diff --git a/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children-evaluate.js b/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children-evaluate.js
index 226bd54703..1e7512d960 100644
--- a/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children-evaluate.js
+++ b/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children-evaluate.js
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ export default function ariaRequiredChildrenEvaluate(
     return true;
   }
 
+  if (virtualNode.attr('aria-busy') === 'true') {
+    this.data({ messageKey: 'aria-busy' });
+    return true;
+  }
+
   this.data(required);
 
   // Only review empty nodes when a node is both empty and does not have an aria-owns relationship
diff --git a/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children.json b/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children.json
index db1e2bf630..16c67dbd51 100644
--- a/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children.json
+++ b/lib/checks/aria/aria-required-children.json
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
   "metadata": {
     "impact": "critical",
     "messages": {
-      "pass": "Required ARIA children are present",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Required ARIA children are present",
+        "aria-busy": "Element has an aria-busy attribute, so it is allowed to omit required children"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Required ARIA child role not present: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Required ARIA children role not present: ${data.values}",
diff --git a/lib/rules/aria-required-children.json b/lib/rules/aria-required-children.json
index f81242a613..e1b22fb129 100644
--- a/lib/rules/aria-required-children.json
+++ b/lib/rules/aria-required-children.json
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@
     "help": "Certain ARIA roles must contain particular children"
   },
   "all": [],
-  "any": ["aria-required-children", "aria-busy"],
+  "any": ["aria-required-children"],
   "none": []
 }
diff --git a/locales/_template.json b/locales/_template.json
index 33a69a793b..1ce6e1c658 100644
--- a/locales/_template.json
+++ b/locales/_template.json
@@ -497,7 +497,10 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Required ARIA children are present",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Required ARIA children are present",
+        "aria-busy": "Element has an aria-busy attribute, so it is allowed to omit required children"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Required ARIA child role not present: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Required ARIA children role not present: ${data.values}",
diff --git a/locales/da.json b/locales/da.json
index 1b2e74e441..56c9a5ccd7 100644
--- a/locales/da.json
+++ b/locales/da.json
@@ -385,7 +385,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Krævet ARIA-under-elementer er til stede",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Krævet ARIA-under-elementer er til stede"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Krævet ARIA-under-elementers rolle er ikke til stede: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Krævet ARIA-under-elements rolle er ikke til stede: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/de.json b/locales/de.json
index 60575103c6..cab4da906e 100644
--- a/locales/de.json
+++ b/locales/de.json
@@ -497,7 +497,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Alle benötigten ARIA Kinder sind vorhanden.",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Alle benötigten ARIA Kinder sind vorhanden."
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Benötigte ARIA Kindrolle nicht vorhanden: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Benötigte ARIA Kindrollen nicht vorhanden: ${data.values}",
diff --git a/locales/el.json b/locales/el.json
index b963ccede8..f8f805c424 100644
--- a/locales/el.json
+++ b/locales/el.json
@@ -473,7 +473,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Οι απαιτούμενοι γόνοι ARIA είναι παρόντες",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Οι απαιτούμενοι γόνοι ARIA είναι παρόντες"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Ο απαιτούμενος θυγατρικός ρόλος ARIA δεν υπάρχει: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Οι απαιτούμενοι θυγατρικόι ρόλοι ARIA δεν υπάρχουν: ${data.values}",
diff --git a/locales/es.json b/locales/es.json
index 5605020f93..7a0b5c0b3f 100644
--- a/locales/es.json
+++ b/locales/es.json
@@ -376,7 +376,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Los hijos ARIA requeridos están presentes",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Los hijos ARIA requeridos están presentes"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Rol de hijos requerido en ARIA no presente: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Rol de hijo requerido en ARIA no presente: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/eu.json b/locales/eu.json
index 4767e9e93c..03b534cfc7 100644
--- a/locales/eu.json
+++ b/locales/eu.json
@@ -376,7 +376,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Eskatutako ARIA semeak bertan daude",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Eskatutako ARIA semeak bertan daude"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Esktatutako ARIARren semeak ez daude : ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Esktatutako ARIARren semeaez dago : ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/fr.json b/locales/fr.json
index 2cd83e97c4..9bd71725e4 100644
--- a/locales/fr.json
+++ b/locales/fr.json
@@ -457,7 +457,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Les descendants ARIA requis sont présents",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Les descendants ARIA requis sont présents"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Le descendant ARIA requis est manquant : ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Les descendants ARIA requis sont manquants : ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/he.json b/locales/he.json
index d3c5803ec2..fd0d2eaa50 100644
--- a/locales/he.json
+++ b/locales/he.json
@@ -465,7 +465,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "ילדי ARIA הדרושים נמצאים",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "ילדי ARIA הדרושים נמצאים"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "תפקיד ילד ARIA הדרוש אינו נמצא: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "תפקיד ילדי ARIA הדרושים אינם נמצאים: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/ja.json b/locales/ja.json
index e84bff43d9..161fdba32e 100644
--- a/locales/ja.json
+++ b/locales/ja.json
@@ -497,7 +497,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "必須のARIA子ロールが存在します",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "必須のARIA子ロールが存在します"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "必須のARIA子ロールが提供されていません: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "必須のARIA子ロールが提供されていません: ${data.values}",
diff --git a/locales/ko.json b/locales/ko.json
index 267f4766af..9c304d1d7f 100644
--- a/locales/ko.json
+++ b/locales/ko.json
@@ -461,7 +461,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "필수 ARIA 하위 항목들이 존재합니다.",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "필수 ARIA 하위 항목들이 존재합니다."
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "필수 ARIA 하위 역할(role)이 없습니다: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "필수 ARIA 하위 역할(role)들이 없습니다: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/no_NB.json b/locales/no_NB.json
index a1223028aa..4dbf8dbe9d 100644
--- a/locales/no_NB.json
+++ b/locales/no_NB.json
@@ -385,7 +385,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Påkrevde ARIA-under-elementer er til stede",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Påkrevde ARIA-under-elementer er til stede"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Påkrevd ARIA-under-element sin rolle er ikke til stede: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Påkrevde ARIA-under-elementer sine roller er ikke til stede: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/locales/pl.json b/locales/pl.json
index 72f6dec42a..1caafcabda 100644
--- a/locales/pl.json
+++ b/locales/pl.json
@@ -497,7 +497,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Wymagane dzieci ARIA istnieją.",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Wymagane dzieci ARIA istnieją."
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Wymagana rola dziecka ARIA nie istnieje: ${data.values}.",
         "plural": "Wymagane role dzieci ARIA nie istnieją: ${data.values",
diff --git a/locales/pt_BR.json b/locales/pt_BR.json
index 31b6f1dc3f..404d5ab293 100644
--- a/locales/pt_BR.json
+++ b/locales/pt_BR.json
@@ -444,7 +444,9 @@
       }
     },
     "aria-required-children": {
-      "pass": "Os ARIA filhos necessários estão presentes",
+      "pass": {
+        "default": "Os ARIA filhos necessários estão presentes"
+      },
       "fail": {
         "singular": "Função ARIA filha necessária ausente: ${data.values}",
         "plural": "Funções ARIA filhas necessárias ausentes: ${data.values}"
diff --git a/test/checks/aria/required-children.js b/test/checks/aria/required-children.js
index fe5a15ff82..faf68eb714 100644
--- a/test/checks/aria/required-children.js
+++ b/test/checks/aria/required-children.js
@@ -111,6 +111,53 @@ describe('aria-required-children', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, ['listitem']);
   });
 
