diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@
 
   /// Add extra compilation arguments to the start of the list.
   llvm::Optional<ArgList> ExtraArgsBefore;
+
+  /// Only used in the FileOptionsProvider. If true, FileOptionsProvider will
+  /// take a configuration file in the parent directory (if any exists) and
+  /// apply this config file on top of the parent one. If false or missing,
+  /// only this configuration file will be used.
+  llvm::Optional<bool> InheritParentConfig;
 };
 
 /// Abstract interface for retrieving various ClangTidy options.
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
     IO.mapOptional("CheckOptions", NOpts->Options);
     IO.mapOptional("ExtraArgs", Options.ExtraArgs);
     IO.mapOptional("ExtraArgsBefore", Options.ExtraArgsBefore);
+    IO.mapOptional("InheritParentConfig", Options.InheritParentConfig);
   }
 };
 
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@
       DefaultOptionsProvider::getRawOptions(AbsoluteFilePath.str());
   OptionsSource CommandLineOptions(OverrideOptions,
                                    OptionsSourceTypeCheckCommandLineOption);
+  size_t FirstFileConfig = RawOptions.size();
   // Look for a suitable configuration file in all parent directories of the
   // file. Start with the immediate parent directory and move up.
   StringRef Path = llvm::sys::path::parent_path(AbsoluteFilePath.str());
@@ -256,15 +258,21 @@
       while (Path != CurrentPath) {
         LLVM_DEBUG(llvm::dbgs()
                    << "Caching configuration for path " << Path << ".\n");
-        CachedOptions[Path] = *Result;
+        if (!CachedOptions.count(Path))
+          CachedOptions[Path] = *Result;
         Path = llvm::sys::path::parent_path(Path);
       }
       CachedOptions[Path] = *Result;
 
       RawOptions.push_back(*Result);
-      break;
+      if (!Result->first.InheritParentConfig ||
+          !*Result->first.InheritParentConfig)
+        break;
     }
   }
+  // Reverse order of file configs because closer configs should have higher
+  // priority.
+  std::reverse(RawOptions.begin() + FirstFileConfig, RawOptions.end());
   RawOptions.push_back(CommandLineOptions);
   return RawOptions;
 }
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
@@ -36,17 +36,20 @@
 Configuration files:
   clang-tidy attempts to read configuration for each source file from a
   .clang-tidy file located in the closest parent directory of the source
-  file. If any configuration options have a corresponding command-line
-  option, command-line option takes precedence. The effective
-  configuration can be inspected using -dump-config:
+  file. If InheritParentConfig is true in a config file, the configuration file
+  in the parent directory (if any exists) will be taken and current config file
+  will be applied on top of the parent one. If any configuration options have
+  a corresponding command-line option, command-line option takes precedence.
+  The effective configuration can be inspected using -dump-config:
 
     $ clang-tidy -dump-config
     ---
-    Checks:          '-*,some-check'
-    WarningsAsErrors: ''
-    HeaderFilterRegex: ''
-    FormatStyle:     none
-    User:            user
+    Checks:              '-*,some-check'
+    WarningsAsErrors:    ''
+    HeaderFilterRegex:   ''
+    FormatStyle:         none
+    InheritParentConfig: true
+    User:                user
     CheckOptions:
       - key:             some-check.SomeOption
         value:           'some value'
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/3/.clang-tidy b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/3/.clang-tidy
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/3/.clang-tidy
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+InheritParentConfig: true
+Checks: 'from-child3'
+HeaderFilterRegex: 'child3'
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/.clang-tidy b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/.clang-tidy
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/.clang-tidy
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Checks: '-*,modernize-loop-convert'
+CheckOptions:
+  - key:             modernize-loop-convert.MaxCopySize
+    value:           '10'
+  - key:             modernize-loop-convert.MinConfidence
+    value:           reasonable
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/44/.clang-tidy b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/44/.clang-tidy
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/Inputs/config-files/4/44/.clang-tidy
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+InheritParentConfig: true
+Checks: 'llvm-qualified-auto'
+CheckOptions:
+  - key:             modernize-loop-convert.MaxCopySize
+    value:           '20'
+  - key:             llvm-qualified-auto.AddConstToQualified
+    value:           '1'
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/config-files.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/config-files.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/config-files.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/test/clang-tidy/infrastructure/config-files.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,23 @@
 // RUN: clang-tidy -dump-config %S/Inputs/config-files/2/- -- | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-CHILD2
 // CHECK-CHILD2: Checks: {{.*}}from-parent
 // CHECK-CHILD2: HeaderFilterRegex: parent
+// RUN: clang-tidy -dump-config %S/Inputs/config-files/3/- -- | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-CHILD3
+// CHECK-CHILD3: Checks: {{.*}}from-parent,from-child3
+// CHECK-CHILD3: HeaderFilterRegex: child3
 // RUN: clang-tidy -dump-config -checks='from-command-line' -header-filter='from command line' %S/Inputs/config-files/- -- | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-COMMAND-LINE
 // CHECK-COMMAND-LINE: Checks: {{.*}}from-parent,from-command-line
 // CHECK-COMMAND-LINE: HeaderFilterRegex: from command line
+
+// For this test we have to use names of the real checks because otherwise values are ignored.
+// RUN: clang-tidy -dump-config %S/Inputs/config-files/4/44/- -- | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-CHILD4
+// CHECK-CHILD4: Checks: {{.*}}modernize-loop-convert,llvm-qualified-auto
+// CHECK-CHILD4: - key: llvm-qualified-auto.AddConstToQualified
+// CHECK-CHILD4-NEXT: value: '1
+// CHECK-CHILD4: - key: modernize-loop-convert.MaxCopySize
+// CHECK-CHILD4-NEXT: value: '20'
+// CHECK-CHILD4: - key: modernize-loop-convert.MinConfidence
+// CHECK-CHILD4-NEXT: value: reasonable
+
+// RUN: clang-tidy --explain-config %S/Inputs/config-files/4/44/- -- | FileCheck %s -check-prefix=CHECK-EXPLAIN
+// CHECK-EXPLAIN: 'llvm-qualified-auto' is enabled in the {{.*}}/Inputs/config-files/4/44/.clang-tidy.
+// CHECK-EXPLAIN: 'modernize-loop-convert' is enabled in the {{.*}}/Inputs/config-files/4/.clang-tidy.