Index: lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/PerMsgStatus.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/PerMsgStatus.pm	(revision 391153)
+++ lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/PerMsgStatus.pm	(working copy)
@@ -2455,6 +2455,29 @@
         $meta{$rulename} .= "\$self->{'tests_already_hit'}->{'$token'} ";
         $setup_rules{$token}=1;
 
+	if (!exists $self->{conf}->{scores}->{$token}) {
+          $self->{rule_errors}++; # flag to --lint that there was an error ...
+          my $msg =
+	    "rules: meta test $rulename has undefined dependency '$token'";
+          if ($self->{main}->{lint_rules}) {
+            warn $msg."\n";
+          }
+          else {
+            info($msg);
+          }
+        }
+	elsif ($self->{conf}->{scores}->{$token} == 0) {
+          $self->{rule_errors}++; # flag to --lint that there was an error ...
+          my $msg =
+	    "rules: meta test $rulename has dependency '$token' with a zero score";
+          if ($self->{main}->{lint_rules}) {
+            warn $msg."\n";
+          }
+          else {
+            info($msg);
+          }
+        }
+
         # If the token is another meta rule, add it as a dependency
         push (@{ $rule_deps{$rulename} }, $token)
           if (exists $self->{conf}{meta_tests}->{$priority}->{$token});