diff --git a/doc/changes.md b/doc/changes.md
index 28a37c60d3..582d8574bd 100644
--- a/doc/changes.md
+++ b/doc/changes.md
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ master branch (aka work in progress branch)
 
 * `monad.has_monad_lift(_t)` ~> `has_monad_lift(_t)`
 * `monad.map_comp` ~> `comp_map`
-* `state(_t).{read,write}` ~> `{get,put}` (general operations defined on any `monad_state_lift`)
+* `state(_t).{read,write}` ~> `{get,put}` (general operations defined on any `monad_state`)
 * deleted `monad.monad_transformer`
 * deleted `monad.lift{n}`. Use `f <$> a1 <*> ... <*> an` instead of `monad.lift{n} f a1 ... an`.
 * merged `has_map` into `functor`
diff --git a/library/init/category/state.lean b/library/init/category/state.lean
index 613bc8bd65..7a18582c41 100644
--- a/library/init/category/state.lean
+++ b/library/init/category/state.lean
@@ -78,43 +78,39 @@ section
 end
 end state_t
 
-/-- A specialization of `monad_lift` to lifting `state_t` that allows `σ` to be inferred.
-
-    This class is roughly equivalent to `MonadState` from https://hackage.haskell.org/package/mtl-2.2.2/docs/Control-Monad-State-Class.html,
-    with the important distinction that it is automatically derived via the generic
-    `has_monad_lift` class. -/
-class monad_state_lift (σ : out_param (Type u)) (m : out_param (Type u → Type v)) (n : Type u → Type w) :=
-[has_lift : has_monad_lift_t (state_t σ m) n]
-
-attribute [instance] monad_state_lift.mk
-local attribute [instance] monad_state_lift.has_lift
+/-- An implementation of [MonadState](https://hackage.haskell.org/package/mtl-2.2.2/docs/Control-Monad-State-Class.html).
+    In contrast to the Haskell implementation, we use overlapping instances to derive instances
+    automatically from `monad_lift`. -/
+class monad_state (σ : out_param (Type u)) (m : Type u → Type v) :=
+(lift {} {α : Type u} : state σ α → m α)
 
 section
-variables {σ : Type u} {m : Type u → Type v} {n : Type u → Type w} [monad m] [monad_state_lift σ m n]
+variables {σ : Type u} {m : Type u → Type v}
+
+instance monad_state_trans {n : Type u → Type w} [has_monad_lift m n] [monad_state σ m] : monad_state σ n :=
+⟨λ α x, monad_lift (monad_state.lift x : m α)⟩
+
+instance [monad m] : monad_state σ (state_t σ m) :=
+⟨λ α x, ⟨λ s, pure (x.run s)⟩⟩
+
+variables [monad m] [monad_state σ m]
 
 /-- Obtain the top-most state of a monad stack. -/
-@[inline] def get : n σ :=
-@monad_lift _ _ _ _ (state_t.get : state_t σ m _)
+@[inline] def get : m σ :=
+monad_state.lift state_t.get
 
 /-- Set the top-most state of a monad stack. -/
-@[inline] def put (st : σ) : n punit :=
-monad_lift (state_t.put st : state_t σ m _)
+@[inline] def put (st : σ) : m punit :=
+monad_state.lift (state_t.put st)
 
 /-- Map the top-most state of a monad stack.
 
     Note: `modify f` may be preferable to `f <$> get >>= put` because the latter
     does not use the state linearly (without sufficient inlining). -/
-@[inline] def modify (f : σ → σ) : n punit :=
-monad_lift (state_t.modify f : state_t σ m _)
+@[inline] def modify (f : σ → σ) : m punit :=
+monad_state.lift (state_t.modify f)
 end
 
-/-- Get the state at a specific position in the monad stack.
-
-    Example: <first figure out if this is the correct way to go> -/
-@[inline] def get_type (m : Type u → Type v) {n : Type u → Type w} (σ : Type u) [has_monad_lift_t (state_t σ m) n] [monad m] : n σ :=
-get
-
-
 /-- A specialization of `monad_map` to `state_t` that allows `σ` to be inferred. -/
 class monad_state_functor (σ σ' : out_param (Type u)) (m : out_param (Type u → Type v)) (n n' : Type u → Type w) :=
 [functor {} : monad_functor_t (state_t σ m) (state_t σ' m) n n']
diff --git a/library/init/meta/smt/smt_tactic.lean b/library/init/meta/smt/smt_tactic.lean
index 07f731e3ad..ad179c959e 100644
--- a/library/init/meta/smt/smt_tactic.lean
+++ b/library/init/meta/smt/smt_tactic.lean
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ section
 local attribute [reducible] smt_tactic
 meta instance : monad smt_tactic := by apply_instance
 meta instance : alternative smt_tactic := by apply_instance
-meta instance : monad_state_lift smt_state tactic smt_tactic := by apply_instance
+meta instance : monad_state smt_state smt_tactic := by apply_instance
 end
 
 /- We don't use the default state_t lift operation because only
diff --git a/tests/lean/interactive/my_tac_class.lean b/tests/lean/interactive/my_tac_class.lean
index 28cd1be81f..dd0dcf145a 100644
--- a/tests/lean/interactive/my_tac_class.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/interactive/my_tac_class.lean
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ state_t nat tactic
 section
 local attribute [reducible] mytac
 meta instance : monad mytac := by apply_instance
-meta instance : monad_state_lift nat tactic mytac := by apply_instance
+meta instance : monad_state nat mytac := by apply_instance
 meta instance : has_monad_lift tactic mytac := by apply_instance
 end
 
diff --git a/tests/lean/interactive/rb_map_ts.lean b/tests/lean/interactive/rb_map_ts.lean
index cbfcde1561..c0456596bd 100644
--- a/tests/lean/interactive/rb_map_ts.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/interactive/rb_map_ts.lean
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ state_t (name_map nat) tactic
 section
 local attribute [reducible] mytac
 meta instance : monad mytac := by apply_instance
-meta instance : monad_state_lift (name_map nat) tactic mytac := by apply_instance
+meta instance : monad_state (name_map nat) mytac := by apply_instance
 meta instance : has_monad_lift tactic mytac := by apply_instance
 end
 
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/my_tac_class.lean b/tests/lean/run/my_tac_class.lean
index df2565d802..272fe7f58c 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/my_tac_class.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/my_tac_class.lean
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ state_t nat tactic
 section
 local attribute [reducible] mytac
 meta instance : monad mytac := by apply_instance
-meta instance : monad_state_lift nat tactic mytac := by apply_instance
+meta instance : monad_state nat mytac := by apply_instance
 meta instance : has_monad_lift tactic mytac := by apply_instance
 end
 
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/state.lean b/tests/lean/run/state.lean
index 7111b3c657..212e2cff09 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/state.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/state.lean
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ do 0 ← read,  -- unlifted
 
 #eval (lifted_test.run 0).run 1
 
-def infer_test {m n} [monad_state_lift ℕ m n] [monad m] [monad n] : n ℕ :=
+def infer_test {m} [monad_state ℕ m] [monad m] : m ℕ :=
 do n ← get,
    -- can infer σ through class inference
    pure n.succ
@@ -43,10 +43,8 @@ do -- zoom in on second elem
 
 def bistate_test : state_t ℕ (state_t bool io) unit :=
 do 0 ← get, -- outer state_t wins
-   -- manual
+   -- can always lift manually
    tt ← monad_lift (get : state_t bool io bool),
-   -- needs to mention inner monad
-   tt ← get_type io bool,
    pure ()
 
 #eval (bistate_test.run 0).run tt