diff --git a/ini/freebsd/bin32/dmd.conf b/ini/freebsd/bin32/dmd.conf
index 7f35963b9175..1d41f0cf9a91 100644
--- a/ini/freebsd/bin32/dmd.conf
+++ b/ini/freebsd/bin32/dmd.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Environment32]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
 
 [Environment64]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/freebsd/bin64/dmd.conf b/ini/freebsd/bin64/dmd.conf
index 7f35963b9175..1d41f0cf9a91 100644
--- a/ini/freebsd/bin64/dmd.conf
+++ b/ini/freebsd/bin64/dmd.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Environment32]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
 
 [Environment64]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/linux/bin32/dmd.conf b/ini/linux/bin32/dmd.conf
index 7f35963b9175..1d41f0cf9a91 100644
--- a/ini/linux/bin32/dmd.conf
+++ b/ini/linux/bin32/dmd.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Environment32]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
 
 [Environment64]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/linux/bin64/dmd.conf b/ini/linux/bin64/dmd.conf
index 7f35963b9175..1d41f0cf9a91 100644
--- a/ini/linux/bin64/dmd.conf
+++ b/ini/linux/bin64/dmd.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Environment32]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib32 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
 
 [Environment64]
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib64 -L--export-dynamic -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/osx/bin/dmd.conf b/ini/osx/bin/dmd.conf
index 9e80a65c0e31..19c3e2cc4744 100644
--- a/ini/osx/bin/dmd.conf
+++ b/ini/osx/bin/dmd.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 
 [Environment]
 
-DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib
+DFLAGS=-I%@P%/../../src/phobos -I%@P%/../../src/druntime/import -L-L%@P%/../lib -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/osx/bin/dmdx.conf b/ini/osx/bin/dmdx.conf
index c0fcaf2a0f4c..7ff485519d83 100644
--- a/ini/osx/bin/dmdx.conf
+++ b/ini/osx/bin/dmdx.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 
 [Environment]
 
-DFLAGS=-I~/dmd2/src/phobos -I~/dmd2/src/druntime/import
+DFLAGS=-I~/dmd2/src/phobos -I~/dmd2/src/druntime/import -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
diff --git a/ini/windows/bin/sc.ini b/ini/windows/bin/sc.ini
index ecb9142f934d..894851a69976 100644
--- a/ini/windows/bin/sc.ini
+++ b/ini/windows/bin/sc.ini
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ version=7.51 Build 020
 
 ; environment for both 32/64 bit
 [Environment]
-DFLAGS="-I%@P%\..\..\src\phobos" "-I%@P%\..\..\src\druntime\import"
+DFLAGS="-I%@P%\..\..\src\phobos" "-I%@P%\..\..\src\druntime\import" -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.*
 
 ; optlink only reads from the Environment section so we need this redundancy
 ; from the Environment32 section (bugzilla 11302)
diff --git a/src/mars.c b/src/mars.c
index dc74ee1448f3..9a5f0b073aaf 100644
--- a/src/mars.c
+++ b/src/mars.c
@@ -442,6 +442,8 @@ Usage:\n\
   -profile       profile runtime performance of generated code\n\
   -property      enforce property syntax\n\
   -quiet         suppress unnecessary messages\n\
+  -rb            recursively build all dependencies (if not filtered by -rx)\n\
+  -rx            do not build a dependency (e.g. -rx=foo.bar -rx=foo.*)\n\
   -release       compile release version\n\
   -run srcfile args...   run resulting program, passing args\n\
   -shared        generate shared library (DLL)\n\
@@ -643,6 +645,8 @@ int tryMain(size_t argc, const char *argv[])
     }
 #endif
 
