diff --git a/src/library/defeq_canonizer.cpp b/src/library/defeq_canonizer.cpp
index d7bbc75904..bba5083bde 100644
--- a/src/library/defeq_canonizer.cpp
+++ b/src/library/defeq_canonizer.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 #include "kernel/instantiate.h"
 #include "library/locals.h"
 #include "library/type_context.h"
-#include "library/cache_helper.h"
 
 namespace lean {
 struct defeq_canonize_cache {
@@ -20,31 +19,42 @@ struct defeq_canonize_cache {
        for each e in es, head_symbol(e) = N. */
     name_map<list<expr>>  m_M;
     defeq_canonize_cache(environment const & env):m_env(env) {}
-    environment const & env() const { return m_env; }
 };
 
-/* The defeq_canonize_cache does not depend on the transparency mode */
-typedef transparencyless_cache_compatibility_helper<defeq_canonize_cache>
-defeq_canonize_cache_helper;
+typedef std::shared_ptr<defeq_canonize_cache> defeq_canonize_cache_ptr;
 
-MK_THREAD_LOCAL_GET_DEF(defeq_canonize_cache_helper, get_dcch);
+MK_THREAD_LOCAL_GET_DEF(defeq_canonize_cache_ptr, get_cache_ptr);
 
-defeq_canonize_cache & get_defeq_canonize_cache_for(type_context const & ctx) {
-    return get_dcch().get_cache_for(ctx);
+static defeq_canonize_cache_ptr get_cache(environment const & env) {
+    auto & cache_ptr = get_cache_ptr();
+    if (!cache_ptr || !env.is_descendant(cache_ptr->m_env))
+        return std::make_shared<defeq_canonize_cache>(env);
+    defeq_canonize_cache_ptr r = cache_ptr;
+    r->m_env = env;
+    cache_ptr.reset();
+    return r;
+}
+
+static void recycle_cache(defeq_canonize_cache_ptr const & cache) {
+    get_cache_ptr() = cache;
 }
 
 struct defeq_canonize_fn {
     type_context &                   m_ctx;
-    defeq_canonize_cache &           m_cache;
+    defeq_canonize_cache_ptr         m_cache;
     type_context::transparency_scope m_scope;
     bool &                           m_updated;
 
     defeq_canonize_fn(type_context & ctx, bool & updated):
         m_ctx(ctx),
-        m_cache(get_defeq_canonize_cache_for(ctx)),
+        m_cache(get_cache(ctx.env())),
         m_scope(m_ctx, transparency_mode::All),
         m_updated(updated) {}
 
+    ~defeq_canonize_fn() {
+        recycle_cache(m_cache);
+    }
+
     optional<name> get_head_symbol(expr type) {
         type    = m_ctx.whnf(type);
         expr const & fn = get_app_fn(type);
@@ -60,7 +70,7 @@ struct defeq_canonize_fn {
     }
 
     optional<expr> find_defeq(name const & h, expr const & e) {
-        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache.m_M.find(h);
+        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache->m_M.find(h);
         if (!lst) return none_expr();
         for (expr const & e1 : *lst) {
             if (locals_subset(e1, e) && m_ctx.is_def_eq(e1, e))
@@ -70,33 +80,33 @@ struct defeq_canonize_fn {
     }
 
     void replace_C(expr const & e1, expr const & e2) {
-        m_cache.m_C.erase(e1);
-        m_cache.m_C.insert(mk_pair(e1, e2));
+        m_cache->m_C.erase(e1);
+        m_cache->m_C.insert(mk_pair(e1, e2));
         m_updated = true;
     }
 
     void insert_C(expr const & e1, expr const & e2) {
-        m_cache.m_C.insert(mk_pair(e1, e2));
+        m_cache->m_C.insert(mk_pair(e1, e2));
     }
 
     void insert_M(name const & h, expr const & e) {
-        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache.m_M.find(h);
+        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache->m_M.find(h);
         if (lst) {
-            m_cache.m_M.insert(h, cons(e, *lst));
+            m_cache->m_M.insert(h, cons(e, *lst));
         } else {
-            m_cache.m_M.insert(h, to_list(e));
+            m_cache->m_M.insert(h, to_list(e));
         }
     }
 
     void replace_M(name const & h, expr const & e, expr const & new_e) {
-        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache.m_M.find(h);
+        list<expr> const * lst = m_cache->m_M.find(h);
         lean_assert(lst);
-        m_cache.m_M.insert(h, cons(new_e, remove(*lst, e)));
+        m_cache->m_M.insert(h, cons(new_e, remove(*lst, e)));
     }
 
     expr canonize(expr const & e) {
-        auto it = m_cache.m_C.find(e);
-        if (it != m_cache.m_C.end()) {
+        auto it = m_cache->m_C.find(e);
+        if (it != m_cache->m_C.end()) {
             expr e1 = it->second;
             if (e1 == e)
                 return e;
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean b/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean
index 4ccd279735..202944cfb1 100644
--- a/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ definition nat_has_add2 : has_add nat :=
 has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
 
 set_option pp.all true
--- set_option trace.defeq_simplifier true
 
 open tactic
 
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ by do
   get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
   constructor
 
