diff --git a/src/library/definitional/equations.cpp b/src/library/definitional/equations.cpp
index eb24677c14..69299fbb2c 100644
--- a/src/library/definitional/equations.cpp
+++ b/src/library/definitional/equations.cpp
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ class equation_compiler_fn {
     }
 
     [[ noreturn ]] static void throw_error(char const * msg, expr const & src) { throw_generic_exception(msg, src); }
+    [[ noreturn ]] static void throw_error(sstream const & ss, expr const & src) { throw_generic_exception(ss, src); }
     [[ noreturn ]] static void throw_error(expr const & src, pp_fn const & fn) { throw_generic_exception(src, fn); }
     [[ noreturn ]] void throw_error(sstream const & ss) const { throw_generic_exception(ss, m_meta); }
     [[ noreturn ]] void throw_error(expr const & src, sstream const & ss) const { throw_generic_exception(ss, src); }
@@ -493,19 +494,66 @@ class equation_compiler_fn {
         }
     }
 
+    // Store in \c arities the number of arguments of each function being defined.
+    // This procedure also makes sure that two different equations for the same function
+    // contain the same number of arguments in the left-hand-side.
+    // Remark: after executing this procedure the arity of m_fns[i] is stored in arities[i]
+    // if there is at least one equation for m_fns[i].
+    void initialize_arities(expr const & eqns, buffer<optional<unsigned>> & arities) {
+        lean_assert(arities.empty());
+        buffer<expr> eqs;
+        to_equations(eqns, eqs);
+        lean_assert(!eqs.empty());
+        arities.resize(m_fns.size());
+        for (expr eq : eqs) {
+            if (is_lambda_equation(eq)) {
+                for (expr const & fn : m_fns)
+                    eq = instantiate(binding_body(eq), fn);
+                while (is_lambda(eq))
+                    eq = binding_body(eq);
+                lean_assert(is_equation(eq));
+                expr const & lhs    = equation_lhs(eq);
+                buffer<expr> lhs_args;
+                expr const & lhs_fn = get_app_args(lhs, lhs_args);
+                if (!is_local(lhs_fn))
+                    throw_error(sstream() << "invalid recursive equation, "
+                                << "left-hand-side is not one of the functions being defined", eq);
+                unsigned i = 0;
+                for (; i < m_fns.size(); i++) {
+                    if (lhs_fn == m_fns[i]) {
+                        if (arities[i] && *arities[i] != lhs_args.size())
+                            throw_error(sstream() << "invalid recursive equation for '" << lhs_fn << "' "
+                                        << "left-hand-side of different equations have different number of arguments", eq);
+                        arities[i] = lhs_args.size();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     // Initialize the variable stack for each function that needs
     // to be compiled.
     // This method assumes m_fns has been already initialized.
     // This method also initialized the buffer prg, but the eqns
     // field of each program is not initialized by it.
-    void initialize_var_stack(buffer<program> & prgs) {
+    //
+    // See initialize_arities for an explanation for \c arities.
+    void initialize_var_stack(buffer<program> & prgs, buffer<optional<unsigned>> const & arities) {
         lean_assert(!m_fns.empty());
         lean_assert(prgs.empty());
-        for (expr const & fn : m_fns) {
+        for (unsigned i = 0; i < m_fns.size(); i++) {
+            expr const & fn = m_fns[i];
             buffer<expr> args;
-            expr r_type       = to_telescope(mlocal_type(fn), args);
+            expr r_type     = to_telescope(mlocal_type(fn), args);
             for (expr & arg : args)
                 arg = update_mlocal(arg, whnf(mlocal_type(arg)));
+            if (arities[i]) {
+                unsigned arity = *arities[i];
+                if (args.size() > arity) {
+                    r_type = Pi(args.size() - arity, args.data() + arity, r_type);
+                    args.shrink(arity);
+                }
+            }
             list<expr> ctx    = to_list(args);
             list<optional<name>> vstack = map2<optional<name>>(ctx, [](expr const & e) {
                     return optional<name>(mlocal_name(e));
@@ -579,8 +627,10 @@ class equation_compiler_fn {
     // Create initial program state for each function being defined.
     void initialize(expr const & eqns, buffer<program> & prg) {
         lean_assert(is_equations(eqns));
+        buffer<optional<unsigned>> arities;
         initialize_fns(eqns);
-        initialize_var_stack(prg);
+        initialize_arities(eqns, arities);
+        initialize_var_stack(prg, arities);
         buffer<expr> eqs;
         to_equations(eqns, eqs);
         buffer<buffer<eqn>> res_eqns;
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/match_fun.lean b/tests/lean/run/match_fun.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e9b900630
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/run/match_fun.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+open bool nat
+
+definition foo (b : bool) : nat → nat :=
+match b with
+| tt := λ x : nat, zero
+| ff := λ y : nat, (succ zero)
+end
+
+example : foo tt 1 = zero := rfl
+example : foo ff 1 = 1 := rfl
+
+
+definition zero_fn := λ x : nat, zero
+
+definition foo2 : bool → nat → nat
+| foo2 tt := succ
+| foo2 ff := zero_fn
+
+example : foo2 tt 1 = 2 := rfl
+example : foo2 tt 2 = 3 := rfl
+example : foo2 ff 1 = 0 := rfl
+example : foo2 ff 2 = 0 := rfl