diff --git a/docs/source/common_issues.rst b/docs/source/common_issues.rst
index d2302469518d..f457c3df7b23 100644
--- a/docs/source/common_issues.rst
+++ b/docs/source/common_issues.rst
@@ -187,7 +187,11 @@ Ignoring a whole file
 ---------------------
 
 A ``# type: ignore`` comment at the top of a module (before any statements,
-including imports or docstrings) has the effect of ignoring the *entire* module.
+including imports or docstrings) has the effect of ignoring the entire contents of the module.
+
+To only ignore errors, use a top-level ``# mypy: ignore-errors`` comment instead.
+To only ignore errors with a specific error code, use a top-level
+``# mypy: disable-error-code=...`` comment.
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
diff --git a/mypy/fastparse.py b/mypy/fastparse.py
index ad7bf2ddf06b..40adb165a746 100644
--- a/mypy/fastparse.py
+++ b/mypy/fastparse.py
@@ -482,6 +482,16 @@ def translate_stmt_list(
             and self.type_ignores
             and min(self.type_ignores) < self.get_lineno(stmts[0])
         ):
+            if self.type_ignores[min(self.type_ignores)]:
+                self.fail(
+                    (
+                        "type ignore with error code is not supported at module level; "
+                        "use `# mypy: disable-error-code=...`"
+                    ),
+                    line=min(self.type_ignores),
+                    column=0,
+                    blocker=False,
+                )
             self.errors.used_ignored_lines[self.errors.file][min(self.type_ignores)].append(
                 codes.FILE.code
             )