--- a/python/moz.build
+++ b/python/moz.build
@@ -36,16 +36,17 @@ PYTHON_UNIT_TESTS += [
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/test_configenvironment.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/test_recursivemake.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/test_visualstudio.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/compilation/test_warnings.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/lint.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_checks_configure.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_compile_checks.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_configure.py',
+    'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_lint.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_moz_configure.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_options.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_toolchain_configure.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_toolchain_helpers.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_toolkit_moz_configure.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_util.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/controller/test_ccachestats.py',
     'mozbuild/mozbuild/test/controller/test_clobber.py',

--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/configure/__init__.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/configure/__init__.py
@@ -405,28 +405,16 @@ class ConfigureSandbox(dict):
         elif isinstance(obj, Option):
             return self._value_for_option(obj)
 
         assert False
 
     @memoize
     def _value_for_depends(self, obj, need_help_dependency=False):
         assert not inspect.isgeneratorfunction(obj.func)
-        with_help = self._help_option in obj.dependencies
-        if with_help:
-            for arg in obj.dependencies:
-                if isinstance(arg, DependsFunction):
-                    if self._help_option not in arg.dependencies:
-                        raise ConfigureError(
-                            "`%s` depends on '--help' and `%s`. "
-                            "`%s` must depend on '--help'"
-                            % (obj.name, arg.name, arg.name))
-        elif self._help or need_help_dependency:
-            raise ConfigureError("Missing @depends for `%s`: '--help'" %
-                                 obj.name)
         return obj.result
 
     @memoize
     def _value_for_option(self, option):
         implied = {}
         for implied_option in self._implied_options[:]:
             if implied_option.name not in (option.name, option.env):
                 continue

--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/configure/lint.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/configure/lint.py
@@ -1,23 +1,45 @@
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 from StringIO import StringIO
-from . import ConfigureSandbox
+from . import (
+    ConfigureError,
+    ConfigureSandbox,
+    DependsFunction,
+)
+from mozbuild.util import memoize
 
 
 class LintSandbox(ConfigureSandbox):
     def __init__(self, environ=None, argv=None, stdout=None, stderr=None):
         out = StringIO()
         stdout = stdout or out
         stderr = stderr or out
         environ = environ or {}
         argv = argv or []
         super(LintSandbox, self).__init__({}, environ=environ, argv=argv,
                                           stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)
 
     def run(self, path=None):
         if path:
             self.include_file(path)
+
+    @memoize
+    def _value_for_depends(self, obj, need_help_dependency=False):
+        with_help = self._help_option in obj.dependencies
+        if with_help:
+            for arg in obj.dependencies:
+                if isinstance(arg, DependsFunction):
+                    if self._help_option not in arg.dependencies:
+                        raise ConfigureError(
+                            "`%s` depends on '--help' and `%s`. "
+                            "`%s` must depend on '--help'"
+                            % (obj.name, arg.name, arg.name))
+        elif self._help or need_help_dependency:
+            raise ConfigureError("Missing @depends for `%s`: '--help'" %
+                                 obj.name)
+        return super(LintSandbox, self)._value_for_depends(
+            obj, need_help_dependency)

--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_configure.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_configure.py
@@ -1059,63 +1059,32 @@ class TestConfigure(unittest.TestCase):
                 def foo(value):
                     yield
             '''):
                 self.get_config()
 
         self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
                           "Cannot decorate generator functions with @depends")
 
-        with self.assertRaises(ConfigureError) as e:
-            with self.moz_configure('''
-                option('--foo', help='foo')
-                @depends('--foo')
-                def foo(value):
-                    return value
-
-                @depends('--help', foo)
-                def bar(help, foo):
-                    return
-            '''):
-                self.get_config()
-
-        self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
-                          "`bar` depends on '--help' and `foo`. "
-                          "`foo` must depend on '--help'")
-
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as e:
             with self.moz_configure('''
                 depends('--help')(42)
             '''):
                 self.get_config()
 
         self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
                           "Unexpected type: 'int'")
 
         with self.assertRaises(ConfigureError) as e:
             with self.moz_configure('''
                 option('--foo', help='foo')
                 @depends('--foo')
                 def foo(value):
                     return value
 
-                include(foo)
-            '''):
-                self.get_config()
-
-        self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
-                          "Missing @depends for `foo`: '--help'")
-
-        with self.assertRaises(ConfigureError) as e:
-            with self.moz_configure('''
-                option('--foo', help='foo')
-                @depends('--foo')
-                def foo(value):
-                    return value
-
                 foo()
             '''):
                 self.get_config()
 
         self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
                           "The `foo` function may not be called")
 
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as e:

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_lint.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
+
+from StringIO import StringIO
+import os
+import textwrap
+import unittest
+
+from mozunit import (
+    main,
+    MockedOpen,
+)
+
+from mozbuild.configure import ConfigureError
+from mozbuild.configure.lint import LintSandbox
+
+import mozpack.path as mozpath
+
+test_data_path = mozpath.abspath(mozpath.dirname(__file__))
+test_data_path = mozpath.join(test_data_path, 'data')
+
+
+class TestLint(unittest.TestCase):
+    def lint_test(self, options=[], env={}):
+        sandbox = LintSandbox(env, ['configure'] + options)
+
+        sandbox.run(mozpath.join(test_data_path, 'moz.configure'))
+
+    def moz_configure(self, source):
+        return MockedOpen({
+            os.path.join(test_data_path,
+                         'moz.configure'): textwrap.dedent(source)
+        })
+
+    def test_depends_failures(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ConfigureError) as e:
+            with self.moz_configure('''
+                option('--foo', help='foo')
+                @depends('--foo')
+                def foo(value):
+                    return value
+
+                @depends('--help', foo)
+                def bar(help, foo):
+                    return
+            '''):
+                self.lint_test()
+
+        self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
+                          "`bar` depends on '--help' and `foo`. "
+                          "`foo` must depend on '--help'")
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ConfigureError) as e:
+            with self.moz_configure('''
+                option('--foo', help='foo')
+                @depends('--foo')
+                def foo(value):
+                    return value
+
+                include(foo)
+            '''):
+                self.lint_test()
+
+        self.assertEquals(e.exception.message,
+                          "Missing @depends for `foo`: '--help'")
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()