diff --git a/chorale.cabal b/chorale.cabal
--- a/chorale.cabal
+++ b/chorale.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:           chorale
-version:        0.1.7
+version:        0.1.8
 homepage:       https://github.com/mocnik-science/chorale
 bug-reports:    https://github.com/mocnik-science/chorale/issues
 synopsis:       A module containing basic functions that the prelude does not offer
diff --git a/src/Chorale/Common.hs b/src/Chorale/Common.hs
--- a/src/Chorale/Common.hs
+++ b/src/Chorale/Common.hs
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@
     mapRight,
     fromLeft,
     fromRight,
+    fromLeftMay,
+    fromRightMay,
     Either3(..)) where
 
 import Control.Monad
@@ -838,6 +840,16 @@
 fromRight :: Either a b -> b
 fromRight (Right b) = b
 fromRight _ = error "Error: fromRight on Left"
+
+-- | safe variant of 'fromLeft'
+fromLeftMay :: Either a b -> Maybe a
+fromLeftMay (Left a) = Just a
+fromLeftMay _ = Nothing
+
+-- | safe variant of 'fromRight'
+fromRightMay :: Either a b -> Maybe b
+fromRightMay (Right b) = Just b
+fromRightMay _ = Nothing
 
 -- | 'Either'-like type for 3 values
 data Either3 a b c = E1 a | E2 b | E3 c