diff --git a/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js b/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
index 3e391576716..905f3418121 100644
--- a/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
+++ b/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
@@ -861,6 +861,16 @@ class RuleTester {
                 );
             }
 
+            // Rules that produce fixes must have `meta.fixable` property.
+            if (result.output !== item.code) {
+                assert.ok(
+                    hasOwnProperty(rule, "meta"),
+                    "Fixable rules should export a `meta.fixable` property."
+                );
+
+                // Linter throws if a rule that produced a fix has `meta` but doesn't have `meta.fixable`.
+            }
+
             assertASTDidntChange(result.beforeAST, result.afterAST);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/testers/rule-tester/no-var.js b/tests/fixtures/testers/rule-tester/no-var.js
index 382885613d2..5841f15bfa1 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/testers/rule-tester/no-var.js
+++ b/tests/fixtures/testers/rule-tester/no-var.js
@@ -7,27 +7,31 @@
 // Rule Definition
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-module.exports = function(context) {
-
-    "use strict";
-
-
-    var sourceCode = context.getSourceCode();
-
-    return {
-
-        "VariableDeclaration": function(node) {
-            if (node.kind === "var") {
-                context.report({
-                    node: node,
-                    loc: sourceCode.getFirstToken(node).loc,
-                    message: "Bad var.",
-                    fix: function(fixer) {
-                        return fixer.remove(sourceCode.getFirstToken(node));
-                    }
-                })
+"use strict";
+
+module.exports = {
+
+    meta: {
+        fixable: "code"
+    },
+
+    create(context) {
+
+        var sourceCode = context.getSourceCode();
+
+        return {
+            "VariableDeclaration": function(node) {
+                if (node.kind === "var") {
+                    context.report({
+                        node: node,
+                        loc: sourceCode.getFirstToken(node).loc,
+                        message: "Bad var.",
+                        fix: function(fixer) {
+                            return fixer.remove(sourceCode.getFirstToken(node));
+                        }
+                    })
+                }
             }
-        }
-    };
-
+        };
+    }
 };
diff --git a/tests/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js b/tests/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
index 7e26e1a826c..3f2393621b6 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rule-tester/rule-tester.js
@@ -304,6 +304,10 @@ describe("RuleTester", () => {
 
     it("should use strict equality to compare output", () => {
         const replaceProgramWith5Rule = {
+            meta: {
+                fixable: "code"
+            },
+
             create: context => ({
                 Program(node) {
                     context.report({ node, message: "bad", fix: fixer => fixer.replaceText(node, "5") });
@@ -1237,6 +1241,73 @@ describe("RuleTester", () => {
         }, "Error must specify 'messageId' if 'data' is used.");
     });
 
+    // fixable rules with or without `meta` property
+    it("should not throw an error if a rule that has `meta.fixable` produces fixes", () => {
+        const replaceProgramWith5Rule = {
+            meta: {
+                fixable: "code"
+            },
+            create(context) {
+                return {
+                    Program(node) {
+                        context.report({ node, message: "bad", fix: fixer => fixer.replaceText(node, "5") });
+                    }
+                };
+            }
+        };
+
+        ruleTester.run("replaceProgramWith5", replaceProgramWith5Rule, {
+            valid: [],
+            invalid: [
+                { code: "var foo = bar;", output: "5", errors: 1 }
+            ]
+        });
+    });
+    it("should throw an error if a new-format rule that doesn't have `meta` produces fixes", () => {
+        const replaceProgramWith5Rule = {
+            create(context) {
+                return {
+                    Program(node) {
+                        context.report({ node, message: "bad", fix: fixer => fixer.replaceText(node, "5") });
+                    }
+                };
+            }
+        };
+
+        assert.throws(() => {
+            ruleTester.run("replaceProgramWith5", replaceProgramWith5Rule, {
+                valid: [],
+                invalid: [
+                    { code: "var foo = bar;", output: "5", errors: 1 }
+                ]
+            });
+        }, "Fixable rules should export a `meta.fixable` property.");
+    });
+    it("should throw an error if a legacy-format rule produces fixes", () => {
+
+        /**
+         * Legacy-format rule (a function instead of an object with `create` method).
+         * @param {RuleContext} context The ESLint rule context object.
+         * @returns {Object} Listeners.
+         */
+        function replaceProgramWith5Rule(context) {
+            return {
+                Program(node) {
+                    context.report({ node, message: "bad", fix: fixer => fixer.replaceText(node, "5") });
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
+        assert.throws(() => {
+            ruleTester.run("replaceProgramWith5", replaceProgramWith5Rule, {
+                valid: [],
+                invalid: [
+                    { code: "var foo = bar;", output: "5", errors: 1 }
+                ]
+            });
+        }, "Fixable rules should export a `meta.fixable` property.");
+    });
+
     describe("suggestions", () => {
         it("should pass with valid suggestions (tested using desc)", () => {
             ruleTester.run("suggestions-basic", require("../../fixtures/testers/rule-tester/suggestions").basic, {