diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index f9dc215c9890..052d8c00e89e 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # This is the configuration used to check the rubocop source code.
 
-inherit_from: rubocop-todo.yml
+inherit_from: .rubocop_todo.yml
diff --git a/rubocop-todo.yml b/.rubocop_todo.yml
similarity index 86%
rename from rubocop-todo.yml
rename to .rubocop_todo.yml
index e9c957d8acf8..a71de6275fff 100644
--- a/rubocop-todo.yml
+++ b/.rubocop_todo.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # This configuration was generated by `rubocop --auto-gen-config`
-# on 2014-04-29 14:42:33 +0200 using RuboCop version 0.21.0.
+# on 2014-04-29 22:57:01 +0200 using RuboCop version 0.21.0.
 # The point is for the user to remove these configuration records
 # one by one as the offenses are removed from the code base.
 # Note that changes in the inspected code, or installation of new
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ ClassLength:
 CyclomaticComplexity:
   Max: 10
 
-# Offense count: 115
+# Offense count: 114
 # Configuration parameters: CountComments.
 MethodLength:
   Max: 20
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1f9d6077cb1e..a46c5870c584 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 * `NonNilCheck` offense reporting and autocorrect are configurable to include semantic changes. ([@hannestyden][])
 * The parameters `AllCops/Excludes` and `AllCops/Includes` with final `s` only give a warning and don't halt `rubocop` execution. ([@jonas054][])
 * The `GuardClause` cop is no longer irgnoring a one-line body by default - see configuration. ([@geniou][])
+* [#1050](https://github.com/bbatsov/rubocop/issues/1050): Rename `rubocop-todo.yml` file to `.robcop_todo.yml`. ([@geniou][])
 
 ### Bugs fixed
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 28358a3a8168..0fedba00f7f1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -315,12 +315,13 @@ CyclomaticComplexity:
 
 ### Automatically Generated Configuration
 
-If you have a code base with an overwhelming amount of offenses, it can be a
-good idea to use `rubocop --auto-gen-config` and add an `inherit_from:
-rubocop-todo.yml` in your `.rubocop.yml`. The generated file `rubocop-todo.yml`
-contains configuration to disable all cops that currently detect an offense in
-the code. Then you can start removing the entries in the generated file one by
-one as you work through all the offenses in the code.
+If you have a code base with an overwhelming amount of offenses, it can
+be a good idea to use `rubocop --auto-gen-config` and add an
+`inherit_from: .rubocop_todo.yml` in your `.rubocop.yml`. The generated
+file `.rubocop_todo.yml` contains configuration to disable all cops that
+currently detect an offense in the code. Then you can start removing the
+entries in the generated file one by one as you work through all the
+offenses in the code.
 
 ## Disabling Cops within Source Code
 
diff --git a/lib/rubocop/config_loader.rb b/lib/rubocop/config_loader.rb
index 7d1b7f343621..11cb739bce52 100644
--- a/lib/rubocop/config_loader.rb
+++ b/lib/rubocop/config_loader.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class ConfigLoader
     DOTFILE = '.rubocop.yml'
     RUBOCOP_HOME = File.realpath(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', '..'))
     DEFAULT_FILE = File.join(RUBOCOP_HOME, 'config', 'default.yml')
-    AUTO_GENERATED_FILE = 'rubocop-todo.yml'
+    AUTO_GENERATED_FILE = '.rubocop_todo.yml'
 
     class << self
       attr_accessor :debug, :auto_gen_config
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ def merge(base_hash, derived_hash)
       def base_configs(path, inherit_from)
         configs = Array(inherit_from).map do |f|
           f = File.join(File.dirname(path), f) unless f.start_with?('/')
-          next if auto_gen_config? && f.include?(AUTO_GENERATED_FILE)
+
+          if auto_gen_config?
+            next if f.include?(AUTO_GENERATED_FILE)
+            old_auto_config_file_warning if f.include?('rubocop-todo.yml')
+          end
 
