diff --git a/src/kernel/normalize.cpp b/src/kernel/normalize.cpp
index 910ae88081..5f31f81867 100644
--- a/src/kernel/normalize.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/normalize.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 #include "builtin.h"
 #include "free_vars.h"
 #include "list.h"
+#include "flet.h"
 #include "buffer.h"
 #include "exception.h"
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ class normalizer::imp {
     environment   m_env;
     context       m_ctx;
     cache         m_cache;
+    unsigned      m_depth;
     volatile bool m_interrupted;
 
     /**
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ class normalizer::imp {
 
     /** \brief Normalize the expression \c a in a context composed of stack \c s and \c k binders. */
     svalue normalize(expr const & a, value_stack const & s, unsigned k) {
+        flet<unsigned> l(m_depth, m_depth+1);
         if (m_interrupted)
             throw interrupted();
 
@@ -250,6 +253,7 @@ public:
     imp(environment const & env):
         m_env(env) {
         m_interrupted = false;
+        m_depth       = 0;
     }
 
     expr operator()(expr const & e, context const & ctx) {
diff --git a/src/util/flet.h b/src/util/flet.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f73cd082d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/flet.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#pragma once
+
+namespace lean {
+/**
+   \brief Template for simulating "fluid-lets".
+   Example:
+   {
+     flet<int> l(m_field, 1);  // set the value of m_field to 1
+
+   } // restore original value of m_field
+
+*/
+template<typename T>
+class flet {
+    T & m_ref;
+    T   m_old_value;
+public:
+    flet(T & ref, T const & new_value):
+        m_ref(ref),
+        m_old_value(ref) {
+        m_ref = new_value;
+    }
+    ~flet() {
+        m_ref = m_old_value;
+    }
+};
+}