diff --git a/src/fennel-ls/diagnostics.fnl b/src/fennel-ls/diagnostics.fnl
index 7c6995b..2e75857 100644
--- a/src/fennel-ls/diagnostics.fnl
+++ b/src/fennel-ls/diagnostics.fnl
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 Goes through a file and mutates the `file.diagnostics` field, filling it with diagnostics."
 
+(local fennel (require :fennel))
 (local language (require :fennel-ls.language))
 (local message (require :fennel-ls.message))
 (local utils (require :fennel-ls.utils))
@@ -30,11 +31,26 @@ Goes through a file and mutates the `file.diagnostics` field, filling it with di
            :code 302
            :codeDescription "field checking I guess"})))))
 
+(λ unnecessary-method [self file]
+  (icollect [[colon receiver method &as call] (pairs file.calls)
+             &into file.diagnostics]
+    (if (and (= (fennel.sym ":") colon)
+             (fennel.sym? receiver)
+             (= :string (type method)))
+        (case (message.ast->range self file call)
+          range {: range
+                 :message "unnecessary : call; use multisym"
+                 :severity message.severity.WARN
+                 :code 302
+                 :codeDescription "unnecessary colon"}))))
+
 (λ check [self file]
   "fill up the file.diagnostics table with linting things"
   (if self.configuration.checks.unused-definition
     (unused-definition self file))
   (if self.configuration.checks.unknown-module-field
-    (unknown-module-field self file)))
+    (unknown-module-field self file))
+  (if self.configuration.checks.unnecessary-method
+    (unnecessary-method self file)))
 
 {: check}
diff --git a/src/fennel-ls/message.fnl b/src/fennel-ls/message.fnl
index 7471a56..90564fe 100644
--- a/src/fennel-ls/message.fnl
+++ b/src/fennel-ls/message.fnl
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ I have them all here because I have a feeling I am conflating
 missing fields with null fields, and I want to have one location
 to look to fix this in the future."
 
+(local fennel (require :fennel))
 (local utils (require :fennel-ls.utils))
 (local json (require :json.json))
 
@@ -59,11 +60,11 @@ to look to fix this in the future."
    :result (nullify ?result)})
 
 (λ ast->range [self file ?ast]
-  (case (values (utils.get-ast-info ?ast :bytestart)
-                (utils.get-ast-info ?ast :byteend))
-    (bytestart byteend)
-    {:start (utils.byte->position file.text bytestart self.position-encoding)
-     :end   (utils.byte->position file.text (+ byteend 1) self.position-encoding)}))
+  (case (fennel.ast-source ?ast)
+    {: bytestart : byteend} {:start (utils.byte->position file.text bytestart
+                                                          self.position-encoding)
+                             :end   (utils.byte->position file.text (+ byteend 1)
+                                                          self.position-encoding)}))
 
 (λ multisym->range [self file ast n]
   (let [spl (utils.multi-sym-split ast)]
diff --git a/src/fennel-ls/state.fnl b/src/fennel-ls/state.fnl
index e4b158b..c6dcdd8 100644
--- a/src/fennel-ls/state.fnl
+++ b/src/fennel-ls/state.fnl
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ in the \"self\" object."
    :macro-path (option "./?.fnl;./?/init-macros.fnl;./?/init.fnl;src/?.fnl;src/?/init-macros.fnl;src/?/init.fnl")
    :version (option "lua54")
    :checks {:unused-definition (option true)
-            :unknown-module-field (option true)}})
+            :unknown-module-field (option true)
+            :unnecessary-method (option true)}})
 
 (λ make-configuration [?c]
   (make-configuration-from-template default-configuration ?c))
diff --git a/test/diagnostic-test.fnl b/test/diagnostic-test.fnl
index 48de5c3..1f75a54 100644
--- a/test/diagnostic-test.fnl
+++ b/test/diagnostic-test.fnl
@@ -100,6 +100,18 @@
           responses (self:open-file! filename "(fn [abc] (set abc.xyz 10))")]
       (assert (not (?. responses 1 :params :diagnostics 1)))))
 
+  (it "warns when using the : special when a multisym would do"
+    (let [self (create-client)]
+      (match (self:open-file! filename "(let [x :haha] (: x :find :a))")
+        [{:params {: diagnostics}}]
+        (is (find [i v (ipairs diagnostics)]
+             (match v
+               {:message "unnecessary : call; use multisym"
+                :range {:start {:character 15 :line 0}
+                        :end   {:character 29 :line 0}}}
+               v)))
+        _ (error "did not match"))))
+
   (it "warns if a var is written but not read"
     (let [self (create-client)
           responses (self:open-file! filename "(var x 1) (set x 2) (set [x] [3])")]