diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ade5947627d89..6db05acddd450 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ Library improvements
     `ntuple`, `Base.literal_pow`, `sqrtm`, `lufact`, `lufact!`, `qrfact`, `qrfact!`,
     `cholfact`, `cholfact!`, `_broadcast!`, `reshape`, `cat` and `cat_t`.
 
+  * A new `@macroexpand1` macro for non recursive macro expansion ([#21662]).
+
 Compiler/Runtime improvements
 -----------------------------
 
diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index 3b4de05aa3da0..67c6c53914b41 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -964,6 +964,7 @@ export
     expand,
     gensym,
     macroexpand,
+    @macroexpand1,
     @macroexpand,
     parse,
 
diff --git a/base/expr.jl b/base/expr.jl
index 0b95636d3c45e..b005b441b3fe3 100644
--- a/base/expr.jl
+++ b/base/expr.jl
@@ -55,22 +55,51 @@ See also [`code_lowered`](@ref).
 expand(m::Module, x::ANY) = ccall(:jl_expand, Any, (Any, Any), x, m)
 
 """
-    macroexpand(m, x)
+    macroexpand(m::Module, x; recursive=true)
 
 Takes the expression `x` and returns an equivalent expression with all macros removed (expanded)
 for executing in module `m`.
+The `recursive` keyword controls whether deeper levels of nested macros are also expanded.
+This is demonstrated in the example below:
+```julia-repl
+julia> module M
+           macro m1()
+               42
+           end
+           macro m2()
+               :(@m1())
+           end
+       end
+M
+
+julia> macroexpand(M, :(@m2()), recursive=true)
+42
+
+julia> macroexpand(M, :(@m2()), recursive=false)
+:(#= REPL[16]:6 =# M.@m1)
+```
 """
-macroexpand(m::Module, x::ANY) = ccall(:jl_macroexpand, Any, (Any, Any), x, m)
+function macroexpand(m::Module, x::ANY; recursive=true)
+    if recursive
+        ccall(:jl_macroexpand, Any, (Any, Any), x, m)
+    else
+        ccall(:jl_macroexpand1, Any, (Any, Any), x, m)
+    end
+end
 
 """
     @macroexpand
 
 Return equivalent expression with all macros removed (expanded).
 
-There is a difference between `@macroexpand` and `macroexpand` in that the `macroexpand` function
-also takes a module where the expansion takes place.
-This is best seen in the following example:
+There are differences between `@macroexpand` and [`macroexpand`](@ref).
+
+* While [`macroexpand`](@ref) takes a keyword argument `recursive`, `@macroexpand`
+is always recursive. For a non recursive macro version, see [`@macroexpand1`](@ref).
 
+* While [`macroexpand`](@ref) has an explicit `module` argument, `@macroexpand` always
+expands with respect to the module in which it is called.
+This is best seen in the following example:
 ```jldoctest
 julia> module M
            macro m()
@@ -93,11 +122,21 @@ julia> macro m()
 julia> M.f()
 (1, 1, 2)
 ```
-With `@macroexpand` the expression expands where `@macroexpand` appears in the code (module
-`M` in the example). With `macroexpand` the expression expands in the module given as the first argument.
+With `@macroexpand` the expression expands where `@macroexpand` appears in the code (module `M` in the example).
+With `macroexpand` the expression expands in the module given as the first argument.
 """
 macro macroexpand(code)
-    return :(macroexpand($__module__, $(QuoteNode(code))))
+    return :(macroexpand($__module__, $(QuoteNode(code)), recursive=true))
+end
+
+
+"""
+    @macroexpand1
+
+Non recursive version of [`@macroexpand`](@ref).
+"""
+macro macroexpand1(code)
+    return :(macroexpand($__module__, $(QuoteNode(code)), recursive=false))
 end
 
 ## misc syntax ##
diff --git a/doc/src/stdlib/base.md b/doc/src/stdlib/base.md
index 8ea21fe4f9301..fd97c0a598010 100644
--- a/doc/src/stdlib/base.md
+++ b/doc/src/stdlib/base.md
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ Base.gc
 Base.gc_enable
 Base.macroexpand
 Base.@macroexpand
+Base.@macroexpand1
 Base.expand
 Base.code_lowered
 Base.@code_lowered
diff --git a/src/ast.c b/src/ast.c
index aa1e5f3eee975..5ada8cef0d86a 100644
--- a/src/ast.c
+++ b/src/ast.c
@@ -987,6 +987,12 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_macroexpand(jl_value_t *expr, jl_module_t *inmodule)
     return jl_call_scm_on_ast("jl-macroexpand", expr, inmodule);
 }
 
+JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_macroexpand1(jl_value_t *expr, jl_module_t *inmodule)
+{
+    JL_TIMING(LOWERING);
+    return jl_call_scm_on_ast("jl-macroexpand-1", expr, inmodule);
+}
+
 // wrap expr in a thunk AST
 jl_code_info_t *jl_wrap_expr(jl_value_t *expr)
 {
diff --git a/src/jlfrontend.scm b/src/jlfrontend.scm
index 59828a423173e..a556310a881d0 100644
--- a/src/jlfrontend.scm
+++ b/src/jlfrontend.scm
@@ -225,6 +225,11 @@
   (parser-wrap (lambda ()
                  (julia-expand-macros expr))))
 
+(define (jl-macroexpand-1 expr)
+  (reset-gensyms)
+  (parser-wrap (lambda ()
+                 (julia-expand-macros expr 1))))
+
 ; run whole frontend on a string. useful for testing.
 (define (fe str)
   (expand-toplevel-expr (julia-parse str)))
diff --git a/src/macroexpand.scm b/src/macroexpand.scm
index 8f2ad5784bb87..1031d0f54060f 100644
--- a/src/macroexpand.scm
+++ b/src/macroexpand.scm
@@ -466,11 +466,12 @@
 
 ;; macro expander entry point
 
-(define (julia-expand-macros e)
-  (cond ((not (pair? e))     e)
+(define (julia-expand-macros e (max-depth -1))
+  (cond ((= max-depth 0)   e)
+        ((not (pair? e))     e)
         ((eq? (car e) 'quote)
          ;; backquote is essentially a built-in macro at the moment
-         (julia-expand-macros (julia-bq-expand (cadr e) 0)))
+         (julia-expand-macros (julia-bq-expand (cadr e) 0) max-depth))
         ((eq? (car e) 'inert) e)
         ((eq? (car e) 'macrocall)
          ;; expand macro
@@ -483,8 +484,7 @@
                  (m    (cdr form)))
              ;; m is the macro's def module
              (rename-symbolic-labels
-              (julia-expand-macros
-               (resolve-expansion-vars form m))))))
+              (julia-expand-macros (resolve-expansion-vars form m) (- max-depth 1))))))
         ((eq? (car e) 'module) e)
         (else
-         (map julia-expand-macros e))))
+         (map (lambda (ex) (julia-expand-macros ex max-depth)) e))))
diff --git a/test/replutil.jl b/test/replutil.jl
index 39451b44c05c3..e0f6b72872b53 100644
--- a/test/replutil.jl
+++ b/test/replutil.jl
@@ -493,6 +493,32 @@ let
     @test (@macroexpand @seven_dollar 1+$x) == :(1 + $(Expr(:$, :x)))
 end
 
+macro nest1(code)
+    code
+end
+
+macro nest2(code)
+    :(@nest1 $code)
+end
+
+macro nest2b(code)
+    :(@nest1($code); @nest1($code))
+end
+
+@testset "@macroexpand1" begin
+    M = @__MODULE__
+    _macroexpand1(ex) = macroexpand(M, ex, recursive=false)
+    ex = :(@nest1 42)
+    @test _macroexpand1(ex) == macroexpand(M,ex)
+    ex = :(@nest2 42)
+    @test _macroexpand1(ex) != macroexpand(M,ex)
+    @test _macroexpand1(_macroexpand1(ex)) == macroexpand(M,ex)
+    ex = :(@nest2b 42)
+    @test _macroexpand1(ex) != macroexpand(M,ex)
+    @test _macroexpand1(_macroexpand1(ex)) == macroexpand(M, ex)
+    @test (@macroexpand1 @nest2b 42) == _macroexpand1(ex)
+end
+
 foo_9965(x::Float64; w=false) = x
 foo_9965(x::Int) = 2x