diff --git a/packages/delisp-core/src/index.ts b/packages/delisp-core/src/index.ts
index 972a28c6..23b9faa8 100644
--- a/packages/delisp-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/delisp-core/src/index.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ export function readSyntax(source: string): Syntax {
   return convertSyntax(readFromString(source));
 }
 
+export { lintModule } from "./linter";
+
 export { findSyntaxByOffset, findSyntaxByRange } from "./syntax-utils";
 
 export {
diff --git a/packages/delisp-core/src/linter.ts b/packages/delisp-core/src/linter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a63c305c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/delisp-core/src/linter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { Identifier, Module } from "./syntax";
+import { isModule, traverseModule } from "./syntax-utils";
+import { printHighlightedExpr } from "./error-report";
+
+function noUnusedVars(m: Module): void {
+  const used: Set<Identifier> = new Set();
+
+  traverseModule(
+    m,
+    (current, scope) => {
+      if (isModule(current)) {
+        return;
+      } else if (current.node.tag === "variable-reference") {
+        const binding = scope[current.node.name];
+        if (binding) {
+          used.add(binding.identifier);
+        }
+      } else if (current.node.tag === "export") {
+        const binding = scope[current.node.value.name];
+        if (binding) {
+          used.add(binding.identifier);
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    (current, scope) => {
+      Object.entries(scope)
+        .filter(([_, binding]) => !used.has(binding.identifier))
+        .filter(([_, binding]) => binding.node === current)
+        .forEach(([name, binding]) => {
+          console.warn(
+            printHighlightedExpr(
+              `"${name}" is defined but never used (no-unused-vars)`,
+              binding.identifier.location
+            )
+          );
+        });
+    }
+  );
+}
+
+function noEmptyLet(m: Module): void {
+  traverseModule(m, curr => {
+    if (!isModule(curr) && curr.node.tag === "let-bindings") {
+      if (curr.node.bindings.length === 0) {
+        console.warn(
+          printHighlightedExpr(
+            `no variables bound in let expression (no-empty-let)`,
+            curr.location
+          )
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+export function lintModule(m: Module): void {
+  noUnusedVars(m);
+  noEmptyLet(m);
+}
diff --git a/packages/delisp-core/src/syntax-utils.ts b/packages/delisp-core/src/syntax-utils.ts
index 328650a1..2bf59573 100644
--- a/packages/delisp-core/src/syntax-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/delisp-core/src/syntax-utils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { assertNever, InvariantViolation } from "./invariant";
 import {
+  isDefinition,
   isExpression,
+  Identifier,
   ExpressionF,
   Expression,
   Module,
@@ -154,6 +156,106 @@ function syntaxChildren<I>(s: Syntax<I>): Array<Expression<I>> {
   }
 }
 
+function moduleChildren<I>(m: Module<I>): Array<Syntax<I>> {
+  return m.body;
+}
+
+function expressionBindings<I>(e: Expression<I>): Identifier[] {
+  switch (e.node.tag) {
+    case "function":
+      return e.node.lambdaList.positionalArgs;
+    case "let-bindings":
+      return e.node.bindings.map(b => b.variable);
+    default:
+      return [];
+  }
+}
+
+function syntaxBindings<I>(s: Syntax<I>): Identifier[] {
+  if (isExpression(s)) {
+    return expressionBindings(s);
+  } else {
+    switch (s.node.tag) {
+      case "definition":
+      case "export":
+      case "type-alias":
+        return [];
+      default:
+        return assertNever(s.node);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function moduleBindings<I>(m: Module<I>): Identifier[] {
+  return moduleChildren(m)
+    .filter(isDefinition)
+    .map(d => d.node.variable);
+}
+
+type ASTNode<I> = Module<I> | Syntax<I>;
+export function isModule<I>(x: ASTNode<I>): x is Module<I> {
+  return "tag" in x && x.tag === "module";
+}
+
+export interface Scope<I> {
+  [varName: string]: {
+    node: ASTNode<I>;
+    identifier: Identifier;
+  };
+}
+type Visitor<I> = (node: ASTNode<I>, scope: Scope<I>) => void;
+
+function createSyntaxScope<I>(
+  s: Syntax<I>,
+  parentScope: Scope<I> = {}
+): Scope<I> {
+  return syntaxBindings(s).reduce(
+    (scope, binding) => ({
+      ...scope,
+      [binding.name]: { node: s, identifier: binding }
+    }),
+    parentScope
+  );
+}
+
+function createModuleScope<I>(m: Module<I>): Scope<I> {
+  return moduleBindings(m).reduce(
+    (scope, binding) => ({
+      ...scope,
+      [binding.name]: { node: m, identifier: binding }
+    }),
+    {}
+  );
+}
+
+function traverseSyntax<I>(
+  s: Syntax<I>,
+  parentScope: Scope<I>,
+  onEnter: Visitor<I>,
+  onExit: Visitor<I>
+): void {
+  const scope = createSyntaxScope(s, parentScope);
+  onEnter(s, scope);
+  syntaxChildren(s).forEach(c => {
+    traverseSyntax(c, scope, onEnter, onExit);
+  });
+  onExit(s, scope);
+}
+
+const noop = () => {};
+export function traverseModule<I>(
+  m: Module<I>,
+  onEnter: Visitor<I> = noop,
+  onExit: Visitor<I> = noop
+): void {
+  const moduleScope = createModuleScope(m);
+  onEnter(m, moduleScope);
+  moduleChildren(m).forEach(s => {
+    traverseSyntax(s, moduleScope, onEnter, onExit);
+  });
+  onExit(m, moduleScope);
+}
+
 function syntaxPathFromRange<I>(
   s: Syntax<I>,
   start: number,
diff --git a/packages/delisp/src/cmd-lint.ts b/packages/delisp/src/cmd-lint.ts
index e6ef7ea0..2bbb2f1e 100644
--- a/packages/delisp/src/cmd-lint.ts
+++ b/packages/delisp/src/cmd-lint.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ import { CommandModule } from "yargs";
 
 import * as fs from "./fs-helpers";
 
-import { readModule } from "@delisp/core";
+import { lintModule, readModule } from "@delisp/core";
 
 async function lintFile(file: string): Promise<void> {
   const content = await fs.readFile(file, "utf8");
-  readModule(content);
+  const m = readModule(content);
+  lintModule(m);
 }
 
 export const cmdLint: CommandModule = {