diff --git a/src/Init/Tactics.lean b/src/Init/Tactics.lean
index 3c74e28894..1efedb703f 100644
--- a/src/Init/Tactics.lean
+++ b/src/Init/Tactics.lean
@@ -566,6 +566,52 @@ definitionally equal to the input.
 syntax (name := dsimp) "dsimp" (config)? (discharger)? (&" only")?
   (" [" withoutPosition((simpErase <|> simpLemma),*,?) "]")? (location)? : tactic
 
+/--
+A `simpArg` is either a `*`, `-lemma` or a simp lemma specification
+(which includes the `↑` `↓` `←` specifications for pre, post, reverse rewriting).
+-/
+def simpArg := simpStar.binary `orelse (simpErase.binary `orelse simpLemma)
+
+/-- A simp args list is a list of `simpArg`. This is the main argument to `simp`. -/
+syntax simpArgs := " [" simpArg,* "]"
+
+/--
+A `dsimpArg` is similar to `simpArg`, but it does not have the `simpStar` form
+because it does not make sense to use hypotheses in `dsimp`.
+-/
+def dsimpArg := simpErase.binary `orelse simpLemma
+
+/-- A dsimp args list is a list of `dsimpArg`. This is the main argument to `dsimp`. -/
+syntax dsimpArgs := " [" dsimpArg,* "]"
+
+/-- The arguments to the `simpa` family tactics. -/
+syntax simpaArgsRest := (config)? (discharger)? &" only "? (simpArgs)? (" using " term)?
+
+/--
+This is a "finishing" tactic modification of `simp`. It has two forms.
+
+* `simpa [rules, ⋯] using e` will simplify the goal and the type of
+  `e` using `rules`, then try to close the goal using `e`.
+
+  Simplifying the type of `e` makes it more likely to match the goal
+  (which has also been simplified). This construction also tends to be
+  more robust under changes to the simp lemma set.
+
+* `simpa [rules, ⋯]` will simplify the goal and the type of a
+  hypothesis `this` if present in the context, then try to close the goal using
+  the `assumption` tactic.
+-/
+syntax (name := simpa) "simpa" "?"? "!"? simpaArgsRest : tactic
+
+@[inherit_doc simpa] macro "simpa!" rest:simpaArgsRest : tactic =>
+  `(tactic| simpa ! $rest:simpaArgsRest)
+
+@[inherit_doc simpa] macro "simpa?" rest:simpaArgsRest : tactic =>
+  `(tactic| simpa ? $rest:simpaArgsRest)
+
+@[inherit_doc simpa] macro "simpa?!" rest:simpaArgsRest : tactic =>
+  `(tactic| simpa ?! $rest:simpaArgsRest)
+
 /--
 `delta id1 id2 ...` delta-expands the definitions `id1`, `id2`, ....
 This is a low-level tactic, it will expose how recursive definitions have been
diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic.lean
index 442f478f98..88804673c7 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic.lean
@@ -31,3 +31,4 @@ import Lean.Elab.Tactic.Ext
 import Lean.Elab.Tactic.Change
 import Lean.Elab.Tactic.FalseOrByContra
 import Lean.Elab.Tactic.Omega
+import Lean.Elab.Tactic.Simpa
diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simpa.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simpa.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..267f8a7fa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simpa.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2018 Mario Carneiro. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Authors: Arthur Paulino, Gabriel Ebner, Mario Carneiro
+-/
+import Lean.Meta.Tactic.Assumption
+import Lean.Meta.Tactic.TryThis
+import Lean.Elab.Tactic.Simp
+import Lean.Linter.Util
+
+/--
+Enables the 'unnecessary `simpa`' linter. This will report if a use of
+`simpa` could be proven using `simp` or `simp at h` instead.
