diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Match/Match.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Match/Match.lean
index 118c8b56b3..ac81efe8d4 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Match/Match.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Match/Match.lean
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ public section
 
 namespace Lean.Meta.Match
 
+register_builtin_option backwards.match.rowMajor : Bool := {
+  defValue := true
+  group := "bootstrap"
+  descr := "If true (the default), match compilation will split the discrimnants based \
+    on position of the first constructor pattern in the first alternative. If false, \
+    it splits them from left to right, which can lead to unnecessary code bloat."
+}
+
+
 private def mkIncorrectNumberOfPatternsMsg [ToMessageData α]
     (discrepancyKind : String) (expected actual : Nat) (pats : List α) :=
   let patternsMsg := MessageData.joinSep (pats.map toMessageData) ", "
@@ -747,6 +756,46 @@ private def checkNextPatternTypes (p : Problem) : MetaM Unit := do
           unless (← isDefEq xType eType) do
             throwError "Type mismatch in pattern: Pattern{indentExpr e}\n{← mkHasTypeButIsExpectedMsg eType xType}"
 
+private def List.moveToFront [Inhabited α] (as : List α) (i : Nat) : List α :=
+  let rec loop : (as : List α) → (i : Nat) → α × List α
+    | [],    _   => unreachable!
+    | a::as, 0   => (a, as)
+    | a::as, i+1 =>
+      let (b, bs) := loop as i
+      (b, a::bs)
+  let (b, bs) := loop as i
+  b :: bs
+
+/-- Move variable `#i` to the beginning of the to-do list `p.vars`. -/
+private def moveToFront (p : Problem) (i : Nat) : Problem :=
+  if i == 0 then
+    p
+  else if i < p.vars.length then
+    { p with
+      vars := List.moveToFront p.vars i
+      alts := p.alts.map fun alt => { alt with patterns := List.moveToFront alt.patterns i }
+    }
+  else
+    p
+
+def Pattern.isRefutable : Pattern → Bool
+  | .var _           => false
+  | .inaccessible _  => false
+  | .as _ p _        => p.isRefutable
+  | .arrayLit ..     => true
+  | .ctor ..         => true
+  | .val ..          => true
+
+/--
+Returns the index of the first pattern in the first alternative that is refutable
+(i.e. not a variable or inaccessible pattern). We want to handle these first
+so that the generated code branches in the order suggested by the user's code.
+-/
+private def firstRefutablePattern (p : Problem) : Option Nat :=
+  match p.alts with
+  | alt:: _ => alt.patterns.findIdx? (·.isRefutable)
+  | _ => none
+
 def isExFalsoTransition (p : Problem) : MetaM Bool := do
   if p.alts.isEmpty then
     withGoalOf p do
@@ -778,6 +827,21 @@ private partial def process (p : Problem) : StateRefT State MetaM Unit := do
     process p
     return
 
+  if backwards.match.rowMajor.get (← getOptions) then
+    match firstRefutablePattern p with
+    | some i =>
+      if i > 0 then
+        traceStep ("move var to front")
+        process (moveToFront p i)
+        return
+    | none =>
+      if 1 < p.alts.length then
+        traceStep ("drop all but first alt")
+        -- all patterns are irrefutable, we can drop all other alts
+        let p := { p with alts := p.alts.take 1 }
+        process p
+        return
+
   if (← isNatValueTransition p) then
     traceStep ("nat value to constructor")
     process (← expandNatValuePattern p)
diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Cases.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Cases.lean
index 2ca2f54608..011b004bf6 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Cases.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Cases.lean
@@ -237,11 +237,11 @@ partial def unifyEqs? (numEqs : Nat) (mvarId : MVarId) (subst : FVarSubst) (case
       return none
 