-constant x1 : nat -- update the environment to force defeq_canonize cache to be reset
 
 example (a b : nat) (H : (λ x : nat, @add nat (id (id nat.has_add)) a b) = (λ x : nat, @add nat nat_has_add2 a x)) : true :=
 by do
@@ -22,36 +20,3 @@ by do
 attribute [reducible]
 definition nat_has_add3 : nat → has_add nat :=
 λ n, has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
-
-constant x2 : nat -- update the environment to force defeq_canonize cache to be reset
-
-example (a b : nat) (H : (λ x : nat, @add nat nat_has_add2 a x) = (λ x : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b)) : true :=
-by do
-  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
-  constructor
-
-constant x3 : nat
-
--- Example where instance canonization does not work.
--- Remark: we can "fix" it by re-running defeq_simp until there is no change.
--- However, this is too expensive. Well, if users want they can define their own defeq_simp that implements this
--- behavior.
-example (a b : nat) (H : (λ x : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) = (λ x : nat, @add nat nat_has_add2 a x)) : true :=
-by do
-  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
-  trace "---------",
-  -- The following should work
-  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
-  constructor
-
-constant x4 : nat -- update the environment to force defeq_canonize cache to be reset
-
--- Example where instance canonization does not work.
--- This is a different issue. We can only make them work if we normalize (nat_has_add3 x) and (nat_has_add3 y).
--- Again, the user can workaround it by manually normalizing these instances before invoking defeq_simp.
-example (a b : nat)
-        (H : (λ x y : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) =
-             (λ x y : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 y) a x)) : true :=
-by do
-  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
-  constructor
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean.expected.out
index 132c817a04..a3d9ecf26b 100644
--- a/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean.expected.out
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp1.lean.expected.out
@@ -1,8 +1,2 @@
 @eq.{1} nat (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b)
 @eq.{1} (nat → nat) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a)
-@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b)
-@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a)
----------
-@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a)
-@eq.{1} (nat → nat → nat) (λ (x y : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b)
-  (λ (x y : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 y) a x)
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean b/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..753e099af1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add2 : has_add nat :=
+has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add3 : nat → has_add nat :=
+λ n, has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+open tactic
+set_option pp.all true
+
+example (a b : nat) (H : (λ x : nat, @add nat nat_has_add2 a x) = (λ x : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b)) : true :=
+by do
+  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
+  constructor
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0bec90d850
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp3.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b)
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean b/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e350e33290
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add2 : has_add nat :=
+has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add3 : nat → has_add nat :=
+λ n, has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+open tactic
+set_option pp.all true
+
+-- Example where instance canonization does not work.
+-- Remark: we can "fix" it by re-running defeq_simp until there is no change.
+-- However, this is too expensive. Well, if users want they can define their own defeq_simp that implements this
+-- behavior.
+example (a b : nat) (H : (λ x : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) = (λ x : nat, @add nat nat_has_add2 a x)) : true :=
+by do
+  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
+  trace "---------",
+  -- The following should work
+  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
+  constructor
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2da169253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp4.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a)
+---------
+@eq.{1} (nat → nat) (λ (x : nat), @add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a b) (@add.{1} nat nat_has_add2 a)
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean b/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cdbffe490a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add2 : has_add nat :=
+has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+attribute [reducible]
+definition nat_has_add3 : nat → has_add nat :=
+λ n, has_add.mk (λ x y : nat, x + y)
+
+open tactic
+set_option pp.all true
+
+-- Example where instance canonization does not work.
+-- This is a different issue. We can only make them work if we normalize (nat_has_add3 x) and (nat_has_add3 y).
+-- Again, the user can workaround it by manually normalizing these instances before invoking defeq_simp.
+example (a b : nat)
+        (H : (λ x y : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b) =
+             (λ x y : nat, @add nat (nat_has_add3 y) a x)) : true :=
+by do
+  get_local `H >>= infer_type >>= defeq_simp >>= trace,
+  constructor
diff --git a/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca8f8707ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/defeq_simp5.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+@eq.{1} (nat → nat → nat) (λ (x y : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 x) a b)
+  (λ (x y : nat), @add.{1} nat (nat_has_add3 y) a x)