+    global.params.excludeList = new Strings();
+
     for (size_t i = 1; i < argc; i++)
     {
         const char *p = argv[i];
@@ -722,6 +726,10 @@ int tryMain(size_t argc, const char *argv[])
                 global.params.is64bit = true;
             else if (strcmp(p + 1, "profile") == 0)
                 global.params.trace = 1;
+            else if (strcmp(p + 1, "rb") == 0)
+                global.params.buildRecurse = 1;
+            else if (memcmp(p + 1, "rx=", 3) == 0)
+                global.params.excludeList->push(p + 4);
             else if (strcmp(p + 1, "v") == 0)
                 global.params.verbose = 1;
             else if (strcmp(p + 1, "vtls") == 0)
@@ -1270,8 +1278,7 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     }
 
     // Create Modules
-    Modules modules;
-    modules.reserve(files.dim);
+    Module::buildModules.reserve(files.dim);
     bool firstmodule = true;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < files.dim; i++)
     {
@@ -1381,7 +1388,7 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
 
         Identifier *id = Lexer::idPool(name);
         Module *m = new Module(files[i], id, global.params.doDocComments, global.params.doHdrGeneration);
-        modules.push(m);
+        Module::buildModules.push(m);
 
         if (firstmodule)
         {   global.params.objfiles->push(m->objfile->name->str);
@@ -1397,8 +1404,8 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     {
         for (size_t i = 0; 1; i++)
         {
-            assert(i != modules.dim);
-            Module *m = modules[i];
+            assert(i != Module::buildModules.dim);
+            Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
             if (strcmp(m->srcfile->name->str, global.main_d) == 0)
             {
                 static const char buf[] = "int main(){return 0;}";
@@ -1412,28 +1419,29 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
 #define ASYNCREAD 1
 #if ASYNCREAD
     // Multi threaded
-    AsyncRead *aw = AsyncRead::create(modules.dim);
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    AsyncRead *aw = AsyncRead::create(Module::buildModules.dim);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[i];
+        Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
         aw->addFile(m->srcfile);
     }
     aw->start();
 #else
     // Single threaded
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[i];
+        m = Module::buildModules[i];
         m->read(Loc());
     }
 #endif
 
     // Parse files
     bool anydocfiles = false;
-    size_t filecount = modules.dim;
+    size_t filecount = Module::buildModules.dim;
     for (size_t filei = 0, modi = 0; filei < filecount; filei++, modi++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[modi];
+        Module *m = Module::buildModules[modi];
+
         if (global.params.verbose)
             fprintf(global.stdmsg, "parse     %s\n", m->toChars());
         if (!Module::rootModule)
@@ -1454,8 +1462,8 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
             anydocfiles = true;
             m->gendocfile();
 
-            // Remove m from list of modules
-            modules.remove(modi);
+            // Remove m from list of Module::buildModules
+            Module::buildModules.remove(modi);
             modi--;
 
             // Remove m's object file from list of object files
@@ -1476,7 +1484,7 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     AsyncRead::dispose(aw);
 #endif
 
-    if (anydocfiles && modules.dim &&
+    if (anydocfiles && Module::buildModules.dim &&
         (global.params.oneobj || global.params.objname))
     {
         error(Loc(), "conflicting Ddoc and obj generation options");
@@ -1491,9 +1499,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
          * line switches and what else is imported, they are generated
          * before any semantic analysis.
          */
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
         {
-            Module *m = modules[i];
+            Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
             if (global.params.verbose)
                 fprintf(global.stdmsg, "import    %s\n", m->toChars());
             m->genhdrfile();
@@ -1503,9 +1511,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
         fatal();
 
     // load all unconditional imports for better symbol resolving
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-       Module *m = modules[i];
+       Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
        if (global.params.verbose)
            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "importall %s\n", m->toChars());
        m->importAll(NULL);
@@ -1516,9 +1524,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     backend_init();
 
     // Do semantic analysis
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[i];
+        Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
         if (global.params.verbose)
             fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic  %s\n", m->toChars());
         m->semantic();
@@ -1530,9 +1538,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     Module::runDeferredSemantic();
 
     // Do pass 2 semantic analysis
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[i];
+        Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
         if (global.params.verbose)
             fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic2 %s\n", m->toChars());
         m->semantic2();
@@ -1541,9 +1549,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
         fatal();
 
