diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Apply.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Apply.lean
index ab0fa565b2..c7a76c02c5 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Apply.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Apply.lean
@@ -61,19 +61,38 @@ private def dependsOnOthers (mvar : Expr) (otherMVars : Array Expr) : MetaM Bool
       let otherMVarType ← inferType otherMVar
       return (otherMVarType.findMVar? fun mvarId => mvarId == mvar.mvarId!).isSome
 
-private def reorderNonDependentFirst (newMVars : Array Expr) : MetaM (List MVarId) := do
-  let (nonDeps, deps) ← newMVars.foldlM (init := (#[], #[])) fun (nonDeps, deps) mvar => do
+/-- Partitions the given mvars in to two arrays (non-deps, deps)
+according to whether the given mvar depends on other mvars in the array.-/
+private def partitionDependentMVars (mvars : Array Expr) : MetaM $ Prod (Array MVarId) (Array MVarId) :=
+  mvars.foldlM (init := (#[], #[])) fun (nonDeps, deps) mvar => do
     let currMVarId := mvar.mvarId!
-    if (← dependsOnOthers mvar newMVars) then
+    if (← dependsOnOthers mvar mvars) then
       pure (nonDeps, deps.push currMVarId)
     else
       pure (nonDeps.push currMVarId, deps)
-  return nonDeps.toList ++ deps.toList
 
+/-- Controls which new mvars are turned in to goals by the `apply` tactic.
+- `nonDependentFirst`  mvars that don't depend on other goals appear first in the goal list.
+- `nonDependentOnly` only mvars that don't depend on other goals are added to goal list.
+- `all` all unassigned mvars are added to the goal list.
+-/
 inductive ApplyNewGoals where
   | nonDependentFirst | nonDependentOnly | all
 
-def apply (mvarId : MVarId) (e : Expr) : MetaM (List MVarId) :=
+private def reorderGoals (mvars : Array Expr) : ApplyNewGoals → MetaM (List MVarId)
+  | ApplyNewGoals.nonDependentFirst => do
+      let (nonDeps, deps) ← partitionDependentMVars mvars
+      return nonDeps.toList ++ deps.toList
+  | ApplyNewGoals.nonDependentOnly => do
+      let (nonDeps, deps) ← partitionDependentMVars mvars
+      return nonDeps.toList
+  | ApplyNewGoals.all => pure $ Array.toList $ mvars.map Lean.Expr.mvarId!
+
+/-- Configures the behaviour of the `apply` tactic. -/
+structure ApplyConfig :=
+  (newGoals := ApplyNewGoals.nonDependentFirst)
+
+def apply (mvarId : MVarId) (e : Expr) (cfg : ApplyConfig := {}) : MetaM (List MVarId) :=
   withMVarContext mvarId do
     checkNotAssigned mvarId `apply
     let targetType ← getMVarType mvarId
@@ -89,8 +108,7 @@ def apply (mvarId : MVarId) (e : Expr) : MetaM (List MVarId) :=
     assignExprMVar mvarId (mkAppN e newMVars)
     let newMVars ← newMVars.filterM fun mvar => not <$> isExprMVarAssigned mvar.mvarId!
     let otherMVarIds ← getMVarsNoDelayed e
-    -- TODO: add option `ApplyNewGoals` and implement other orders
-    let newMVarIds ← reorderNonDependentFirst newMVars
+    let newMVarIds ← reorderGoals newMVars cfg.newGoals
     let otherMVarIds := otherMVarIds.filter fun mvarId => !newMVarIds.contains mvarId
     let result := newMVarIds ++ otherMVarIds.toList
     result.forM headBetaMVarType
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean b/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1f9ccc100
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import Lean
+open Lean
+open Lean.Elab
+open Lean.Meta
+open Lean.Elab.Tactic
+
+example (a b c : Nat) (h₁ : a = b) (h₂ : b = c) : a = c := by
+  apply Eq.trans _ h₂  -- the metavars created during elaboration become new goals
+  trace_state
+  exact h₁
+
+example (a : Nat) : ∃ x, x = a := by
+  apply Exists.intro  -- the goal for the witness should occur "after" the goal for x = a
+  trace_state
+  rfl
+
+elab "fapply " e:term : tactic =>
+  evalApplyLikeTactic (Meta.apply (cfg := {newGoals := ApplyNewGoals.all})) e
+
+elab "eapply " e:term : tactic =>
+  evalApplyLikeTactic (Meta.apply (cfg := {newGoals := ApplyNewGoals.nonDependentOnly})) e
+
+example (a : Nat) : ∃ x, x = a := by
+  eapply Exists.intro  -- only metavars with out forward dependencies are added as goals.
+  trace_state
+  rfl
+
+example (a : Nat) : ∃ x, x = a := by
+  fapply Exists.intro  -- all unassigned metavars are added as new goals using the order they were created.
+  trace_state
+  exact a
+  trace_state
+  rfl
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6b736c9c21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/run/apply_tac.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+a b c : Nat
+h₁ : a = b
+h₂ : b = c
+⊢ a = b
+case h
+a : Nat
+⊢ ?w = a
+
+case w
+a : Nat
+⊢ Nat
+case h
+a : Nat
+⊢ ?w = a
+case w
+a : Nat
+⊢ Nat
+
+case h
+a : Nat
+⊢ ?w = a
+case h
+a : Nat
+⊢ a = a