diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 458bd5d60d89f..17a3de40e1d59 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ New language features
     but instead of loading it into the current session saves the result of compiling it in
     `~/.julia/lib/v0.4` ([#8745]).
 
+      * Put `#pragma compilable` at the top of your module file to automatically compile it when it is imported ([#12475]).
+
       * See manual section on `Module initialization and precompilation` (under `Modules`) for details and errata.
 
       * New option `--output-incremental={yes|no}` added to invoke the equivalent of ``Base.compile`` from the command line.
@@ -1557,3 +1559,4 @@ Too numerous to mention.
 [#12137]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/12137
 [#12162]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/12162
 [#12393]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/12393
+[#12475]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/12475
diff --git a/base/loading.jl b/base/loading.jl
index 1eaff03d785b8..dc0f1461a8cf0 100644
--- a/base/loading.jl
+++ b/base/loading.jl
@@ -53,6 +53,45 @@ function find_all_in_cache_path(mod::Symbol)
     paths
 end
 
+const r_compilable = r"^#\s*pragma\s+compile(\s+true)?\s*$"
+const r_ncompilable = r"^#\s*pragma\s+compile\s+false\s*$"
+
+# return true if "#pragma compilable [true]" appears in the file before
+# any Julia code, false for "#pragma compile false", default otherwise
+function compilable(path::AbstractString, default::Bool=false)
+    return open(path, "r") do f
+        for line in eachline(f)
+            s = lstrip(line)
+            if !isempty(s)
+                if s[1] == '#'
+                    ismatch(r_compilable, s) && return true
+                    ismatch(r_ncompilable, s) && return false
+                else
+                    return default
+                end
+            end
+        end
+        return default
+    end
+end
+
+# compile path on node 1 if path is #pragma compilable,
+# returning the cachefile path, or nothing otherwise
+function autocompile_on_node1(mod::Symbol, path::AbstractString)
+    if myid() == 1
+        if compilable(path)
+            if isinteractive()
+                info("Compiling module $mod from $path...")
+            end
+            return compile(mod)
+        else
+            return nothing
+        end
+    else
+        return remotecall_fetch(1, autocompile_on_node1, mod, path)
+    end
+end
+
 function _include_from_serialized(content::Vector{UInt8})
     return ccall(:jl_restore_incremental_from_buf, Any, (Ptr{Uint8},Int), content, sizeof(content))
 end
@@ -166,6 +205,19 @@ function require(mod::Symbol)
         name = string(mod)
         path = find_in_node_path(name, source_dir(), 1)
         path === nothing && throw(ArgumentError("$name not found in path"))
+
+        if last || nprocs() == 1
+            cachefile = autocompile_on_node1(mod, path)
+            if cachefile !== nothing
+                if nothing === _require_from_serialized(1, cachefile, last)
+                    warn("require failed to create a precompiled cache file")
+                else
+                    return
+                end
+            end
+        end
+
+        # could not compile, just include(path)
         if last && myid() == 1 && nprocs() > 1
             # broadcast top-level import/using from node 1 (only)
             content = open(readall, path)
@@ -289,6 +341,7 @@ function compile(name::ByteString)
     myid() == 1 || error("can only compile from node 1")
     path = find_in_path(name)
     path === nothing && throw(ArgumentError("$name not found in path"))
+    !compilable(path, true) && throw(ArgumentError("$name has #pragma compile false"))
     cachepath = LOAD_CACHE_PATH[1]
     if !isdir(cachepath)
         mkpath(cachepath)
diff --git a/doc/manual/modules.rst b/doc/manual/modules.rst
index 2b81c0158fe2d..d5379b0714a84 100644
--- a/doc/manual/modules.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/modules.rst
@@ -264,7 +264,15 @@ To create a custom system image that can be used to start julia with the -J opti
 recompile Julia after modifying the file ``base/userimg.jl`` to require the desired modules.
 
 To create an incremental precompiled module file,
-call ``Base.compile(modulename::Symbol)``.
+you can call ``Base.compile(modulename::Symbol)``.  Alternatively, if you
+put ``#pragma compile`` at the top of your module file (before any
+non-comment code), then the module will be automatically compiled the
+first time it is imported.   Compiling a module also recursively compiles
+any modules that are imported therein.   If you know that it is *not*
+safe to compile your module, you should put ``#pragma compile false``
+at the top of its file, which cause ``Base.compile`` to throw an error
+(and thereby prevent the module from being imported any other compiled
+module).
 The resulting cache files will be stored in ``Base.LOAD_CACHE_PATH[1]``.
 
 In order to make your module work with precompilation,
diff --git a/test/compile.jl b/test/compile.jl
index 4f70e1877d1af..007e77b651356 100644
--- a/test/compile.jl
+++ b/test/compile.jl
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ try
 
     open(file, "w") do f
         print(f, """
+              # Auto-compile this module:
+               # pragma compile
               module $Foo_module
               @doc "foo function" foo(x) = x + 1
               include_dependency("foo.jl")
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ try
               """)
     end
 
-    cachefile = Base.compile(Foo_module)
+    # make sure the "#pragma compile" causes Foo to be compiled
+    cachefile = Base.autocompile_on_node1(Foo_module, file)
+    @test nothing !== cachefile
 
     # use _require_from_serialized to ensure that the test fails if
     # the module doesn't load from the image:
@@ -41,7 +45,6 @@ try
                                    [:Base,:Core,:Main])
         @test sort(deps[2]) == [file,joinpath(dir,"bar.jl"),joinpath(dir,"foo.jl")]
     end
-
 finally
     splice!(Base.LOAD_CACHE_PATH, 1)
     splice!(LOAD_PATH, 1)