host does not support the '{0}' option." },
+        A_file_cannot_have_a_reference_to_itself: { code: 5006, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "A file cannot have a reference to itself." },
         Cannot_find_the_common_subdirectory_path_for_the_input_files: { code: 5009, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Cannot find the common subdirectory path for the input files." },
         Cannot_read_file_0_Colon_1: { code: 5012, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Cannot read file '{0}': {1}" },
         Unsupported_file_encoding: { code: 5013, category: DiagnosticCategory.Error, key: "Unsupported file encoding." },
diff --git a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
index 0480cd3000c..146b4df0905 100644
--- a/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
+++ b/src/compiler/diagnosticMessages.json
@@ -1355,6 +1355,10 @@
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 5001
     },
+    "A file cannot have a reference to itself.": {
+        "category": "Error",
+        "code": 5006
+    },
     "Cannot find the common subdirectory path for the input files.": {
         "category": "Error",
         "code": 5009
diff --git a/src/compiler/parser.ts b/src/compiler/parser.ts
index af1851d6a75..e7d6b32831e 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parser.ts
@@ -3828,11 +3828,18 @@ module ts {
                             errorAtPos(start, length, Diagnostics.Invalid_reference_directive_syntax);
                         }
                         else {
-                            referencedFiles.push({
-                                pos: range.pos,
-                                end: range.end,
-                                filename: matchResult[3]
-                            });
+                            var basePath = getDirectoryPath(file.filename);
+							var referenceFilename = normalizePath(combinePaths(basePath, matchResult[3]));
+							if (file.filename === referenceFilename) {
+								errorAtPos(range.pos, range.end - range.pos, Diagnostics.A_file_cannot_have_a_reference_to_itself);
+							}
+							else {
+								referencedFiles.push({
+									pos: range.pos,
+									end: range.end,
+									filename: matchResult[3]
+								});
+							}
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a72bdf5867
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile.ts(1,1): error TS5006: A file cannot have a reference to itself.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile.ts (1 errors) ====
+    ///<reference path='selfReferencingFile.ts'/>
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS5006: A file cannot have a reference to itself.
+    
+    class selfReferencingFile {
+    
+    }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile2.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile2.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5bd2d75723a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile2.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile2.ts(1,1): error TS6053: File 'tests/cases/selfReferencingFile2.ts' not found.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile2.ts (1 errors) ====
+    ///<reference path='../selfReferencingFile2.ts'/>
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS6053: File 'selfReferencingFile2.ts' not found.
+    
+    class selfReferencingFile2 {
+    
+    }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile3.errors.txt b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile3.errors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..84e3650de9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/baselines/reference/selfReferencingFile3.errors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile3.ts(1,1): error TS5006: A file cannot have a reference to itself.
+
+
+==== tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile3.ts (1 errors) ====
+    ///<reference path='./selfReferencingFile3.ts'/>
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+!!! error TS5006: A file cannot have a reference to itself.
+    
+    class selfReferencingFile3 {
+    
+    }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cac46da2369
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+///<reference path='selfReferencingFile.ts'/>
+
+class selfReferencingFile {
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile2.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile2.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c98e7a07735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile2.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+///<reference path='../selfReferencingFile2.ts'/>
+
+class selfReferencingFile2 {
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile3.ts b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile3.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4242d0b3633
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/compiler/selfReferencingFile3.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+///<reference path='./selfReferencingFile3.ts'/>
+
+class selfReferencingFile3 {
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file