diff --git a/src/Init/Util.lean b/src/Init/Util.lean
index f00c12ff03..5c0d06fbd4 100644
--- a/src/Init/Util.lean
+++ b/src/Init/Util.lean
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ if ptrAddrUnsafe a == ptrAddrUnsafe b then true else k ()
 def withPtrEq {α : Type u} (a b : α) (k : Unit → Bool) (h : a = b → k () = true) : Bool :=
 k ()
 
+-- `withPtrEq` for `DecidableEq`
+@[inline] def withPtrEqDecEq {α : Type u} (a b : α) (k : Unit → Decidable (a = b)) : Decidable (a = b) :=
+let aux := withPtrEq a b (fun _ => @decide (a = b) (k ())) (fun h => @decideEqTrue _ (k ()) h);
+match aux, rfl : forall x (h : _ = x), _ with
+| true,  h => isTrue (@ofDecideEqTrue _ (k ()) h)
+| false, h => isFalse (@ofDecideEqFalse _ (k ()) h)
+
 @[implementedBy withPtrAddrUnsafe]
 def withPtrAddr {α : Type u} {β : Type v} (a : α) (k : USize → β) (h : ∀ u₁ u₂, k u₁ = k u₂) : β :=
 k 0
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/listDecEq.lean b/tests/lean/run/listDecEq.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f55fdb3280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/run/listDecEq.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-- List decidable equality using `withPtrEqDecEq`
+
+def listDecEqAux {α} [s : DecidableEq α] : ∀ (as bs : List α), Decidable (as = bs)
+| [],    []    => isTrue rfl
+| [],    b::bs => isFalse $ fun h => List.noConfusion h
+| a::as, []    => isFalse $ fun h => List.noConfusion h
+| a::as, b::bs =>
+  match s a b with
+  | isTrue h₁  =>
+    match withPtrEqDecEq as bs (fun _ => listDecEqAux as bs) with
+    | isTrue h₂  => isTrue $ h₁ ▸ h₂ ▸ rfl
+    | isFalse h₂ => isFalse $ fun h => List.noConfusion h $ fun _ h₃ => absurd h₃ h₂
+  | isFalse h₁ => isFalse $ fun h => List.noConfusion h $ fun h₂ _ => absurd h₂ h₁
+
+instance List.optimizedDecEq {α} [DecidableEq α] : DecidableEq (List α) :=
+fun a b => withPtrEqDecEq a b (fun _ => listDecEqAux a b)