     // Do pass 3 semantic analysis
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
     {
-        Module *m = modules[i];
+        Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
         if (global.params.verbose)
             fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic3 %s\n", m->toChars());
         m->semantic3();
@@ -1593,9 +1601,9 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     // Scan for functions to inline
     if (global.params.useInline)
     {
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
         {
-            Module *m = modules[i];
+            Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
             if (global.params.verbose)
                 fprintf(global.stdmsg, "inline scan %s\n", m->toChars());
             inlineScan(m);
@@ -1627,7 +1635,7 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
     if (global.params.doXGeneration)
     {
         OutBuffer buf;
-        json_generate(&buf, &modules);
+        json_generate(&buf, &Module::buildModules);
 
         // Write buf to file
         const char *name = global.params.xfilename;
@@ -1672,11 +1680,12 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
 
     if (global.params.oneobj)
     {
-        if (modules.dim)
-            obj_start(modules[0]->srcfile->toChars());
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+        if (Module::buildModules.dim)
+            obj_start(Module::buildModules[0]->srcfile->toChars());
+
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
         {
-            Module *m = modules[i];
+            Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
             if (global.params.verbose)
                 fprintf(global.stdmsg, "code      %s\n", m->toChars());
             m->genobjfile(0);
@@ -1685,16 +1694,16 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
             if (!global.errors && global.params.doDocComments)
                 m->gendocfile();
         }
-        if (!global.errors && modules.dim)
+        if (!global.errors && Module::buildModules.dim)
         {
-            obj_end(library, modules[0]->objfile);
+            obj_end(library, Module::buildModules[0]->objfile);
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
         {
-            Module *m = modules[i];
+            Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
             if (global.params.verbose)
                 fprintf(global.stdmsg, "code      %s\n", m->toChars());
             if (global.params.obj)
@@ -1745,9 +1754,10 @@ Language changes listed by -transition=id:\n\
 
                 /* Delete .obj files and .exe file
                  */
-                for (size_t i = 0; i < modules.dim; i++)
+                for (size_t i = 0; i < Module::buildModules.dim; i++)
                 {
-                    modules[i]->deleteObjFile();
+                    Module *m = Module::buildModules[i];
+                    m->deleteObjFile();
                     if (global.params.oneobj)
                         break;
                 }
diff --git a/src/mars.h b/src/mars.h
index a1fb84fd2995..a1c742ba7fc8 100644
--- a/src/mars.h
+++ b/src/mars.h
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ typedef Array<const char *> Strings;
 // Put command line switches in here
 struct Param
 {
+    bool buildRecurse;    // build modules recursively
+    Strings *excludeList; // exclude filters for modules not to be built when building recursively
     char obj;           // write object file
     char link;          // perform link
     char dll;           // generate shared dynamic library
diff --git a/src/module.c b/src/module.c
index 24e1c90cedbe..9edd75e4a571 100644
--- a/src/module.c
+++ b/src/module.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ AggregateDeclaration *Module::moduleinfo;
 Module *Module::rootModule;
 DsymbolTable *Module::modules;
 Modules Module::amodules;
+Modules Module::buildModules;
 
 Dsymbols Module::deferred; // deferred Dsymbol's needing semantic() run on them
 Dsymbols Module::deferred3;
@@ -191,6 +192,48 @@ const char *Module::kind()
     return "module";
 }
 
