diff --git a/lib/rake.rb b/lib/rake.rb
index 0dfd05315..7c1aef6e9 100644
--- a/lib/rake.rb
+++ b/lib/rake.rb
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ module Rake; end
 require "rake/late_time"
 require "rake/name_space"
 require "rake/task_manager"
+require "rake/lazy_task_definition"
 require "rake/application"
 require "rake/backtrace"
 
diff --git a/lib/rake/application.rb b/lib/rake/application.rb
index ac5714b11..600f2d9c8 100644
--- a/lib/rake/application.rb
+++ b/lib/rake/application.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 require "optparse"
 
 require "rake/task_manager"
+require "rake/lazy_task_definition"
 require "rake/file_list"
 require "rake/thread_pool"
 require "rake/thread_history_display"
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ module Rake
 
   class Application
     include TaskManager
+    include LazyTaskDefinition
     include TraceOutput
 
     # The name of the application (typically 'rake')
@@ -129,16 +131,20 @@ def load_rakefile
 
     # Run the top level tasks of a Rake application.
     def top_level
-      run_with_threads do
-        if options.show_tasks
-          display_tasks_and_comments
-        elsif options.show_prereqs
-          display_prerequisites
-        else
-          top_level_tasks.each { |task_name| invoke_task(task_name) }
-        end
+      run_with_threads { top_level_intern }
+    end
+
+    def top_level_intern
+      execute_all_lazy_definitions if options.loadlazydefinitions
+      if options.show_tasks
+        display_tasks_and_comments
+      elsif options.show_prereqs
+        display_prerequisites
+      else
+        top_level_tasks.each { |task_name| invoke_task(task_name) }
       end
     end
+    private :top_level_intern
 
     # Run the given block with the thread startup and shutdown.
     def run_with_threads
@@ -530,6 +536,10 @@ def standard_rake_options # :nodoc:
             "-N", "Do not search parent directories for the Rakefile.",
             lambda { |value| options.nosearch = true }
           ],
+          ["--load-lazy-definitions", "--loadlazydefinitions", 
+            "-L", "Include all lazy definitions when listing tasks with --tasks",
+            lambda { |value| options.loadlazydefinitions = true}
+          ],
           ["--prereqs", "-P",
             "Display the tasks and dependencies, then exit.",
             lambda { |value| options.show_prereqs = true }
@@ -838,6 +848,7 @@ def set_default_options # :nodoc:
       options.job_stats                  = false
       options.load_system                = false
       options.nosearch                   = false
+      options.loadlazydefinitions        = false
       options.rakelib                    = %w[rakelib]
       options.show_all_tasks             = false
       options.show_prereqs               = false
diff --git a/lib/rake/dsl_definition.rb b/lib/rake/dsl_definition.rb
index 27969d69e..b3154b120 100644
--- a/lib/rake/dsl_definition.rb
+++ b/lib/rake/dsl_definition.rb
@@ -185,6 +185,12 @@ def import(*fns) # :doc:
         Rake.application.add_import(fn)
       end
     end
+
+    # Associate a block to the current scope and 
+    # execute it only when a lookup for a task is performed in the same scope.
+    def lazy(&block)
+      Rake.application.register_lazy_definition(&block)
+    end
   end
   extend FileUtilsExt
 end
diff --git a/lib/rake/lazy_task_definition.rb b/lib/rake/lazy_task_definition.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3792ddf87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rake/lazy_task_definition.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+module Rake
+
+  # The LazyTaskDefinition module is a mixin for managing lazy defined tasks.
+  module LazyTaskDefinition
+
+    # Execute all definitions: usefull for rake -T for instance
+    def execute_all_lazy_definitions
+      lazy_definitions.each do |scope_path, _definitions|
+        execute_lazy_definitions(scope_path)
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Execute all definitions linked to specified +scope_path+
+    # and its parent scopes.
+    def execute_lazy_definitions(scope_path)
+      scope_path_elements = scope_path.split(':')
+      sub_scope_elements = []
+      scope_path_elements.each do |e|
+        sub_scope_elements << e
+        sub_scope_path = sub_scope_elements.join(':')
+        definitions = lazy_definitions[sub_scope_path]
+        next unless definitions
+        definitions.each do |definition|
+          definition.call
+        end
+        definitions.clear
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Evaluate the block in specified +scope+.
+    def in_scope(scope)
+      cur_scope = @scope
+      @scope = scope
+      yield
+    ensure
+      @scope = cur_scope
+    end
+
+    # Register a block which will be called only when necessary during the lookup 
+    # of tasks
+    def register_lazy_definition(&block)
+      cur_scope = @scope
+      lazy_definitions[cur_scope.path] ||= []
+      lazy_definitions[cur_scope.path] << ->() { in_scope(cur_scope, &block) }
+    end
+
+    def lazy_definitions
+        @lazy_definitions ||= {} 
+    end
+    private :lazy_definitions
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/rake/task_manager.rb b/lib/rake/task_manager.rb
index 0db5c241e..63243b7cd 100644
--- a/lib/rake/task_manager.rb
+++ b/lib/rake/task_manager.rb
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ def lookup(task_name, initial_scope=nil)
     def lookup_in_scope(name, scope)
       loop do
         tn = scope.path_with_task_name(name)
+        # use lazy definitions if mixin LazyTaskDefinition is enabled
+        execute_lazy_definitions(tn) if respond_to?(:execute_lazy_definitions)
         task = @tasks[tn]
         return task if task
         break if scope.empty?
diff --git a/test/test_rake_dsl.rb b/test/test_rake_dsl.rb
index 6d0e7344d..4fc4d4383 100644
--- a/test/test_rake_dsl.rb
+++ b/test/test_rake_dsl.rb
@@ -38,4 +38,37 @@ def test_no_commands_constant
     assert ! defined?(Commands), "should not define Commands"
   end
 
