diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cflint/CFLint.java b/src/main/java/com/cflint/CFLint.java
index 2fc4fa009..e5c98cec7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cflint/CFLint.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cflint/CFLint.java
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ public CFLint(ConfigRuntime configuration,final CFLintScanner... bugsScanners) {
 			bugs = new BugList(filter);
 		} catch (IOException e1) {
 			e1.printStackTrace();
-			bugs = new BugList(null);
 		}
 		if(exceptionListeners.size() == 0){
 			addExceptionListener(new DefaultCFLintExceptionListener(bugs));
@@ -292,10 +291,32 @@ private void process(final Element elem, final String space, Context context)
 		currentElement.push(elem);
 
 		if (elem.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("cfcomponent")) {
+			inComponent = true;
+			handler.push("component");
+
+			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
+				try{
+					structurePlugin.startComponent(context, bugs);
+				}catch(Exception e){
+					e.printStackTrace();
+				}
+			}
+
+			context.setInComponent(true);
 			context.setComponentName(elem.getAttributeValue("displayname"));
 		}
 		else if (elem.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("cffunction")) {
 			context.setFunctionName(elem.getAttributeValue("name"));
+			inFunction = true;
+			handler.push("function");
+			
+			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
+				try{
+					structurePlugin.startFunction(context, bugs);
+				}catch(Exception e){
+					e.printStackTrace();
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		try{
@@ -379,47 +400,23 @@ else if (elem.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("cffunction")) {
 		}
 
 		if (elem.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("cffunction")) {
-			inFunction = true;
-			handler.push("function");
-			
-			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
-				try{
-					structurePlugin.startFunction(context, bugs);
-				}catch(Exception e){
-					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
-				}
-			}
 			processStack(elem.getChildElements(), space + " ", context);
 			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
 				try{
 					structurePlugin.endFunction(context, bugs);
 				}catch(Exception e){
 					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
 				}
 			}
 			inFunction = false;
 			handler.pop();
 		} else if (elem.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("cfcomponent")) {
-			inComponent = true;
-			handler.push("component");
-			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
-				try{
-					structurePlugin.startComponent(context, bugs);
-				}catch(Exception e){
-					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
-				}
-			}
-			context.setInComponent(true);
 			processStack(elem.getChildElements(), space + " ", context);
 			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
 				try{
 					structurePlugin.endComponent(context, bugs);
 				}catch(Exception e){
 					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
 				}
 			}
 			
@@ -479,11 +476,33 @@ private void process(final CFScriptStatement expression, final String filename,
 		final Context context = new Context(filename, elem, functionName, inAssignment, handler);
 		
 		context.setInComponent(inComponent);
-
-		if (expression instanceof CFFuncDeclStatement) {
+		if (expression instanceof CFCompDeclStatement) {
+			inComponent = true;
+			//do startComponent notifications
+			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
+				try{
+					structurePlugin.startComponent(context, bugs);
+				}catch(Exception e){
+					e.printStackTrace();
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		else if (expression instanceof CFFuncDeclStatement) {
 			final CFFuncDeclStatement function = (CFFuncDeclStatement) expression;
 			functionName = function.getName().getName();
 			context.setFunctionName(functionName);
+			inFunction = true;
+			handler.push("function");
+			for (final CFFunctionParameter param : function.getFormals()) {
+				handler.addArgument(param.getName());
+			}
+			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
+				try{
+					structurePlugin.startFunction(context, bugs);
+				}catch(Exception e){
+					e.printStackTrace();
+				}
+			}
 		}
 		
 		for (final CFLintScanner plugin : extensions) {
@@ -508,16 +527,6 @@ private void process(final CFScriptStatement expression, final String filename,
 		} else if (expression instanceof CFExpressionStatement) {
 			process(((CFExpressionStatement) expression).getExpression(), filename, elem, functionName);
 		} else if (expression instanceof CFCompDeclStatement) {
-			inComponent = true;
-			//do startComponent notifications
-			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
-				try{
-					structurePlugin.startComponent(context, bugs);
-				}catch(Exception e){
-					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
-				}
-			}
 			//process the component declaration
 			process(((CFCompDeclStatement) expression).getBody(), filename, elem, functionName);
 			//do endComponent notifications
@@ -526,7 +535,6 @@ private void process(final CFScriptStatement expression, final String filename,
 					structurePlugin.endComponent(context, bugs);
 				}catch(Exception e){
 					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -564,31 +572,12 @@ private void process(final CFScriptStatement expression, final String filename,
 			 
