diff --git a/doc/api/deprecations.md b/doc/api/deprecations.md
index 169b5a51315465..7d69cb44ecc7b1 100644
--- a/doc/api/deprecations.md
+++ b/doc/api/deprecations.md
@@ -2321,7 +2321,6 @@ Type: Runtime
 
 Please use `Server.prototype.setSecureContext()` instead.
 
-
 <a id="DEP0123"></a>
 ### DEP0123: setting the TLS ServerName to an IP address
 <!-- YAML
@@ -2336,6 +2335,19 @@ Type: Runtime
 Setting the TLS ServerName to an IP address is not permitted by
 [RFC 6066][]. This will be ignored in a future version.
 
+<a id="DEP0XXX"></a>
+### DEP0XXX: using REPLServer.rli
+<!-- YAML
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/REPLACEME
+    description: Runtime deprecation.
+-->
+
+Type: Runtime
+
+This property is a reference to the instance itself.
+
 [`--pending-deprecation`]: cli.html#cli_pending_deprecation
 [`Buffer.allocUnsafeSlow(size)`]: buffer.html#buffer_class_method_buffer_allocunsafeslow_size
 [`Buffer.from(array)`]: buffer.html#buffer_class_method_buffer_from_array
diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index 1f89f43c241488..ab19884c8821d6 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -176,8 +176,15 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
   // Context id for use with the inspector protocol.
   self[kContextId] = undefined;
 
-  // Just for backwards compat, see github.com/joyent/node/pull/7127
-  self.rli = this;
+  let rli = self;
+  Object.defineProperty(self, 'rli', {
+    get: util.deprecate(() => rli,
+                        'REPLServer.rli is deprecated', 'DEP0XXX'),
+    set: util.deprecate((val) => rli = val,
+                        'REPLServer.rli is deprecated', 'DEP0XXX'),
+    enumerable: true,
+    configurable: true
+  });
 
   const savedRegExMatches = ['', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', ''];
   const sep = '\u0000\u0000\u0000';
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
index 8d9f8e5b0703c4..72e39c441358da 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ const ArrayStream = require('../common/arraystream');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const repl = require('repl');
 
+common.expectWarning({
+  DeprecationWarning: {
+    DEP0XXX: 'REPLServer.rli is deprecated'
+  }
+});
+
 // Create a dummy stream that does nothing
 const stream = new ArrayStream();