diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
index e4d91486d1..8426ed786f 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ class CookerDataBuilder(object):
         self.savedenv = bb.data.init()
         for k in cookercfg.env:
             self.savedenv.setVar(k, cookercfg.env[k])
+            if k in bb.data_smart.bitbake_renamed_vars:
+                bb.error('Variable %s from the shell environment has been renamed to %s' % (k, bb.data_smart.bitbake_renamed_vars[k]))
+                bb.fatal("Exiting to allow enviroment variables to be corrected")
 
         filtered_keys = bb.utils.approved_variables()
         bb.data.inheritFromOS(self.basedata, self.savedenv, filtered_keys)
@@ -307,6 +310,24 @@ class CookerDataBuilder(object):
             logger.exception("Error parsing configuration files")
             raise bb.BBHandledException()
 
+
+        # Handle obsolete variable names
+        d = self.data
+        renamedvars = d.getVarFlags('BB_RENAMED_VARIABLES') or {}
+        renamedvars.update(bb.data_smart.bitbake_renamed_vars)
+        issues = False
+        for v in renamedvars:
+            if d.getVar(v) != None or d.hasOverrides(v):
+                issues = True
+                history = d.varhistory.get_variable_refs(v)
+                for h in history:
+                    for line in history[h]:
+                        bb.erroronce('Variable %s has been renamed to %s (file: %s line: %s)' % (v, renamedvars[v], h, line))
+                if not history:
+                    bb.erroronce('Variable %s has been renamed to %s' % (v, renamedvars[v]))
+        if issues:
+            raise bb.BBHandledException()
+
         # Create a copy so we can reset at a later date when UIs disconnect
         self.origdata = self.data
         self.data = bb.data.createCopy(self.origdata)
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
index cb2d4b620f..01604ec36c 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/data_smart.py
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ __expand_python_regexp__ = re.compile(r"\${@.+?}")
 __whitespace_split__ = re.compile(r'(\s)')
 __override_regexp__ = re.compile(r'[a-z0-9]+')
 
+bitbake_renamed_vars = {
+}
+
 def infer_caller_details(loginfo, parent = False, varval = True):
     """Save the caller the trouble of specifying everything."""
     # Save effort.
@@ -336,6 +339,16 @@ class VariableHistory(object):
                 lines.append(line)
         return lines
 
+    def get_variable_refs(self, var):
+        """Return a dict of file/line references"""
+        var_history = self.variable(var)
+        refs = {}
+        for event in var_history:
+            if event['file'] not in refs:
+                refs[event['file']] = []
+            refs[event['file']].append(event['line'])
+        return refs
+
     def get_variable_items_files(self, var):
         """
         Use variable history to map items added to a list variable and
@@ -377,6 +390,8 @@ class DataSmart(MutableMapping):
         self.inchistory = IncludeHistory()
         self.varhistory = VariableHistory(self)
         self._tracking = False
+        self._var_renames = {}
+        self._var_renames.update(bitbake_renamed_vars)
 
         self.expand_cache = {}
 
@@ -491,6 +506,16 @@ class DataSmart(MutableMapping):
     def hasOverrides(self, var):
         return var in self.overridedata
 
+    def _print_rename_error(self, var, loginfo):
+        info = ""
+        if "file" in loginfo:
+            info = " file: %s" % loginfo["file"]
+        if "line" in loginfo:
+            info += " line: %s" % loginfo["line"]
+        if info:
+            info = " (%s)" % info.strip()
+        bb.erroronce('Variable %s has been renamed to %s%s' % (var, self._var_renames[var], info))
+
     def setVar(self, var, value, **loginfo):
         #print("var=" + str(var) + "  val=" + str(value))
 
@@ -502,6 +527,10 @@ class DataSmart(MutableMapping):
                 info += " line: %s" % loginfo["line"]
             bb.fatal("Variable %s contains an operation using the old override syntax. Please convert this layer/metadata before attempting to use with a newer bitbake." % info)
 
+        shortvar = var.split(":", 1)[0]
+        if shortvar in self._var_renames:
+            self._print_rename_error(shortvar, loginfo)
+
         self.expand_cache = {}
         parsing=False
         if 'parsing' in loginfo:
@@ -687,6 +716,12 @@ class DataSmart(MutableMapping):
     def setVarFlag(self, var, flag, value, **loginfo):
         self.expand_cache = {}
 
+        if var == "BB_RENAMED_VARIABLES":
+            self._var_renames[flag] = value
+
+        if var in self._var_renames:
+            self._print_rename_error(var, loginfo)
+
         if 'op' not in loginfo:
             loginfo['op'] = "set"
         loginfo['flag'] = flag
@@ -926,6 +961,7 @@ class DataSmart(MutableMapping):
         data.inchistory = self.inchistory.copy()
 
         data._tracking = self._tracking
+        data._var_renames = self._var_renames
 
         data.overrides = None
         data.overridevars = copy.copy(self.overridevars)
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/ui/knotty.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/ui/knotty.py
index 8b98da1771..528b8a0760 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/ui/knotty.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/ui/knotty.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from itertools import groupby
 
 from bb.ui import uihelper
 
-featureSet = [bb.cooker.CookerFeatures.SEND_SANITYEVENTS]
+featureSet = [bb.cooker.CookerFeatures.SEND_SANITYEVENTS, bb.cooker.CookerFeatures.BASEDATASTORE_TRACKING]
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("BitBake")
 interactive = sys.stdout.isatty()