diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 13d10de..2677dd4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -528,6 +528,13 @@ end
 
 If you have false positives in your cart due to globals being used via `_ENV`, you can disable this check just for globals via `--no-lint-unused-global`.
 
+Another option is to use the `--lint: used::<var>` hint:
+```lua
+--lint: used::global_1, used::global_2
+function global_1() end
+global_2 = ""
+```
+
 ## Duplicate variable lints
 
 This lint alerts you when you declare a local with the same name as a local in a parent scope (even across functions).
diff --git a/pico_lint.py b/pico_lint.py
index 4056c01..dff8777 100644
--- a/pico_lint.py
+++ b/pico_lint.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from pico_parse import VarKind, NodeType
 from pico_parse import is_assign_target, is_function_target, is_any_assign_target, is_root_global_or_builtin_local
 
+k_lint_used_prefix = "used::"
+
 def lint_code(ctxt, root, lint_opts):
     errors = []
     builtin_globals = ctxt.builtins
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ def preprocess_tokens(token):
                     for value in comment.hintdata:
                         if "::" not in value:
                             custom_globals.add(value)
+                        elif value.startswith(k_lint_used_prefix):
+                            used_globals.add(value[len(k_lint_used_prefix):])
 
     def preprocess_vars(node):
         if node.type == NodeType.var:
diff --git a/test_compare/bad-tab.txt b/test_compare/bad-tab.txt
index 7fdfde1..874119f 100644
--- a/test_compare/bad-tab.txt
+++ b/test_compare/bad-tab.txt
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ test_input/bad.p8 (tab 2, line 19, col 10): Global 'maths' is only ever assigned
 test_input/bad.p8 (tab 2, line 22, col 10): Global 'confess' is only ever assigned to, never used
 test_input/bad.p8 (tab 2, line 22, col 18): Local 'sin' has the same name as a built-in global used elsewhere in the cart
 test_input/bad.p8 (tab 2, line 22, col 23): Local 'print' has the same name as a built-in global used elsewhere in the cart
-test_input/bad.p8 (tab 3, line 7, col 18): Local 'unused' isn't used
+test_input/bad.p8 (tab 3, line 12, col 18): Local 'unused' isn't used
 test_input/badinc.p8.png (tab 0, line 2, col 7): Local 'from_include' has the same name as a local declared in the same scope
 test_input/badinc.p8.png (tab 0, line 2, col 7): Local 'from_include' isn't used
 test_input/badinc.lua (tab E, line 1, col 7): Local 'inc_tab_e' isn't used
diff --git a/test_compare/bad.txt b/test_compare/bad.txt
index 3eaa6dd..7b6f343 100644
--- a/test_compare/bad.txt
+++ b/test_compare/bad.txt
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ test_input/bad.p8:49:10: Global 'maths' is only ever assigned to, never used
 test_input/bad.p8:52:10: Global 'confess' is only ever assigned to, never used
 test_input/bad.p8:52:18: Local 'sin' has the same name as a built-in global used elsewhere in the cart
 test_input/bad.p8:52:23: Local 'print' has the same name as a built-in global used elsewhere in the cart
-test_input/bad.p8:61:18: Local 'unused' isn't used
+test_input/bad.p8:66:18: Local 'unused' isn't used
 test_input/badinc.p8.png:2:7: Local 'from_include' has the same name as a local declared in the same scope
 test_input/badinc.p8.png:2:7: Local 'from_include' isn't used
 test_input/badinc.lua:29:7: Local 'inc_tab_e' isn't used
 test_input/badinc.lua:19:7: Local 'inc_tab_9' isn't used
-test_input/bad.p8:87:7: Local 'tab_b' isn't used
-test_input/bad.p8:97:7: Local 'tab_still_f' isn't used
+test_input/bad.p8:92:7: Local 'tab_b' isn't used
+test_input/bad.p8:102:7: Local 'tab_still_f' isn't used
diff --git a/test_compare/badcount.txt b/test_compare/badcount.txt
index 8198a51..2a19300 100644
--- a/test_compare/badcount.txt
+++ b/test_compare/badcount.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-tokens: 185 2%
-chars: 1167 2%
-compressed: 493 3%
+tokens: 190 2%
+chars: 1272 2%
+compressed: 538 3%
diff --git a/test_input/bad.p8 b/test_input/bad.p8
index d2453f0..b4f5075 100644
--- a/test_input/bad.p8
+++ b/test_input/bad.p8
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ function confess(sin, print)
   sin(3); print(3)
 end
 -->8
+-- exceptions
+--lint: used::ok_unused, ok_unreferenced
+function ok_unused()
+  return ok_unreferenced
+end
 -- bugs
 function f3:foo()
   return self