diff --git a/doc/functional-tests.md b/doc/functional-tests.md
--- a/doc/functional-tests.md
+++ b/doc/functional-tests.md
@@ -224,6 +224,20 @@
   `set_test_params()`, `add_options()` and `setup_xxxx()` methods at the top of
   the subclass, then locally-defined helper methods, then the `run_test()` method.
 
+#### Naming guidelines
+
+- Name the test `<area>_test.py`, where area can be one of the following:
+    - `feature` for tests for full features that aren't wallet/mining/mempool, eg `feature_rbf.py`
+    - `interface` for tests for other interfaces (REST, ZMQ, etc), eg `interface_rest.py`
+    - `mempool` for tests for mempool behaviour, eg `mempool_reorg.py`
+    - `mining` for tests for mining features, eg `mining_prioritisetransaction.py`
+    - `p2p` for tests that explicitly test the p2p interface, eg `p2p_disconnect_ban.py`
+    - `rpc` for tests for individual RPC methods or features, eg `rpc_listtransactions.py`
+    - `wallet` for tests for wallet features, eg `wallet_keypool.py`
+- use an underscore to separate words
+    - exception: for tests for specific RPCs or command line options which don't include underscores, name the test after the exact RPC or argument name, eg `rpc_decodescript.py`, not `rpc_decode_script.py`
+- Don't use the redundant word `test` in the name, eg `interface_zmq.py`, not `interface_zmq_test.py`
+
 #### General test-writing advice
 
 - Set `self.num_nodes` to the minimum number of nodes necessary for the test.
@@ -271,7 +285,7 @@
 P2PInterface object and override the callback methods.
 
 - Can be used to write tests where specific P2P protocol behavior is tested.
-Examples tests are `p2p_unrequested_blocks.py`, `p2p_compactblocks.py`.
+Examples tests are `p2p-acceptblock.py`, `p2p-compactblocks.py`.
 
 ### test-framework modules
 
diff --git a/test/functional/test_runner.py b/test/functional/test_runner.py
--- a/test/functional/test_runner.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_runner.py
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@
             [sys.executable, os.path.join(tests_dir, test_list[0]), '-h'])
         sys.exit(0)
 
+    check_script_prefixes(all_scripts)
+
     if not args.keepcache:
         shutil.rmtree(os.path.join(build_dir, "test",
                                    "cache"), ignore_errors=True)
@@ -594,6 +596,37 @@
     return list(python_files - set(non_scripts))
 
 
+def check_script_prefixes(all_scripts):
+    """Check that no more than `EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT` of the
+       test scripts don't start with one of the allowed name prefixes."""
+    EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT = 29
+
+    # LEEWAY is provided as a transition measure, so that pull-requests
+    # that introduce new tests that don't conform with the naming
+    # convention don't immediately cause the tests to fail.
+    LEEWAY = 10
+
+    good_prefixes_re = re.compile(
+        "(example|feature|interface|mempool|mining|p2p|rpc|wallet)_")
+    bad_script_names = [
+        script for script in all_scripts if good_prefixes_re.match(script) is None]
+
+    if len(bad_script_names) < EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT:
+        print(
+            "{}HURRAY!{} Number of functional tests violating naming convention reduced!".format(
+                BOLD[1],
+                BOLD[0]))
+        print("Consider reducing EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT from {} to {}".format(
+            EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT, len(bad_script_names)))
+    elif len(bad_script_names) > EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT:
+        print(
+            "INFO: {} tests not meeting naming conventions (expected {}):".format(len(bad_script_names), EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT))
+        print("  {}".format("\n  ".join(sorted(bad_script_names))))
+        assert len(bad_script_names) <= EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT + \
+            LEEWAY, "Too many tests not following naming convention! ({} found, expected: <= {})".format(
+                len(bad_script_names), EXPECTED_VIOLATION_COUNT)
+
+
 def get_tests_to_run(test_list, test_params, cutoff, src_timings):
     """
     Returns only test that will not run longer that cutoff.