 		} else if (expression instanceof CFFuncDeclStatement) {
 			final CFFuncDeclStatement function = (CFFuncDeclStatement) expression;
-			inFunction = true;
-			handler.push("function");
-//			if ("init".equalsIgnoreCase(function.getName())) {
-//				inFunction = false;
-//			}
-
-			for (final CFFunctionParameter param : function.getFormals()) {
-				handler.addArgument(param.getName());
-			}
-			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
-				try{
-					structurePlugin.startFunction(context, bugs);
-				}catch(Exception e){
-					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
-				}
-			}
-			
 			process(function.getBody(), filename, elem, function.getName());
 			for (final CFLintStructureListener structurePlugin : getStructureListeners(extensions)) {
 				try{
 					structurePlugin.endFunction(context, bugs);
 				}catch(Exception e){
 					e.printStackTrace();
-					bugs = new BugList(null);
 				}
 			}
 			inFunction = false;
@@ -889,7 +878,6 @@ protected void fireStartedProcessing(final String srcidentifier) {
 				structurePlugin.startFile(srcidentifier, bugs);
 			}catch(Exception e){
 				e.printStackTrace();
-				bugs = new BugList(null);
 			}
 		}
 		for (final ScanProgressListener p : scanProgressListeners) {
@@ -903,7 +891,6 @@ protected void fireFinishedProcessing(final String srcidentifier) {
 				structurePlugin.endFile(srcidentifier, bugs);
 			}catch(Exception e){
 				e.printStackTrace();
-				bugs = new BugList(null);
 			}
 		}
 		for (final ScanProgressListener p : scanProgressListeners) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cflint/plugins/core/UnusedArgumentChecker.java b/src/main/java/com/cflint/plugins/core/UnusedArgumentChecker.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..95ddff2a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cflint/plugins/core/UnusedArgumentChecker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package com.cflint.plugins.core;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+
+import net.htmlparser.jericho.Element;
+
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.CFAssignmentExpression;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.CFExpression;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.CFIdentifier;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.CFFullVarExpression;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.CFVarDeclExpression;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.script.CFFuncDeclStatement;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.script.CFFunctionParameter;
+import cfml.parsing.cfscript.script.CFScriptStatement;
+
+import com.cflint.BugInfo;
+import com.cflint.BugList;
+import com.cflint.plugins.CFLintScannerAdapter;
+import com.cflint.plugins.Context;
+
+public class UnusedArgumentChecker extends CFLintScannerAdapter {
+	final String severity = "INFO";
+
+	protected Map<String, Boolean> methodArguments = new HashMap<String, Boolean>();
+	protected Map<String, Integer> argumentLineNo = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
+
+	@Override
+	public void element(final Element element, final Context context, final BugList bugs) {
+		if (element.getName().equals("cfargument")) {
+			final String name = element.getAttributeValue("name");
+			methodArguments.put(name, false);
+			setArgumentLineNo(name, context.startLine());
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void expression(final CFScriptStatement expression, final Context context, final BugList bugs) {
+		if (expression instanceof CFFuncDeclStatement) {
+			final CFFuncDeclStatement function = (CFFuncDeclStatement) expression;
+			for (final CFFunctionParameter argument : function.getFormals()) {
+				final String name = argument.getName();
+				methodArguments.put(name, false);
+				setArgumentLineNo(name, function.getLine()); // close enough?
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	protected void setArgumentLineNo(final String argument, final Integer lineNo) {
+		if (argumentLineNo.get(argument) == null) {
+			argumentLineNo.put(argument, lineNo);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void expression(final CFExpression expression, final Context context, final BugList bugs) {
+		if (expression instanceof CFFullVarExpression) {
+			CFExpression variable = ((CFFullVarExpression) expression).getExpressions().get(0);
+			if (variable instanceof CFIdentifier) {
+				String name = ((CFIdentifier) variable).getName();
+				if (methodArguments.get(name) != null) {
+					methodArguments.put(name, true);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		else if (expression instanceof CFIdentifier) {
+			String name = ((CFIdentifier) expression).getName();
+			if (methodArguments.get(name) != null) {
+				methodArguments.put(name, true);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override	
+	public void startFunction(Context context, BugList bugs) {
+		methodArguments.clear();
+	}
+
+	@Override	
+	public void endFunction(Context context, BugList bugs) {
+		// TODO perhaps sort by line number?
+		for (Map.Entry<String, Boolean> method : methodArguments.entrySet()) {
+			Boolean used = method.getValue();
+	    	if (!used) {
+	    		final String name = method.getKey();
+	    		final Integer lineNo = argumentLineNo.get(name);
+				bugs.add(new BugInfo.BugInfoBuilder().setLine(lineNo).setMessageCode("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT")
+					.setSeverity(severity).setFilename(context.getFilename())
+					.setMessage("Argument " + name + " is not used in function " + context.getFunctionName() + ", consider removing it.")
+					.build());
+	    	}
+	    }
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.json b/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.json
index db26948f1..d0a1bbd3d 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.json
+++ b/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.json
@@ -729,6 +729,17 @@
       "parameter": []
     },
     {
+      "name": "UnusedArgumentChecker",
+      "className": "UnusedArgumentChecker",
+      "message": [
+        {
+          "code": "UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT",
+          "severity": "INFO"
+         }
+      ],
+      "parameter": []
+    },
+    {     
       "name": "CFCompareVsAssignChecker",
       "className": "CFCompareVsAssignChecker",
       "message": [
diff --git a/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.xml b/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.xml
index 7eff52579..bfc1c7a8a 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/cflint.definition.xml
@@ -333,6 +333,11 @@
