diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 68292afe9..9fb6e36eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ List of all available rules. The rules ported from `golint` are left unchanged a
 | [`error-return`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#error-return)        |  n/a   | The error return parameter should be last.                       |   yes    |  no   |
 | [`error-strings`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#error-strings)       |  n/a   | Conventions around error strings.                                |   yes    |  no   |
 | [`error-naming`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#error-naming)        |  n/a   | Naming of error variables.                                       |   yes    |  no   |
-| [`exported`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#exported)            |  n/a   | Naming and commenting conventions on exported symbols.           |   yes    |  no   |
+| [`exported`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#exported)            |  []string   | Naming and commenting conventions on exported symbols.           |   yes    |  no   |
 | [`if-return`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#if-return)           |  n/a   | Redundant if when returning an error.                            |   no    |  no   |
 | [`increment-decrement`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#increment-decrement) |  n/a   | Use `i++` and `i--` instead of `i += 1` and `i -= 1`.            |   yes    |  no   |
 | [`var-naming`](./RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#var-naming)          |  whitelist & blacklist of initialisms   | Naming rules.                                                    |   yes    |  no   |
diff --git a/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md b/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md
index 48fa41253..4ef9aefcd 100644
--- a/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md
+++ b/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md
@@ -299,7 +299,20 @@ _Description_: Exported function and methods should have comments. This warns on
 
 More information [here](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/CodeReviewComments#doc-comments)
 
-_Configuration_: N/A
+_Configuration_: ([]string) rule flags. 
+Please notice that without configuration, the default behavior of the rule is that of its `golint` counterpart. 
+Available flags are:
+
+* _checkPrivateReceivers_ enables checking public methods of private types
+* _disableStutteringCheck_ disables checking for method names that stutter with the package name (i.e. avoid failure messages of the form _type name will be used as x.XY by other packages, and that stutters; consider calling this Y_)
+* _sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters_ replaces the use of the term _stutters_ by _repetitive_ in failure messages
+
+Example:
+
+```toml
+[rule.exported]
+  arguments =["checkPrivateReceivers","disableStutteringCheck"]
+```
 
 ## file-header
 
diff --git a/rule/exported.go b/rule/exported.go
index b68f2bacc..3dab1bbaf 100644
--- a/rule/exported.go
+++ b/rule/exported.go
@@ -15,13 +15,20 @@ import (
 type ExportedRule struct{}
 
 // Apply applies the rule to given file.
-func (r *ExportedRule) Apply(file *lint.File, _ lint.Arguments) []lint.Failure {
+func (r *ExportedRule) Apply(file *lint.File, args lint.Arguments) []lint.Failure {
 	var failures []lint.Failure
 
 	if isTest(file) {
 		return failures
 	}
 
+	checkPrivateReceivers, disableStutteringCheck, sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters := r.getConf(args)
+
+	stuttersMsg := "stutters"
+	if sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters {
+		stuttersMsg = "is repetitive"
+	}
+
 	fileAst := file.AST
 	walker := lintExported{
 		file:    file,
@@ -30,6 +37,9 @@ func (r *ExportedRule) Apply(file *lint.File, _ lint.Arguments) []lint.Failure {
 			failures = append(failures, failure)
 		},
 		genDeclMissingComments: make(map[*ast.GenDecl]bool),
+		checkPrivateReceivers:  checkPrivateReceivers,
+		disableStutteringCheck: disableStutteringCheck,
+		stuttersMsg:            stuttersMsg,
 	}
 
 	ast.Walk(&walker, fileAst)
@@ -42,12 +52,41 @@ func (r *ExportedRule) Name() string {
 	return "exported"
 }
 
+func (r *ExportedRule) getConf(args lint.Arguments) (checkPrivateReceivers bool, disableStutteringCheck bool, sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters bool) {
+	// if any, we expect a slice of strings as configuration
+	if len(args) < 1 {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, flag := range args {
+		flagStr, ok := flag.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid argument for the %s rule: expecting a string, got %T", r.Name(), flag))
+		}
+
+		switch flagStr {
+		case "checkPrivateReceivers":
+			checkPrivateReceivers = true
+		case "disableStutteringCheck":
+			disableStutteringCheck = true
+		case "sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters":
+			sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters = true
+		default:
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("Unknown configuration flag %s for %s rule", flagStr, r.Name()))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 type lintExported struct {
 	file                   *lint.File
 	fileAst                *ast.File
 	lastGen                *ast.GenDecl
 	genDeclMissingComments map[*ast.GenDecl]bool
 	onFailure              func(lint.Failure)
+	checkPrivateReceivers  bool
+	disableStutteringCheck bool
+	stuttersMsg            string
 }
 
