diff --git a/src/rules/banRule.ts b/src/rules/banRule.ts
index ec2c6b970b7..877c30499ae 100644
--- a/src/rules/banRule.ts
+++ b/src/rules/banRule.ts
@@ -23,20 +23,18 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
     /* tslint:disable:object-literal-sort-keys */
     public static metadata: Lint.IRuleMetadata = {
         ruleName: "ban",
-        description: "Bans the use of specific functions.",
-        descriptionDetails: "At this time, there is no way to disable global methods with this rule.",
+        description: "Bans the use of specific functions or global methods.",
         optionsDescription: "A list of `['object', 'method']` pairs which ban `object.method()`.",
         options: {
             type: "list",
             listType: {
                 type: "array",
-                arrayMembers: [
-                    { type: "string" },
-                    { type: "string" },
-                ],
+                items: {type: "string"},
+                minLength: 1,
+                maxLength: 2,
             },
         },
-        optionExamples: [`[true, ["console", "log"], ["someObject", "someFunction"]]`],
+        optionExamples: [`[true, ["someGlobalMethod"], ["console", "log"], ["someObject", "someFunction"]]`],
         type: "functionality",
     };
     /* tslint:enable:object-literal-sort-keys */
@@ -53,17 +51,29 @@ export class Rule extends Lint.Rules.AbstractRule {
 }
 
 export class BanFunctionWalker extends Lint.RuleWalker {
+    private bannedGlobalFunctions: string[] = [];
     private bannedFunctions: string[][] = [];
 
     public addBannedFunction(bannedFunction: string[]) {
-        this.bannedFunctions.push(bannedFunction);
+        if (bannedFunction.length === 1) {
+            this.bannedGlobalFunctions.push(bannedFunction[0]);
+        } else if (bannedFunction.length === 2) {
+            this.bannedFunctions.push(bannedFunction);
+        }
     }
 
     public visitCallExpression(node: ts.CallExpression) {
         const expression = node.expression;
 
+        this.checkForObjectMethodBan(expression);
+        this.checkForGlobalBan(expression);
+
+        super.visitCallExpression(node);
+    }
+
+    private checkForObjectMethodBan(expression: ts.LeftHandSideExpression) {
         if (expression.kind === ts.SyntaxKind.PropertyAccessExpression
-                && expression.getChildCount() >= 3) {
+            && expression.getChildCount() >= 3) {
 
             const firstToken = expression.getFirstToken();
             const firstChild = expression.getChildAt(0);
@@ -93,7 +103,16 @@ export class BanFunctionWalker extends Lint.RuleWalker {
                 }
             }
         }
+    }
 
-        super.visitCallExpression(node);
+    private checkForGlobalBan(expression: ts.LeftHandSideExpression) {
+        if (expression.kind === ts.SyntaxKind.Identifier) {
+            const identifierName = (<ts.Identifier> expression).text;
+            if (this.bannedGlobalFunctions.indexOf(identifierName) !== -1) {
+                this.addFailure(this.createFailure(expression.getStart(), expression.getWidth(),
+                    `${Rule.FAILURE_STRING_PART}${identifierName}`));
+            }
+
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint b/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
index c8067440dae..a4aef112dbb 100644
--- a/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
+++ b/test/rules/ban/test.ts.lint
@@ -11,3 +11,13 @@ globals.getDocument().window.toString();
 _.keys(obj).forEach(fun);
 _.forEach(fun);
 ~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: _.forEach]
+describe("some text", () => {});
+xdescribe("some text", () => {});
+~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: xdescribe]
+fdescribe("some text", () => {});
+~~~~~~~~~    [function invocation disallowed: fdescribe]
+it("some text", () => {});
+xit("some text", () => {});
+~~~    [function invocation disallowed: xit]
+fit("some text", () => {});
+~~~  [function invocation disallowed: fit]
diff --git a/test/rules/ban/tslint.json b/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
index db8ab1b06b3..4b2e148c579 100644
--- a/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
+++ b/test/rules/ban/tslint.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "rules": {
-    "ban": [true, ["window", "toString"], ["_", "forEach"]]
+    "ban": [true, ["xit"], ["fit"], ["xdescribe"], ["fdescribe"], ["window", "toString"], ["_", "forEach"]]
   }
 }