diff --git a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/BUILD.bazel
index 506481187..5983a094b 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/BUILD.bazel
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/controller:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/controller/acmechallenges/scheduler:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/issuer/acme/dns:go_default_library",
+        "//pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/issuer/acme/http:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/util:go_default_library",
         "//third_party/crypto/acme:go_default_library",
diff --git a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
index 4cf857842..9939ae6a1 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import (
 	cmapi "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1"
 	controllerpkg "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/controller"
 	acmeapi "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/third_party/crypto/acme"
+
+	dnsutil "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -131,6 +133,26 @@ func (c *Controller) Sync(ctx context.Context, ch *cmapi.Challenge) (err error)
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// check for CAA records.
+	// CAA records are static, so we don't have to present anything
+	// before we check for them.
+
+	// Find out which identity the ACME server says it will use.
+	dir, err := cl.Discover(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// TODO(dmo): figure out if missing CAA identity in directory
+	// means no CAA check is performed by ACME server or if any valid
+	// CAA would stop issuance (strongly suspect the former)
+	if len(dir.CAA) != 0 {
+		err := dnsutil.ValidateCAA(ch.Spec.DNSName, dir.CAA, ch.Spec.Wildcard)
+		if err != nil {
+			ch.Status.Reason = fmt.Sprintf("CAA self-check failed: %s", err)
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	solver, err := c.solverFor(ch.Spec.Type)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util/wait.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util/wait.go
index 94dc471aa..648d638fd 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util/wait.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/util/wait.go
@@ -168,6 +168,58 @@ func dnsQuery(fqdn string, rtype uint16, nameservers []string, recursive bool) (
 	return
 }
 
+func ValidateCAA(domain string, issuerID []string, iswildcard bool) error {
+	// see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6844#section-4
+	// for more information about how CAA lookup is performed
+	fqdn := ToFqdn(domain)
+
+	issuerSet := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, s := range issuerID {
+		issuerSet[s] = true
+	}
+
+	//TODO(dmo): figure out if we need these servers to be configurable as well
+	msg, err := dnsQuery(fqdn, dns.TypeCAA, RecursiveNameservers, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Could not validate CAA record: %s", err)
+	}
+	//TODO(dmo): follow CNAMES
+	//TODO(dmo): look at labels above this one
+	caas := make([]*dns.CAA, 0, len(msg.Answer))
+	for _, rr := range msg.Answer {
+		caa, ok := rr.(*dns.CAA)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		caas = append(caas, caa)
+	}
+	if len(caas) == 0 {
+		// TODO(dmo): work up in the label
+		return nil
+	}
+	if !matchCAA(caas, issuerSet, iswildcard) {
+		// TODO(dmo): better error message
+		return fmt.Errorf("CAA record does not match issuer")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func matchCAA(caas []*dns.CAA, issuerIDs map[string]bool, iswildcard bool) bool {
+	expectedTag := "issue"
+	if iswildcard {
+		expectedTag = "issuewild"
+	}
+	for _, caa := range caas {
+		if caa.Tag != expectedTag {
+			continue
+		}
+		if issuerIDs[caa.Value] {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // lookupNameservers returns the authoritative nameservers for the given fqdn.
 func lookupNameservers(fqdn string, nameservers []string) ([]string, error) {
 	var authoritativeNss []string