diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/PreDefinition/WF/Eqns.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/PreDefinition/WF/Eqns.lean
index 7fdd43540f..c7e7342100 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/PreDefinition/WF/Eqns.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/PreDefinition/WF/Eqns.lean
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
 Authors: Leonardo de Moura
 -/
 import Lean.Meta.Tactic.Rewrite
+import Lean.Meta.Tactic.Split
 import Lean.Elab.PreDefinition.Basic
 import Lean.Elab.PreDefinition.Eqns
 
@@ -35,7 +36,29 @@ private def rwFixEq (mvarId : MVarId) : MetaM MVarId := withMVarContext mvarId d
   assignExprMVar mvarId (← mkEqTrans h mvarNew)
   return mvarNew.mvarId!
 
-private partial def mkProof (declName : Name) (type : Expr) : MetaM Expr := do
+private def hasWellFoundedFix (e : Expr) : Bool :=
+  Option.isSome <| e.find? (·.isConstOf ``WellFounded.fix)
+
+def simpMatchWF? (mvarId : MVarId) (info : EqnInfo) : MetaM (Option MVarId) := withMVarContext mvarId do
+  let target ← instantiateMVars (← getMVarType mvarId)
+  let targetNew ← Simp.main target (← Split.getSimpMatchContext) (methods := { pre })
+  let mvarIdNew ← applySimpResultToTarget mvarId target targetNew
+  if mvarId != mvarIdNew then return some mvarIdNew else return none
+where
+  pre (e : Expr) : SimpM Simp.Step := do
+    let some app ← matchMatcherApp? e | return Simp.Step.visit { expr := e }
+    if app.discrs.any hasWellFoundedFix then
+      -- TODO: try to fold `WellFounded.fix` occurrences in the discriminant
+      pure ()
+    -- First try to reduce matcher
+    match (← reduceRecMatcher? e) with
+    | some e' => return Simp.Step.done { expr := e' }
+    | none    =>
+      match (← Simp.simpMatchCore? app e SplitIf.discharge?) with
+      | some r => return r
+      | none => return Simp.Step.visit { expr := e }
+
+private partial def mkProof (declName : Name) (info : EqnInfo) (type : Expr) : MetaM Expr := do
   trace[Elab.definition.wf.eqns] "proving: {type}"
   withNewMCtxDepth do
     let main ← mkFreshExprSyntheticOpaqueMVar type
@@ -49,7 +72,7 @@ where
       return ()
     else if (← tryContradiction mvarId) then
       return ()
-    else if let some mvarId ← simpMatch? mvarId then
+    else if let some mvarId ← simpMatchWF? mvarId info then
       go mvarId
     else if let some mvarId ← simpIf? mvarId then
       go mvarId
@@ -80,7 +103,7 @@ def mkEqns (declName : Name) (info : EqnInfo) : MetaM (Array Name) :=
     trace[Elab.definition.wf.eqns] "{eqnTypes[i]}"
     let name := baseName ++ (`_eq).appendIndexAfter (i+1)
     thmNames := thmNames.push name
-    let value ← mkProof declName type
+    let value ← mkProof declName info type
     let (type, value) ← removeUnusedEqnHypotheses type value
     addDecl <| Declaration.thmDecl {
       name, type, value
diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Split.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Split.lean
index 1350300da5..4aaac1c7c5 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Split.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Split.lean
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import Lean.Meta.Tactic.Generalize
 namespace Lean.Meta
 namespace Split
 
-private def getSimpMatchContext : MetaM Simp.Context :=
+def getSimpMatchContext : MetaM Simp.Context :=
    return {
       simpTheorems   := {}
       congrTheorems := (← getSimpCongrTheorems)