diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@ from . import (
 def loadconfigtable(ui, extname, configtable):
     """update config item known to the ui with the extension ones"""
     for section, items in configtable.items():
-        ui._knownconfig.setdefault(section, {}).update(items)
+        knownitems = ui._knownconfig.setdefault(section, {})
+        knownkeys = set(knownitems)
+        newkeys = set(items)
+        for key in sorted(knownkeys & newkeys):
+            msg = "extension '%s' overwrite config item '%s.%s'"
+            msg %= (extname, section, key)
+            ui.develwarn(msg, config='warn-config')
+
+        knownitems.update(items)
 
 class configitem(object):
     """represent a known config item
diff --git a/tests/test-devel-warnings.t b/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
--- a/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
+++ b/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
@@ -203,14 +203,26 @@ Test warning on config option access and
   > cmdtable = {}
   > command = registrar.command(cmdtable)
   > 
+  > configtable = {}
+  > configitem = registrar.configitem(configtable)
+  > 
+  > configitem('test', 'some', default='foo')
+  > # overwrite a core config
+  > configitem('ui', 'quiet', default=False)
+  > configitem('ui', 'interactive', default=None)
+  > 
   > @command(b'buggyconfig')
   > def cmdbuggyconfig(ui, repo):
   >     repo.ui.config('ui', 'quiet', False)
   >     repo.ui.config('ui', 'interactive', None)
+  >     repo.ui.config('test', 'some', 'foo')
   > EOF
 
   $ hg --config "extensions.buggyconfig=${TESTTMP}/buggyconfig.py" buggyconfig
+  devel-warn: extension 'buggyconfig' overwrite config item 'ui.interactive' at: */mercurial/extensions.py:* (loadall) (glob)
+  devel-warn: extension 'buggyconfig' overwrite config item 'ui.quiet' at: */mercurial/extensions.py:* (loadall) (glob)
   devel-warn: specifying a default value for a registered config item: 'ui.quiet' 'False' at: $TESTTMP/buggyconfig.py:* (cmdbuggyconfig) (glob)
   devel-warn: specifying a default value for a registered config item: 'ui.interactive' 'None' at: $TESTTMP/buggyconfig.py:* (cmdbuggyconfig) (glob)
+  devel-warn: specifying a default value for a registered config item: 'test.some' 'foo' at: $TESTTMP/buggyconfig.py:* (cmdbuggyconfig) (glob)
 
   $ cd ..