 private def unifyCasesEqs (numEqs : Nat) (subgoals : Array CasesSubgoal) : MetaM (Array CasesSubgoal) :=
-  subgoals.foldlM (init := #[]) fun subgoals s => do
+  subgoals.filterMapM fun s => do
     match (← unifyEqs? numEqs s.mvarId s.subst s.ctorName) with
-    | none                 => pure subgoals
+    | none                 => pure none
     | some (mvarId, subst) =>
-      return subgoals.push { s with
+      return some { s with
         mvarId := mvarId,
         subst  := subst,
         fields := s.fields.map (subst.apply ·)
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/issue10749.lean b/tests/lean/run/issue10749.lean
index 069f07ba75..b964a4d560 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/issue10749.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/issue10749.lean
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def test (a : List Nat) : Nat :=
 /--
 info: def test.match_1.{u_1} : (motive : List Nat → Sort u_1) →
   (a : List Nat) → ((x : List Nat) → motive x) → (Unit → motive []) → motive a :=
-fun motive a h_1 h_2 => List.casesOn a (h_1 []) fun head tail => h_1 (head :: tail)
+fun motive a h_1 h_2 => h_1 a
 -/
 #guard_msgs in #print test.match_1
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ info: def test2.match_1.{u_1} : (motive : List Nat → List Nat → Sort u_1) 
             (tail : List Nat) → (head_1 : Nat) → (tail_1 : List Nat) → motive (head :: tail) (head_1 :: tail_1)) →
           motive a b :=
 fun motive a b h_1 h_2 h_3 =>
-  List.casesOn a (List.casesOn b (h_1 []) fun head tail => h_1 (head :: tail)) fun head tail =>
+  List.casesOn a (h_1 b) fun head tail =>
     List.casesOn b (h_2 (head :: tail)) fun head_1 tail_1 => h_3 head tail head_1 tail_1
 -/
 #guard_msgs in #print test2.match_1
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ info: def test3.match_1.{u_1} : (motive : List Nat → Bool → Sort u_1) →
       ((x : List Nat) → motive x true) →
         ((x : Bool) → motive [] x) → ((x : List Nat) → (x_1 : Bool) → motive x x_1) → motive a b :=
 fun motive a b h_1 h_2 h_3 =>
-  List.casesOn a (Bool.casesOn b (h_2 false) (h_1 [])) fun head tail =>
-    Bool.casesOn b (h_3 (head :: tail) false) (h_1 (head :: tail))
+  Bool.casesOn b (List.casesOn a (h_2 false) fun head tail => h_3 (head :: tail) false) (h_1 a)
 -/
 #guard_msgs in #print test3.match_1
 
