diff --git a/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.cxx b/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.cxx
index b2acf06ad..181b922b1 100644
--- a/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.cxx
@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ cmLoadedCommand::~cmLoadedCommand()
 bool cmLoadCommandCommand
 ::InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args, cmExecutionStatus &)
 {
+  this->Makefile->IssueMessage(
+    cmake::AUTHOR_WARNING,
+    "The \"load_command\" command will be removed in CMake 3.0.  "
+    "See command documentation for details.");
   if(args.size() < 1 )
     {
     return true;
diff --git a/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.h b/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.h
index f0b34ee59..bcd1831e4 100644
--- a/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.h
+++ b/Source/cmLoadCommandCommand.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public:
    */
   virtual const char* GetTerseDocumentation() const
     {
-    return "Load a command into a running CMake.";
+    return "Deprecated.  Use macro() or function() instead.";
     }
 
   /**
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ public:
   virtual const char* GetFullDocumentation() const
     {
     return
+      "This command will be removed in CMake 3.0.  "
+      "It works only when the target architecture matches the "
+      "running CMake binary.  "
+      "Use macro() or function() to add commands.  "
+      "Use execute_process() to run advanced computations "
+      "in external processes."
+      "\n"
       "  load_command(COMMAND_NAME <loc1> [loc2 ...])\n"
       "The given locations are searched for a library whose name is "
       "cmCOMMAND_NAME.  If found, it is loaded as a module and the command "
@@ -67,6 +74,12 @@ public:
       "Otherwise the variable will not be set.";
     }
 
+  /** This command is kept for compatibility with older CMake versions. */
+  virtual bool IsDiscouraged() const
+    {
+    return true;
+    }
+
   cmTypeMacro(cmLoadCommandCommand, cmCommand);
 };
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CMakeLists.txt
index 3ea54f169..a484983cd 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ add_RunCMake_test(build_command)
 add_RunCMake_test(find_package)
 add_RunCMake_test(include)
 add_RunCMake_test(list)
+add_RunCMake_test(load_command)
 
 if("${CMAKE_TEST_GENERATOR}" MATCHES "Visual Studio [^6]")
   add_RunCMake_test(include_external_msproject)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8db6b05b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
+project(${RunCMake_TEST} NONE)
+include(${RunCMake_TEST}.cmake)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d374b2d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CMake Warning \(dev\) at LoadCommandDeprecated.cmake:1 \(load_command\):
+  The "load_command" command will be removed in CMake 3.0.  See command
+  documentation for details.
+Call Stack \(most recent call first\):
+  CMakeLists.txt:3 \(include\)
+This warning is for project developers.  Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e9b1f464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/LoadCommandDeprecated.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+load_command()
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/RunCMakeTest.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a0f98d52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/load_command/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+include(RunCMake)
+
+run_cmake(LoadCommandDeprecated)