           print 'Inheriting ' if debug?
           load_file(f)
@@ -123,6 +127,12 @@ def dirs_to_search(target_dir)
         end
         dirs_to_search << Dir.home
       end
+
+      def old_auto_config_file_warning
+        warn 'Attention: rubocop_todo.yml has been renamed to ' \
+             "#{AUTO_GENERATED_FILE}".color(:red)
+        exit(1)
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/rubocop/cli_spec.rb b/spec/rubocop/cli_spec.rb
index 7e3e22cfbed9..3138740cdabb 100644
--- a/spec/rubocop/cli_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rubocop/cli_spec.rb
@@ -451,11 +451,11 @@ def abs(path)
                                     '#' * 85,
                                     'y ',
                                     'puts x'])
-        create_file('rubocop-todo.yml', ['LineLength:',
-                                         '  Enabled: false'])
-        create_file('.rubocop.yml', ['inherit_from: rubocop-todo.yml'])
+        create_file('.rubocop_todo.yml', ['LineLength:',
+                                          '  Enabled: false'])
+        create_file('.rubocop.yml', ['inherit_from: .rubocop_todo.yml'])
         expect(cli.run(['--auto-gen-config'])).to eq(1)
-        expect(IO.readlines('rubocop-todo.yml')[7..-1].map(&:chomp))
+        expect(IO.readlines('.rubocop_todo.yml')[7..-1].map(&:chomp))
           .to eq(['# Offense count: 1',
                   'LineLength:',
                   '  Max: 85',
@@ -503,9 +503,9 @@ def abs(path)
         expect(cli.run(['--auto-gen-config'])).to eq(1)
         expect($stderr.string).to eq('')
         expect($stdout.string)
-          .to include(['Created rubocop-todo.yml.',
-                       'Run `rubocop --config rubocop-todo.yml`, or',
-                       'add inherit_from: rubocop-todo.yml in a ' \
+          .to include(['Created .rubocop_todo.yml.',
+                       'Run `rubocop --config .rubocop_todo.yml`, or',
+                       'add inherit_from: .rubocop_todo.yml in a ' \
                        '.rubocop.yml file.',
                        ''].join("\n"))
         expected =
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ def abs(path)
            '# Cop supports --auto-correct.',
            'TrailingWhitespace:',
            '  Enabled: false']
-        actual = IO.read('rubocop-todo.yml').split($RS)
+        actual = IO.read('.rubocop_todo.yml').split($RS)
         expected.each_with_index do |line, ix|
           if line.is_a?(String)
             expect(actual[ix]).to eq(line)
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ def abs(path)
            '# Offense count: 1',
            'Tab:',
            '  Enabled: false']
-        actual = IO.read('rubocop-todo.yml').split($RS)
+        actual = IO.read('.rubocop_todo.yml').split($RS)
         expect(actual.length).to eq(expected.length)
         expected.each_with_index do |line, ix|
           if line.is_a?(String)
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ def abs(path)
            '# Offense count: 1',
            'RegexpLiteral:',
            '  MaxSlashes: 0']
-        actual = IO.read('rubocop-todo.yml').split($RS)
+        actual = IO.read('.rubocop_todo.yml').split($RS)
         expected.each_with_index do |line, ix|
           if line.is_a?(String)
             expect(actual[ix]).to eq(line)
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ def abs(path)
           end
         end
         $stdout = StringIO.new
-        result = cli.run(%w(--config rubocop-todo.yml --format emacs))
+        result = cli.run(%w(--config .rubocop_todo.yml --format emacs))
         expect($stdout.string).to eq('')
         expect(result).to eq(0)
       end
@@ -1952,5 +1952,24 @@ def interrupt
                'Valid severities are refactor, convention, ' \
                "warning, error, fatal.\n")
     end
+
+    context 'when a file inherits from the old auto generated file' do
+      before do
+        create_file('rubocop-todo.yml', '')
+        create_file('.rubocop.yml', ['inherit_from: rubocop-todo.yml'])
+      end
+
+      it 'prints no warning when --auto-gen-config is not set' do
+        expect { cli.run(%w(-c .rubocop.yml)) }.not_to exit_with_code(1)
+      end
+
+      it 'prints a warning when --auto-gen-config is set' do
+        expect { cli.run(%w(-c .rubocop.yml --auto-gen-config)) }
+          .to exit_with_code(1)
+        expect($stderr.string)
+          .to eq('Attention: rubocop_todo.yml has been renamed to ' \
+                 ".rubocop_todo.yml\n")
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/rubocop/formatter/disabled_config_formatter_spec.rb b/spec/rubocop/formatter/disabled_config_formatter_spec.rb
index 8aac58cba052..8b339625727f 100644
--- a/spec/rubocop/formatter/disabled_config_formatter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rubocop/formatter/disabled_config_formatter_spec.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module Formatter
       let(:output) do
         o = StringIO.new
         def o.path
-          'rubocop-todo.yml'
+          '.rubocop_todo.yml'
         end
         o
       end
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ def o.path
                                        '  Enabled: false',
                                        ''].join("\n"))
           expect($stdout.string)
-            .to eq(['Created rubocop-todo.yml.',
-                    'Run `rubocop --config rubocop-todo.yml`, or',
-                    'add inherit_from: rubocop-todo.yml in a .rubocop.yml ' \
+            .to eq(['Created .rubocop_todo.yml.',
+                    'Run `rubocop --config .rubocop_todo.yml`, or',
+                    'add inherit_from: .rubocop_todo.yml in a .rubocop.yml ' \
                     'file.',
                     ''].join("\n"))
         end