diff --git a/R/assignment_linter.R b/R/assignment_linter.R
index da42b5119..8d81ac014 100644
--- a/R/assignment_linter.R
+++ b/R/assignment_linter.R
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #' @param allow_right_assign Logical, default `FALSE`. If `TRUE`, `->` and `->>` are allowed.
 #' @param allow_trailing Logical, default `TRUE`. If `FALSE` then assignments aren't allowed at end of lines.
 #' @param allow_pipe_assign Logical, default `FALSE`. If `TRUE`, magrittr's `%<>%` assignment is allowed.
+#' @param allow_equal_assign Logical, default `FALSE`.
+#'   If `TRUE`, `=` instead of `<-` is used for assignment.
 #'
 #' @examples
 #' # will produce lints
@@ -73,7 +75,8 @@
 assignment_linter <- function(allow_cascading_assign = TRUE,
                               allow_right_assign = FALSE,
                               allow_trailing = TRUE,
-                              allow_pipe_assign = FALSE) {
+                              allow_pipe_assign = FALSE,
+                              allow_equal_assign = FALSE) {
   trailing_assign_xpath <- paste(
     collapse = " | ",
     c(
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ assignment_linter <- function(allow_cascading_assign = TRUE,
 
   xpath <- paste(collapse = " | ", c(
     # always block = (NB: the parser differentiates EQ_ASSIGN, EQ_SUB, and EQ_FORMALS)
-    "//EQ_ASSIGN",
+    if (allow_equal_assign) "//LEFT_ASSIGN[text() = '<-']" else "//EQ_ASSIGN",
     # -> and ->> are both 'RIGHT_ASSIGN'
     if (!allow_right_assign) "//RIGHT_ASSIGN" else if (!allow_cascading_assign) "//RIGHT_ASSIGN[text() = '->>']",
     # <-, :=, and <<- are all 'LEFT_ASSIGN'; check the text if blocking <<-.
@@ -108,7 +111,12 @@ assignment_linter <- function(allow_cascading_assign = TRUE,
     }
 
     operator <- xml_text(bad_expr)
-    lint_message_fmt <- rep("Use <-, not %s, for assignment.", length(operator))
+    lint_message_fmt <- rep(
+      paste0("Use ",
+             if (allow_equal_assign) "=" else "<-",
+             ", not %s, for assignment."),
+      length(operator)
+    )
     lint_message_fmt[operator %in% c("<<-", "->>")] <-
       "Replace %s by assigning to a specific environment (with assign() or <-) to avoid hard-to-predict behavior."
     lint_message_fmt[operator == "%<>%"] <-
diff --git a/man/assignment_linter.Rd b/man/assignment_linter.Rd
index 291343fb2..592f3c990 100644
--- a/man/assignment_linter.Rd
+++ b/man/assignment_linter.Rd
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ assignment_linter(
   allow_cascading_assign = TRUE,
   allow_right_assign = FALSE,
   allow_trailing = TRUE,
-  allow_pipe_assign = FALSE
+  allow_pipe_assign = FALSE,
+  allow_equal_assign = FALSE
 )
 }
 \arguments{
@@ -20,6 +21,9 @@ If \code{FALSE}, \code{\link[base:assignOps]{<<-}} and \verb{->>} are not allowe
 \item{allow_trailing}{Logical, default \code{TRUE}. If \code{FALSE} then assignments aren't allowed at end of lines.}
 
 \item{allow_pipe_assign}{Logical, default \code{FALSE}. If \code{TRUE}, magrittr's \verb{\%<>\%} assignment is allowed.}
+
+\item{allow_equal_assign}{Logical, default \code{FALSE}.
+If \code{TRUE}, \code{=} instead of \verb{<-} is used for assignment.}
 }
 \description{
 Check that \verb{<-} is always used for assignment.
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-assignment_linter.R b/tests/testthat/test-assignment_linter.R
index bae8a048e..c18e298d6 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-assignment_linter.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-assignment_linter.R
@@ -192,3 +192,14 @@ test_that("multiple lints throw correct messages", {
     assignment_linter(allow_cascading_assign = FALSE)
   )
 })
+
+test_that("= instead of <- can be used for assignment", {
+  linter <- assignment_linter(allow_equal_assign = TRUE)
+  lint_msg <- rex::rex("Use =, not <-, for assignment.")
+
+  expect_lint("blah = 1", NULL, linter)
+  expect_lint("blah <- 1", lint_msg, linter)
+
+  # data.table's left assign := needs to be silent
+  expect_lint("dt[, x := 42]", NULL, linter)
+})