 			<severity>WARNING</severity>
 			<messageText>Avoid leaving debug attribute on tags.</messageText>
 		</message>
+	</ruleImpl>
+		<ruleImpl name="UnusedArgumentChecker" className="UnusedArgumentChecker">
+		<message code="UNUSED_LOCAL_VARIABLE">
+			<severity>INFO</severity>
+		</message>
 	</ruleImpl>
 	<ruleImpl name="CFCompareVsAssignChecker" className="CFCompareVsAssignChecker">
 		<message code="COMPARE_INSTEAD_OF_ASSIGN">
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/cflint/TestUnusedArgumentChecker.java b/src/test/java/com/cflint/TestUnusedArgumentChecker.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b4c1a7a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/cflint/TestUnusedArgumentChecker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+package com.cflint;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import cfml.parsing.reporting.ParseException;
+
+import com.cflint.config.CFLintPluginInfo.PluginInfoRule;
+import com.cflint.config.CFLintPluginInfo.PluginInfoRule.PluginMessage;
+import com.cflint.config.ConfigRuntime;
+import com.cflint.plugins.core.UnusedArgumentChecker;
+
+public class TestUnusedArgumentChecker {
+
+	private CFLint cfBugs;
+
+	@Before
+	public void setUp() {
+		final ConfigRuntime conf = new ConfigRuntime();
+		final PluginInfoRule pluginRule = new PluginInfoRule();
+		pluginRule.setName("UnusedArgumentChecker");
+		conf.getRules().add(pluginRule);
+		final PluginMessage pluginMessage = new PluginMessage("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT");
+		pluginMessage.setSeverity("INFO");
+		cfBugs = new CFLint(conf, new UnusedArgumentChecker());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNoArgumentsInScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function dummyFunction() {\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsUsedInScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function sum(a,b) {\r\n"
+			+ "return a + b;\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function sum(a,b) {\r\n"
+			+ "c = a + b;"
+			+ "return c;\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInMethodScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function sum(a,b) {\r\n"
+			+ "return other(a,b);\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInReturnScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function sum(a,b) {\r\n"
+			+ "return a;\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final List<BugInfo> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList().values().iterator().next();
+		assertEquals(1, result.size());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(0).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(3, result.get(0).getLine());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testMultipleArgumentsNotUsedScript() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String scriptSrc = "<cfscript>\r\n"
+			+ "component {\r\n"
+			+ "function sum(a,b,c,d) {\r\n"
+			+ "return a;\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "}\r\n"
+			+ "</cfscript>";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(scriptSrc, "test");
+		final List<BugInfo> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList().values().iterator().next();
+		assertEquals(3, result.size());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(0).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(3, result.get(0).getLine());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(1).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(3, result.get(1).getLine());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(2).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(3, result.get(2).getLine());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNoArgumentsInTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"dummyFunction\">\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsUsedInTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"sum\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"a\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"b\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfreturn a + b>\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"sum\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"a\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"b\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfset c = a + b>"
+			+ "<cfreturn c>\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInMethodTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"sum\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"a\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"b\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfreturn other(a,b)>\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final Map<String, List<BugInfo>> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList();
+		assertEquals(0, result.size());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testArgumentsNotUsedInReturnTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"sum\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"a\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"b\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfreturn a>\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final List<BugInfo> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList().values().iterator().next();
+		assertEquals(1, result.size());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(0).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(4, result.get(0).getLine());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testMultipleArgumentsNotUsedTag() throws ParseException, IOException {
+		final String tagSrc = "<cfcomponent>\r\n"
+			+ "<cffunction name=\"sum\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"a\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"b\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"c\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfargument name=\"d\">\r\n"
+			+ "<cfreturn a>\r\n"
+			+ "</cffunction>\r\n"
+			+ "</cfcomponent>\r\n";
+			
+		cfBugs.process(tagSrc, "test");
+		final List<BugInfo> result = cfBugs.getBugs().getBugList().values().iterator().next();
+		assertEquals(3, result.size());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(0).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(6, result.get(0).getLine());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(1).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(4, result.get(1).getLine());
+		assertEquals("UNUSED_METHOD_ARGUMENT", result.get(2).getMessageCode());
+		assertEquals(5, result.get(2).getLine());		
+	}
+
+}