diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e324fb7a6..efd10ac1f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ if test "x$CXXFLAGS_overridden" = "xno"; then
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wextra],[CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wextra"],,[[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wformat],[CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wformat"],,[[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wformat-security],[CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wformat-security"],,[[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
+  AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wshadow],[CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wshadow"],,[[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
 
   ## Some compilers (gcc) ignore unknown -Wno-* options, but warn about all
   ## unknown options if any other warning is produced. Test the -Wfoo case, and
diff --git a/doc/developer-notes.md b/doc/developer-notes.md
index 79f552ec9..9013cd8ae 100644
--- a/doc/developer-notes.md
+++ b/doc/developer-notes.md
@@ -334,6 +334,32 @@ Strings and formatting
 
   - *Rationale*: Dash Core uses tinyformat, which is type safe. Leave them out to avoid confusion
 
+Variable names
+--------------
+
+The shadowing warning (`-Wshadow`) is enabled by default. It prevents issues rising
+from using a different variable with the same name.
+
+Please name variables so that their names do not shadow variables defined in the source code.
+
+E.g. in member initializers, prepend `_` to the argument name shadowing the
+member name:
+
+```c++
+class AddressBookPage
+{
+    Mode mode;
+}
+
+AddressBookPage::AddressBookPage(Mode _mode) :
+      mode(_mode)
+...
+```
+
+When using nested cycles, do not name the inner cycle variable the same as in
+upper cycle etc.
+
+
 Threads and synchronization
 ----------------------------