+-/
+register_option linter.unnecessarySimpa : Bool := {
+  defValue := true
+  descr := "enable the 'unnecessary simpa' linter"
+}
+
+namespace Std.Tactic.Simpa
+
+open Lean Parser.Tactic Elab Meta Term Tactic Simp Linter
+
+/-- Gets the value of the `linter.unnecessarySimpa` option. -/
+def getLinterUnnecessarySimpa (o : Options) : Bool :=
+  getLinterValue linter.unnecessarySimpa o
+
+deriving instance Repr for UseImplicitLambdaResult
+
+@[builtin_tactic Lean.Parser.Tactic.simpa] def evalSimpa : Tactic := fun stx => do
+  match stx with
+  | `(tactic| simpa%$tk $[?%$squeeze]? $[!%$unfold]? $(cfg)? $(disch)? $[only%$only]?
+        $[[$args,*]]? $[using $usingArg]?) => Elab.Tactic.focus do
+    let stx ← `(tactic| simp $(cfg)? $(disch)? $[only%$only]? $[[$args,*]]?)
+    let { ctx, simprocs, dischargeWrapper } ←
+      withMainContext <| mkSimpContext stx (eraseLocal := false)
+    let ctx := if unfold.isSome then { ctx with config.autoUnfold := true } else ctx
+    -- TODO: have `simpa` fail if it doesn't use `simp`.
+    let ctx := { ctx with config := { ctx.config with failIfUnchanged := false } }
+    dischargeWrapper.with fun discharge? => do
+      let (some (_, g), usedSimps) ← simpGoal (← getMainGoal) ctx (simprocs := simprocs)
+          (simplifyTarget := true) (discharge? := discharge?)
+        | if getLinterUnnecessarySimpa (← getOptions) then
+            logLint linter.unnecessarySimpa (← getRef) "try 'simp' instead of 'simpa'"
+      g.withContext do
+      let usedSimps ← if let some stx := usingArg then
+        setGoals [g]
+        g.withContext do
+        let e ← Tactic.elabTerm stx none (mayPostpone := true)
+        let (h, g) ← if let .fvar h ← instantiateMVars e then
+          pure (h, g)
+        else
+          (← g.assert `h (← inferType e) e).intro1
+        let (result?, usedSimps) ← simpGoal g ctx (simprocs := simprocs) (fvarIdsToSimp := #[h])
+          (simplifyTarget := false) (usedSimps := usedSimps) (discharge? := discharge?)
+        match result? with
+        | some (xs, g) =>
+          let h := match xs with | #[h] | #[] => h | _ => unreachable!
+          let name ← mkFreshBinderNameForTactic `h
+          let g ← g.rename h name
+          g.assign <|← g.withContext do
+            Tactic.elabTermEnsuringType (mkIdent name) (← g.getType)
+        | none =>
+          if getLinterUnnecessarySimpa (← getOptions) then
+            if (← getLCtx).getRoundtrippingUserName? h |>.isSome then
+              logLint linter.unnecessarySimpa (← getRef)
+                m!"try 'simp at {Expr.fvar h}' instead of 'simpa using {Expr.fvar h}'"
+        pure usedSimps
+      else if let some ldecl := (← getLCtx).findFromUserName? `this then
+        if let (some (_, g), usedSimps) ← simpGoal g ctx (simprocs := simprocs)
+            (fvarIdsToSimp := #[ldecl.fvarId]) (simplifyTarget := false) (usedSimps := usedSimps)
+            (discharge? := discharge?) then
+          g.assumption; pure usedSimps
+        else
+          pure usedSimps
+      else
+        g.assumption; pure usedSimps
+      if tactic.simp.trace.get (← getOptions) || squeeze.isSome then
+        let stx ← match ← mkSimpOnly stx usedSimps with
+          | `(tactic| simp $(cfg)? $(disch)? $[only%$only]? $[[$args,*]]?) =>
+            if unfold.isSome then
+              `(tactic| simpa! $(cfg)? $(disch)? $[only%$only]? $[[$args,*]]? $[using $usingArg]?)
+            else
+              `(tactic| simpa $(cfg)? $(disch)? $[only%$only]? $[[$args,*]]? $[using $usingArg]?)
+          | _ => unreachable!
+        TryThis.addSuggestion tk stx (origSpan? := ← getRef)
+    | _ => throwUnsupportedSyntax