diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/build-config-chain.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/build-config-chain.js
index df05a06443..fee82d03c1 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/build-config-chain.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/build-config-chain.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export default function buildConfigChain(opts: Object = {}) {
 
   try {
     builder.mergeConfig({
+      type: "arguments",
       options: opts,
       alias: "base",
       dirname: process.cwd(),
@@ -185,6 +186,7 @@ class ConfigChainBuilder {
 
     if (lines.length) {
       this.mergeConfig({
+        type: "options",
         options: { ignore: lines },
         alias: loc,
         dirname: path.dirname(loc),
@@ -231,6 +233,7 @@ class ConfigChainBuilder {
     }
 
     this.mergeConfig({
+      type: "options",
       options,
       alias: loc,
       dirname: path.dirname(loc),
@@ -240,6 +243,7 @@ class ConfigChainBuilder {
   }
 
   mergeConfig({
+    type,
     options,
     alias,
     loc,
@@ -266,6 +270,7 @@ class ConfigChainBuilder {
       delete options.env;
 
       this.mergeConfig({
+        type,
         options: envOpts,
         alias: `${alias}.env.${envKey}`,
         dirname: dirname,
@@ -273,6 +278,7 @@ class ConfigChainBuilder {
     }
 
     this.configs.push({
+      type,
       options,
       alias,
       loc,
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
index ca62ba40d6..2700b94f8b 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type PluginObject = {
 };
 
 type MergeOptions = {
+  type: "arguments"|"options"|"preset",
   options?: Object,
   extending?: Object,
   alias: string,
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ export default class OptionManager {
    */
 
   mergeOptions({
+    type,
     options: rawOpts,
     extending: extendingOpts,
     alias,
@@ -213,6 +215,23 @@ export default class OptionManager {
     dirname = dirname || process.cwd();
     loc = loc || alias;
 
+    if (type !== "arguments") {
+      if (opts.filename !== undefined) {
+        throw new Error(`${alias}.filename is only allowed as a root argument`);
+      }
+
+      if (opts.babelrc !== undefined) {
+        throw new Error(`${alias}.babelrc is only allowed as a root argument`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (type === "preset") {
+      if (opts.only !== undefined) throw new Error(`${alias}.only is not supported in a preset`);
+      if (opts.ignore !== undefined) throw new Error(`${alias}.ignore is not supported in a preset`);
+      if (opts.extends !== undefined) throw new Error(`${alias}.extends is not supported in a preset`);
+      if (opts.env !== undefined) throw new Error(`${alias}.env is not supported in a preset`);
+    }
+
     if (opts.sourceMap !== undefined) {
       if (opts.sourceMaps !== undefined) {
         throw new Error(`Both ${alias}.sourceMap and .sourceMaps have been set`);
@@ -249,6 +268,7 @@ export default class OptionManager {
 
       opts.presets = this.resolvePresets(opts.presets, dirname, (preset, presetLoc) => {
         this.mergeOptions({
+          type: "preset",
           options: preset,
 
           // For `passPerPreset` we merge child options back into the preset object instead of the root.
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js b/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
index a9cc6bd2e9..d43e57142c 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "extended",
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "root",
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("dir1", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -89,6 +93,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -99,6 +104,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "dir2",
@@ -109,6 +115,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("dir2"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("dir2", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -128,6 +135,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -138,6 +146,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "env-base",
@@ -148,6 +157,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("env"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("env", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -169,6 +179,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -179,6 +190,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "env-base",
@@ -189,6 +201,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("env"),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "env-foo",
@@ -199,6 +212,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("env"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("env", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -221,6 +235,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -231,6 +246,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "env-base",
@@ -241,6 +257,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("env"),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "env-bar",
@@ -251,6 +268,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("env"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("env", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -273,6 +291,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: ["pkg-plugin"],
         },
@@ -281,6 +300,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("pkg"),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: ["pkg-ignore"],
         },
@@ -289,6 +309,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("pkg"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("pkg", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -308,6 +329,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -318,6 +340,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "foo",
@@ -329,6 +352,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("js-config"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("js-config", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -348,6 +372,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -358,6 +383,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "foo",
@@ -369,6 +395,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("js-config-default"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("js-config-default", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -387,6 +414,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -397,6 +425,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "extended",
@@ -407,6 +436,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "foo",
@@ -418,6 +448,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("js-config-extended"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("js-config-extended", "src.js"),
         },
@@ -438,6 +469,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
 
     const expected = [
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           ignore: [
             "root-ignore",
@@ -448,6 +480,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture(),
       },
       {
+        type: "options",
         options: {
           plugins: [
             "json",
@@ -458,6 +491,7 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function () {
         dirname: fixture("json-pkg-config-no-babel"),
       },
       {
+        type: "arguments",
         options: {
           filename: fixture("json-pkg-config-no-babel", "src.js"),
         },
diff --git a/packages/babel-preset-react/src/index.js b/packages/babel-preset-react/src/index.js
index 5b953685aa..99bc2eac3b 100644
--- a/packages/babel-preset-react/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-preset-react/src/index.js
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@ import transformReactJSX from "babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx";
 import transformSyntaxJSX from "babel-plugin-syntax-jsx";
 import transformReactDisplayName from "babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name";
 
-// These imports not yet used...
-// import transformReactJSXSource from "babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-source";
-// import transformReactJSXSelf from "babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-self";
-
 export default function () {
   return {
     presets: [
@@ -17,13 +13,5 @@ export default function () {
       transformSyntaxJSX,
       transformReactDisplayName,
     ],
-    env: {
-      development: {
-        plugins: [
-          // transformReactJSXSource,
-          // transformReactJSXSelf
-        ],
-      },
-    },
   };
 }