+  def test_lazy
+    call_count_t1 = 0
+    call_count_t3 = 0
+    namespace "a" do
+      lazy do
+        task "t1"
+        call_count_t1 += 1
+      end
+    end
+    namespace "b" do
+      task "t2"
+      namespace "c" do
+        lazy do
+          namespace "d" do
+            lazy do
+              task "t3"
+              call_count_t3 += 1
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    refute_nil Rake::Task["b:t2"]
+    assert_equal 0, call_count_t1
+    assert_equal 0, call_count_t3
+    refute_nil Rake::Task["a:t1"]
+    assert_equal 1, call_count_t1
+    assert_equal 0, call_count_t3
+    refute_nil Rake::Task["b:c:d:t3"]
+    assert_equal 1, call_count_t1
+    assert_equal 1, call_count_t3
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/test/test_rake_lazy_task_definition.rb b/test/test_rake_lazy_task_definition.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6bd3ccaaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_rake_lazy_task_definition.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require File.expand_path("../helper", __FILE__)
+
+class TestRakeLazyTaskDefinition < Rake::TestCase # :nodoc:
+
+  def setup
+    super
+
+    @tm = Rake::TestCase::TaskManager.new
+    @tm.extend Rake::LazyTaskDefinition
+  end
+
+  def test_lazy_definition  
+    t1, t2, t3 = nil, nil, nil
+    lazy_definition_call_count = 0
+    @tm.in_namespace("a1") do
+      @tm.register_lazy_definition do
+        t1 = @tm.define_task(Rake::Task, :t1)
+        lazy_definition_call_count += 1
+        @tm.in_namespace("a2") do
+          t2 = @tm.define_task(Rake::Task, :t2)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    @tm.in_namespace("b") do
+      t3 = @tm.define_task(Rake::Task, :t3)
+    end
+    # task t3 is not lazy. It can be found
+    assert_equal t3, @tm[:t3, Rake::Scope.make("b")]
+    # lazy definition is not called until we look for task in namespace a
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 0
+
+    # task t2 can be found
+    found_task_t2 = @tm[:t2, Rake::Scope.make("a1:a2")]
+    assert_equal t2, found_task_t2
+    # lazy definition is expected to be called
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 1
+
+    # task t1 can also be found
+    found_task_t1 = @tm[:t1, Rake::Scope.make("a1")]
+    assert_equal t1, found_task_t1
+    # lazy definition is called at most once
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 1
+  end
+
+  def test_execute_all_lazy_definitions
+    lazy_definition_call_count = 0
+    @tm.in_namespace("a") do
+      @tm.register_lazy_definition do
+        lazy_definition_call_count += 1
+      end
+    end
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 0
+    @tm.execute_all_lazy_definitions
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 1
+    @tm.execute_all_lazy_definitions
+    assert_equal lazy_definition_call_count, 1
+  end
+
+end