 func (w *lintExported) lintFuncDoc(fn *ast.FuncDecl) {
@@ -61,7 +100,7 @@ func (w *lintExported) lintFuncDoc(fn *ast.FuncDecl) {
 		// method
 		kind = "method"
 		recv := receiverType(fn)
-		if !ast.IsExported(recv) {
+		if !ast.IsExported(recv) && !w.checkPrivateReceivers {
 			// receiver is unexported
 			return
 		}
@@ -98,6 +137,10 @@ func (w *lintExported) lintFuncDoc(fn *ast.FuncDecl) {
 }
 
 func (w *lintExported) checkStutter(id *ast.Ident, thing string) {
+	if w.disableStutteringCheck {
+		return
+	}
+
 	pkg, name := w.fileAst.Name.Name, id.Name
 	if !ast.IsExported(name) {
 		// unexported name
@@ -122,7 +165,7 @@ func (w *lintExported) checkStutter(id *ast.Ident, thing string) {
 			Node:       id,
 			Confidence: 0.8,
 			Category:   "naming",
-			Failure:    fmt.Sprintf("%s name will be used as %s.%s by other packages, and that stutters; consider calling this %s", thing, pkg, name, rem),
+			Failure:    fmt.Sprintf("%s name will be used as %s.%s by other packages, and that %s; consider calling this %s", thing, pkg, name, w.stuttersMsg, rem),
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/exported_test.go b/test/exported_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c0c7c5831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/exported_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/mgechev/revive/lint"
+	"github.com/mgechev/revive/rule"
+)
+
+func TestExportedWithDisableStutteringCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	args := []interface{}{"disableStutteringCheck"}
+
+	testRule(t, "exported-issue-555", &rule.ExportedRule{}, &lint.RuleConfig{Arguments: args})
+}
+
+func TestExportedWithChecksOnMethodsOfPrivateTypes(t *testing.T) {
+	args := []interface{}{"checkPrivateReceivers"}
+
+	testRule(t, "exported-issue-552", &rule.ExportedRule{}, &lint.RuleConfig{Arguments: args})
+}
+
+func TestExportedReplacingStuttersByRepetitive(t *testing.T) {
+	args := []interface{}{"sayRepetitiveInsteadOfStutters"}
+
+	testRule(t, "exported-issue-519", &rule.ExportedRule{}, &lint.RuleConfig{Arguments: args})
+}
diff --git a/testdata/exported-issue-519.go b/testdata/exported-issue-519.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa29a7e32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/exported-issue-519.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Package golint comment
+package golint
+
+// Test case for the configuration option tp replace the word "stutters" by "repetitive" failure messages
+
+//  GolintRepetitive is a dummy function
+func GolintRepetitive() {} // MATCH /func name will be used as golint.GolintRepetitive by other packages, and that is repetitive; consider calling this Repetitive/
diff --git a/testdata/exported-issue-552.go b/testdata/exported-issue-552.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b4d4de32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/exported-issue-552.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// Package golint comment
+package golint
+
+// Test cases for enabling checks of exported methods of private types in exported rule
+type private struct {
+}
+
+// MATCH /comment on exported method private.Method should be of the form "Method ..."/
+func (p *private) Method() {
+}
diff --git a/testdata/exported-issue-555.go b/testdata/exported-issue-555.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f64eef8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/exported-issue-555.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Package golint comment
+package golint
+
+// Test case for disabling stuttering check in exported rule
+
+//  GolintSomething is a dummy function
+func GolintSomething() {}
diff --git a/testdata/golint/exported.go b/testdata/golint/exported.go
index f43a54575..9b93503f6 100644
--- a/testdata/golint/exported.go
+++ b/testdata/golint/exported.go
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ package golint
 
 import "net/http"
 
+//  GolintFoo is a dummy function
+func GolintFoo() {} // MATCH /func name will be used as golint.GolintFoo by other packages, and that stutters; consider calling this Foo/
+
 type (
 	// O is a shortcut (alias) for map[string]interface{}, e.g. a JSON object.
 	O = map[string]interface{}
@@ -53,3 +56,5 @@ func ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {}                // MATC
 func Read(p []byte) (n int, err error)                 { return 0, nil } // MATCH /exported function Read should have comment or be unexported/
 func Write(p []byte) (n int, err error)                { return 0, nil } // MATCH /exported function Write should have comment or be unexported/
 func Unwrap(err error) error                           { return nil }    // MATCH /exported function Unwrap should have comment or be unexported/
+
+// The following cases are tests for issue 555