diff --git a/src/bin/cargo/main.rs b/src/bin/cargo/main.rs
index 9ed135cf123..e38ee671d69 100644
--- a/src/bin/cargo/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cargo/main.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ fn list_commands(config: &Config) -> BTreeSet<CommandInfo> {
     commands
 }
 
+/// List all runnable aliases
+fn list_aliases(config: &Config) -> Vec<String> {
+    match config.get_subkeys("alias") {
+        Ok(aliases) => aliases,
+        Err(_) => Vec::new(),
+    }
+}
+
 fn execute_external_subcommand(config: &Config, cmd: &str, args: &[&str]) -> CliResult {
     let command_exe = format!("cargo-{}{}", cmd, env::consts::EXE_SUFFIX);
     let path = search_directories(config)
@@ -122,8 +130,13 @@ fn execute_external_subcommand(config: &Config, cmd: &str, args: &[&str]) -> Cli
     let command = match path {
         Some(command) => command,
         None => {
-            let cmds = list_commands(config);
-            let did_you_mean = closest_msg(cmd, cmds.iter(), |c| c.name());
+            let commands: Vec<String> = list_commands(config)
+                .iter()
+                .map(|c| c.name().to_string())
+                .collect();
+            let aliases = list_aliases(config);
+            let suggestions = commands.iter().chain(aliases.iter());
+            let did_you_mean = closest_msg(cmd, suggestions, |c| c);
             let err = failure::format_err!("no such subcommand: `{}`{}", cmd, did_you_mean);
             return Err(CliError::new(err, 101));
         }
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/config.rs b/src/cargo/util/config.rs
index af49d052a3c..72c18a8bbe3 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/config.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/config.rs
@@ -369,6 +369,57 @@ impl Config {
         Ok(Some(val.clone()))
     }
 
+    // Gets the subkeys defined for a given key.
+    pub fn get_subkeys(&self, key: &str) -> CargoResult<Vec<String>> {
+        let vals = self.values()?;
+        let mut parts = key.split('.').enumerate();
+        let mut val = match vals.get(parts.next().unwrap().1) {
+            Some(val) => val,
+            None => return Ok(Vec::new()),
+        };
+
+        for (i, part) in parts {
+            match *val {
+                CV::Table(ref map, _) => {
+                    val = match map.get(part) {
+                        Some(val) => val,
+                        None => return Ok(Vec::new()),
+                    }
+                }
+                CV::Integer(_, ref path)
+                | CV::String(_, ref path)
+                | CV::List(_, ref path)
+                | CV::Boolean(_, ref path) => {
+                    let idx = key.split('.').take(i).fold(0, |n, s| n + s.len()) + i - 1;
+                    let key_so_far = &key[..idx];
+                    failure::bail!(
+                        "expected table for configuration key `{}`, \
+                         but found {} in {}",
+                        key_so_far,
+                        val.desc(),
+                        path.display()
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let table = match *val {
+            CV::Table(ref map, _) => map,
+            CV::Integer(_, ref path)
+            | CV::String(_, ref path)
+            | CV::List(_, ref path)
+            | CV::Boolean(_, ref path) => failure::bail!(
+                "expected table for configuration key `{}`, \
+                 but found {} in {}",
+                key,
+                val.desc(),
+                path.display()
+            ),
+        };
+
+        Ok(table.keys().map(|key| key.clone()).collect())
+    }
+
     // Helper primarily for testing.
     pub fn set_env(&mut self, env: HashMap<String, String>) {
         self.env = env;
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/cargo_command.rs b/tests/testsuite/cargo_command.rs
index e0f4cda2e6b..a09751acc77 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/cargo_command.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/cargo_command.rs
@@ -168,6 +168,49 @@ error: no such subcommand: `biuld`
         .run();
 }
 
+#[cargo_test]
+fn find_closest_alias() {
+    let root = paths::root();
+    let my_home = root.join("my_home");
+    fs::create_dir(&my_home).unwrap();
+    File::create(&my_home.join("config"))
+        .unwrap()
+        .write_all(
+            br#"
+        [alias]
+        myalias = "build"
+    "#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+    cargo_process("myalais")
+        .env("CARGO_HOME", &my_home)
+        .with_status(101)
+        .with_stderr_contains(
+            "\
+error: no such subcommand: `myalais`
+
+<tab>Did you mean `myalias`?
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+
+    // But, if no alias is defined, it must not suggest one!
+    cargo_process("myalais")
+        .with_status(101)
+        .with_stderr_contains(
+            "\
+error: no such subcommand: `myalais`
+",
+        )
+        .with_stderr_does_not_contain(
+            "\
+<tab>Did you mean `myalias`?
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
 // If a subcommand is more than an edit distance of 3 away, we don't make a suggestion.
 #[cargo_test]
 fn find_closest_dont_correct_nonsense() {