diff --git a/library/init/data/assoclist.lean b/library/init/data/assoclist.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a812413e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/init/data/assoclist.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+-/
+prelude
+import init.core
+universes u v w
+
+/- List-like type to avoid extra level of indirection -/
+inductive AssocList (α : Type u) (β : Type v)
+| nil {} : AssocList
+| cons (key : α) (value : β) (tail : AssocList) : AssocList
+
+namespace AssocList
+variables {α : Type u} {β : Type v} {δ : Type w}
+
+@[specialize] def foldl (f : δ → α → β → δ) : δ → AssocList α β → δ
+| d nil           := d
+| d (cons a b es) := foldl (f d a b) es
+
+def find [HasBeq α] (a : α) : AssocList α β → Option β
+| nil           := none
+| (cons k v es) := match k == a with
+  | true  := some v
+  | false := find es
+
+def contains [HasBeq α] (a : α) : AssocList α β → Bool
+| nil           := false
+| (cons k v es) := k == a || contains es
+
+def replace [HasBeq α] (a : α) (b : β) : AssocList α β → AssocList α β
+| nil           := nil
+| (cons k v es) := match k == a with
+  | true  := cons a b es
+  | false := cons k v (replace es)
+
+def erase [HasBeq α] (a : α) : AssocList α β → AssocList α β
+| nil           := nil
+| (cons k v es) := match k == a with
+  | true  := es
+  | false := cons k v (erase es)
+
+end AssocList