@@ -79,29 +78,33 @@ info: def test4.match_1.{u_1} : (motive : Bool → Bool → Bool → Bool → Bo
             ((x x_5 x_6 x_7 : Bool) → motive true x x_5 x_6 x_7) →
               ((x x_5 x_6 x_7 x_8 : Bool) → motive x x_5 x_6 x_7 x_8) → motive x x_1 x_2 x_3 x_4 :=
 fun motive x x_1 x_2 x_3 x_4 h_1 h_2 h_3 h_4 h_5 h_6 =>
-  Bool.casesOn x
-    (Bool.casesOn x_1
+  Bool.casesOn x_4
+    (Bool.casesOn x_3
       (Bool.casesOn x_2
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_6 false false false false false) (h_1 false false false false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 false false false false) (h_1 false false false true)))
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_3 false false false false) (h_1 false false true false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 false false true false) (h_1 false false true true))))
-      (Bool.casesOn x_2
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_4 false false false false) (h_1 false true false false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 false true false false) (h_1 false true false true)))
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_3 false true false false) (h_1 false true true false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 false true true false) (h_1 false true true true)))))
-    (Bool.casesOn x_1
-      (Bool.casesOn x_2
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_5 false false false false) (h_1 true false false false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 true false false false) (h_1 true false false true)))
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_3 true false false false) (h_1 true false true false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 true false true false) (h_1 true false true true))))
-      (Bool.casesOn x_2
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_4 true false false false) (h_1 true true false false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 true true false false) (h_1 true true false true)))
-        (Bool.casesOn x_3 (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_3 true true false false) (h_1 true true true false))
-          (Bool.casesOn x_4 (h_2 true true true false) (h_1 true true true true)))))
+        (Bool.casesOn x_1 (Bool.casesOn x (h_6 false false false false false) (h_5 false false false false))
+          (h_4 x false false false))
+        (h_3 x x_1 false false))
+      (h_2 x x_1 x_2 false))
+    (h_1 x x_1 x_2 x_3)
 -/
 #guard_msgs in
 #print test4.match_1
+
+-- Just testing the backwards compatibility option
+
+set_option match.ignoreUnusedAlts true in
+set_option backwards.match.rowMajor false in
+def testOld (a : List Nat) : Nat :=
+  match a with
+  | _ => 3
+  | [] => 4
+
+-- Has unnecessary `casesOn`
+
+/--
+info: def testOld.match_1.{u_1} : (motive : List Nat → Sort u_1) →
+  (a : List Nat) → ((x : List Nat) → motive x) → (Unit → motive []) → motive a :=
+fun motive a h_1 h_2 => List.casesOn a (h_1 []) fun head tail => h_1 (head :: tail)
+-/
+#guard_msgs in
+#print testOld.match_1
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/issue10794.lean b/tests/lean/run/issue10794.lean
index 91692f022e..361346c7bd 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/issue10794.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/issue10794.lean
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 /--
-error: Dependent match elimination failed: Could not solve constraints
-  true ≋ false
+error: Dependent elimination failed: Type mismatch when solving this alternative: it has type
+  motive false
+but is expected to have type
+  motive b✝
 -/
 #guard_msgs in
 def test1 b := match b with
@@ -8,8 +10,10 @@ def test1 b := match b with
   | true => 2
 
 /--
-error: Dependent match elimination failed: Could not solve constraints
-  true ≋ false
+error: Dependent elimination failed: Type mismatch when solving this alternative: it has type
+  motive false ⋯
+but is expected to have type
+  motive x✝¹ x✝
 -/
 #guard_msgs in
 def test2 : (b : Bool) → (h : b = false) → Nat
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/match1.lean b/tests/lean/run/match1.lean
index f14a4ae7c6..c3ae60a2b3 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/match1.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/match1.lean
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ partial def natToBin' : (n : Nat) → List Bool
 /--
 error: Tactic `cases` failed with a nested error:
 Dependent elimination failed: Failed to solve equation
-  Nat.zero = n✝.add n✝
+  n✝¹.succ = n✝.add n✝
 at case `Parity.even` after processing
-  Nat.zero, _
+  (Nat.succ _), _
 the dependent pattern matcher can solve the following kinds of equations
 - <var> = <term> and <term> = <var>
 - <term> = <term> where the terms are definitionally equal
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/matchOverlapInaccesible.lean b/tests/lean/run/matchOverlapInaccesible.lean
index af459f68a3..b2d3e6d7f7 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/matchOverlapInaccesible.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/matchOverlapInaccesible.lean
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ else
 /--
 error: Tactic `cases` failed with a nested error:
 Dependent elimination failed: Failed to solve equation
-  Nat.zero = n✝.add n✝
+  n✝¹.succ = n✝.add n✝
 at case `Parity.even` after processing
-  Nat.zero, _
+  (Nat.succ _), _
 the dependent pattern matcher can solve the following kinds of equations
 - <var> = <term> and <term> = <var>
 - <term> = <term> where the terms are definitionally equal
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ def parity (n : MyNat) : Parity n := sorry
 /--
 error: Tactic `cases` failed with a nested error:
 Dependent elimination failed: Failed to solve equation
-  zero = n✝.add n✝
+  a✝.succ = n✝.add n✝
 at case `Parity.even` after processing
-  zero, _
+  (succ _), _
 the dependent pattern matcher can solve the following kinds of equations
 - <var> = <term> and <term> = <var>
 - <term> = <term> where the terms are definitionally equal