diff --git a/packages/core/src/NavigationContainer.tsx b/packages/core/src/NavigationContainer.tsx
index b71f4058..cfe63e53 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/NavigationContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/NavigationContainer.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const MISSING_CONTEXT_ERROR =
   "We couldn't find a navigation context. Have you wrapped your app with 'NavigationContainer'?";
 
 export const NavigationStateContext = React.createContext<{
+  isDefault?: true;
   state?: NavigationState | PartialState<NavigationState>;
   getState: () => NavigationState | PartialState<NavigationState> | undefined;
   setState: (
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ export const NavigationStateContext = React.createContext<{
   key?: string;
   performTransaction: (action: () => void) => void;
 }>({
+  isDefault: true,
+
   get getState(): any {
     throw new Error(MISSING_CONTEXT_ERROR);
   },
@@ -83,9 +86,22 @@ const getPartialState = (
  * @param props.ref Ref object which refers to the navigation object containing helper methods.
  */
 const Container = React.forwardRef(function NavigationContainer(
-  { initialState, onStateChange, children }: NavigationContainerProps,
+  {
+    initialState,
+    onStateChange,
+    independent,
+    children,
+  }: NavigationContainerProps,
   ref: React.Ref<NavigationContainerRef>
 ) {
+  const parent = React.useContext(NavigationStateContext);
+
+  if (!parent.isDefault && !independent) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Looks like you have nested a 'NavigationContainer' inside another. Normally you need only one container at the root of the app, so this was probably an error. If this was intentional, pass 'independent={true}' explicitely."
+    );
+  }
+
   const [state, setNavigationState] = React.useState<State>(() =>
     getPartialState(initialState == null ? undefined : initialState)
   );
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/NavigationContainer.test.tsx b/packages/core/src/__tests__/NavigationContainer.test.tsx
index 42ec38f5..904489ee 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/NavigationContainer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/NavigationContainer.test.tsx
@@ -122,6 +122,32 @@ it('throws when nesting performTransaction', () => {
   );
 });
 
+it('throws when nesting containers', () => {
+  expect(() =>
+    render(
+      <NavigationContainer>
+        <NavigationContainer>
+          <React.Fragment />
+        </NavigationContainer>
+      </NavigationContainer>
+    )
+  ).toThrowError(
+    "Looks like you have nested a 'NavigationContainer' inside another."
+  );
+
+  expect(() =>
+    render(
+      <NavigationContainer>
+        <NavigationContainer independent>
+          <React.Fragment />
+        </NavigationContainer>
+      </NavigationContainer>
+    )
+  ).not.toThrowError(
+    "Looks like you have nested a 'NavigationContainer' inside another."
+  );
+});
+
 it('handle dispatching with ref', () => {
   const CurrentParentRouter = MockRouter;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types.tsx b/packages/core/src/types.tsx
index 7210b6b9..d4b1ef9e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/types.tsx
@@ -377,10 +377,23 @@ export type NavigationHelpers<
   };
 
 export type NavigationContainerProps = {
+  /**
+   * Initial navigation state for the child navigators.
+   */
   initialState?: InitialState;
-  onStateChange?: (
-    state: NavigationState | PartialState<NavigationState> | undefined
-  ) => void;
+  /**
+   * Callback which is called with the latest navigation state when it changes.
+   */
+  onStateChange?: (state: NavigationState | undefined) => void;
+  /**
+   * Whether this navigation container should be independent of parent containers.
+   * If this is not set to `true`, this container cannot be nested inside another container.
+   * Setting it to `true` disconnects any children navigators from parent container.
+   */
+  independent?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Children elements to render.
+   */
   children: React.ReactNode;
 };