+bool isModuleFiltered(Identifiers *packages, Identifier *ident)
+{
+    char *fullName = ident->toChars();
+    if (packages && packages->dim)
+    {
+        OutBuffer buf;
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < packages->dim; i++)
+        {
+            Identifier *pid = (*packages)[i];
+            buf.writestring(pid->toChars());
+            buf.writeByte('.');
+        }
+
+        buf.writestring(fullName);
+        buf.writeByte(0);
+        fullName = (char *)buf.extractData();
+    }
+
+    bool filtered = false;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < global.params.excludeList->dim; i++)
+    {
+        const char *filter = (*global.params.excludeList)[i];
+
+        size_t len = strlen(filter);
+        if (filter[len - 1] == '*')  // wildcard
+        {
+            if (memcmp(fullName, filter, len - 1) == 0)
+            {
+                //printf("-- found: %s filter: %s\n", fullName, filter);
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        else if (strcmp(fullName, filter) == 0)
+        {
+            //printf("-- found: %s filter: %s\n", fullName, filter);
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 Module *Module::load(Loc loc, Identifiers *packages, Identifier *ident)
 {   Module *m;
     char *filename;
@@ -252,6 +295,18 @@ Module *Module::load(Loc loc, Identifiers *packages, Identifier *ident)
     d_gcc_magic_module(m);
 #endif
 
+    // don't build interface file
+    bool isInterfaceFile = FileName::exists(FileName::forceExt(filename, global.hdr_ext));
+
+    if (global.params.buildRecurse && !isInterfaceFile)
+    {
+        if (!isModuleFiltered(packages, ident))
+        {
+            buildModules.push(m);
+            m->importedFrom = m;    // m->isRoot() == true
+        }
+    }
+
     return m;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/module.h b/src/module.h
index 0703acf34b11..0c07ad2acd76 100644
--- a/src/module.h
+++ b/src/module.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class Module : public Package
     static Module *rootModule;
     static DsymbolTable *modules;       // symbol table of all modules
     static Modules amodules;            // array of all modules
+    static Modules buildModules;  // array of modules to build
     static Dsymbols deferred;   // deferred Dsymbol's needing semantic() run on them
     static Dsymbols deferred3;  // deferred Dsymbol's needing semantic3() run on them
     static unsigned dprogress;  // progress resolving the deferred list
diff --git a/test/compilable/extra-files/test9896b.d b/test/compilable/extra-files/test9896b.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..20091a78d12d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/extra-files/test9896b.d
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module test9896b;
+
+int square(int x)
+{
+    return x * x;
+}
diff --git a/test/compilable/imports/test9896a.d b/test/compilable/imports/test9896a.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a0f30979b69b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/imports/test9896a.d
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module imports.test9896a;
+
+int square(int x)
+{
+    return x * x;
+}
diff --git a/test/compilable/imports/test9896b.di b/test/compilable/imports/test9896b.di
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2e2a5f49b601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/imports/test9896b.di
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module test9896b;
+
+int square(int x);
diff --git a/test/compilable/test9896.d b/test/compilable/test9896.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9d0a6aaf6c07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/test9896.d
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// PERMUTE_ARGS: -inline
+// REQUIRED_ARGS: -rb
+module test9896;
+
+import imports.test9896a;
+
+void main()
+{
+    static assert(square(2) == 4);
+    assert(square(2) == 4);
+}
diff --git a/test/compilable/test9896.sh b/test/compilable/test9896.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..16eee7186e52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/test9896.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+dir=${RESULTS_DIR}${DSEP}compilable
+src_file=compilable${DSEP}test9896.d
+imp_file=compilable${DSEP}imports${DSEP}test9896a.d
+object_file=${dir}${DSEP}test9896a${OBJ}
+
+$DMD -m${MODEL} -c ${imp_file} -of${object_file}
+$DMD -Icompilable -rb -rx=object -rx=std.* -rx=core.* -rx=etc.* -rx=imports.* -m${MODEL} ${src_file} ${object_file}
diff --git a/test/compilable/test9896a.d b/test/compilable/test9896a.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6a95caa2448b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compilable/test9896a.d
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// PERMUTE_ARGS: -inline
+// REQUIRED_ARGS: -rb -Iimports
+// EXTRA_SOURCES: extra-files/test9896b.d
+module test9896a;
+
+/** Ensure .di files are not compiled. */
+import test9896b;
+
+void main()
+{
+    assert(square(2) == 4);
+}