+  it('should pass when missing required children but aria-busy', () => {
+    const params = checkSetup(
+      '<div id="target" role="list" aria-busy="true"><span>Item 1</span></div>'
+    );
+    assert.isTrue(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, { messageKey: 'aria-busy' });
+  });
+
+  it('should treat aria-busy="false" as not aria-busy', () => {
+    const params = checkSetup(
+      '<div id="target" role="list" aria-busy="false"><span>Item 1</span></div>'
+    );
+    assert.isFalse(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+  });
+
+  it('should treat valueless aria-busy as not aria-busy', () => {
+    const params = checkSetup(
+      '<div id="target" role="list" aria-busy><span>Item 1</span></div>'
+    );
+    assert.isFalse(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+  });
+
+  it('should fail list with an unallowed child', () => {
+    const params = checkSetup(`
+      <div id="target" role="list"><div role="tabpanel"></div></div>
+    `);
+    assert.isFalse(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, {
+      messageKey: 'unallowed',
+      values: '[role=tabpanel]'
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should fail list with an unallowed child, even if aria-busy="true"', () => {
+    const params = checkSetup(`
+      <div id="target" role="list" aria-busy="true"><div role="tabpanel"></div></div>
+    `);
+    assert.isFalse(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, {
+      messageKey: 'unallowed',
+      values: '[role=tabpanel]'
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should fail when list has intermediate child with role that is not a required role', () => {
     const params = checkSetup(
       '<div id="target" role="list"><div role="tabpanel"><div role="listitem">List item 1</div></div></div>'
@@ -378,6 +425,14 @@ describe('aria-required-children', () => {
         assert.isUndefined(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
       });
 
+      it('should return true if aria-busy preempts a reviewEmpty case', () => {
+        const params = checkSetup(
+          '<div role="grid" id="target" aria-busy="true"></div>',
+          { reviewEmpty: ['grid'] }
+        );
+        assert.isTrue(requiredChildrenCheck.apply(checkContext, params));
+      });
+
       it('should return undefined when the element has empty children', () => {
         const params = checkSetup(
           '<div role="listbox" id="target"><div></div></div>',
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.html b/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.html
index def03ca181..af5b16d858 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.html
+++ b/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.html
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@
   <div aria-busy="true"></div>
 </div>
 
+<div role="list" id="fail13" aria-busy="true">
+  <div role="alert">unallowed role</div>
+</div>
+
 <div role="doc-bibliography" id="inapplicable1"></div>
 <div role="doc-endnotes" id="inapplicable2"></div>
 <div role="radiogroup" id="inapplicable3">
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.json b/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.json
index 21f2ed2f3a..4b32bb9c7b 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.json
+++ b/test/integration/rules/aria-required-children/aria-required-children.json
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
     ["#fail9"],
     ["#fail10"],
     ["#fail11"],
-    ["#fail12"]
+    ["#fail12"],
+    ["#fail13"]
   ],
   "passes": [
     ["#pass1"],