diff --git a/Control/Monad/Fail.hs b/Control/Monad/Fail.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/Control/Monad/Fail.hs
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+-- |
+-- Module      :  Control.Monad.Fail
+-- Copyright   :  (C) 2015 David Luposchainsky,
+--                (C) 2015 Herbert Valerio Riedel
+-- License     :  BSD-style (see the file LICENSE)
+--
+-- Maintainer  :  libraries@haskell.org
+-- Stability   :  provisional
+-- Portability :  portable
+--
+-- Transitional module providing the 'MonadFail' class and primitive
+-- instances.
+--
+-- This module can be imported for defining forward compatible
+-- 'MonadFail' instances:
+--
+-- @
+-- import qualified Control.Monad.Fail as Fail
+--
+-- instance Monad Foo where
+--   (>>=) = {- ...bind impl... -}
+--
+--   -- Provide legacy 'fail' implementation for when
+--   -- new-style MonadFail desugaring is not enabled.
+--   fail = Fail.fail
+--
+-- instance Fail.MonadFail Foo where
+--   fail = {- ...fail implementation... -}
+-- @
+--
+-- See <https://prime.haskell.org/wiki/Libraries/Proposals/MonadFail>
+-- for more details.
+--
+-- @since 4.9.0.0
+--
+module Control.Monad.Fail ( MonadFail(fail) ) where
+
+import qualified Prelude as P
+import Prelude hiding (fail)
+
+import Text.ParserCombinators.ReadP
+import Text.ParserCombinators.ReadPrec
+
+-- | When a value is bound in @do@-notation, the pattern on the left
+-- hand side of @<-@ might not match. In this case, this class
+-- provides a function to recover.
+--
+-- A 'Monad' without a 'MonadFail' instance may only be used in conjunction
+-- with pattern that always match, such as newtypes, tuples, data types with
+-- only a single data constructor, and irrefutable patterns (@~pat@).
+--
+-- Instances of 'MonadFail' should satisfy the following law: @fail s@ should
+-- be a left zero for '>>=',
+--
+-- @
+-- fail s >>= f  =  fail s
+-- @
+--
+-- If your 'Monad' is also 'MonadPlus', a popular definition is
+--
+-- @
+-- fail _ = mzero
+-- @
+--
+-- @since 4.9.0.0
+class Monad m => MonadFail m where
+    fail :: String -> m a
+
+-- instances provided by base-4.9
+
+instance MonadFail Maybe where
+    fail _ = Nothing
+
+instance MonadFail [] where
+    fail _ = []
+
+instance MonadFail IO where
+    fail = P.fail
+
+instance MonadFail ReadPrec where
+    fail = P.fail -- = P (\_ -> fail s)
+
+instance MonadFail ReadP where
+    fail = P.fail
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
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+Copyright (c) 2015, David Luposchainsky & Herbert Valerio Riedel
+
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+    * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+    * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+      copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+      disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
+      with the distribution.
+
+    * Neither the name of Herbert Valerio Riedel nor the names of other
+      contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+      from this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+"AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
diff --git a/Setup.hs b/Setup.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/Setup.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import Distribution.Simple
+main = defaultMain
diff --git a/fail.cabal b/fail.cabal
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/fail.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name:                fail
+version:             4.9.0.0
+synopsis:            Forward-compatible MonadFail class
+homepage:            https://prime.haskell.org/wiki/Libraries/Proposals/MonadFail
+license:             BSD3
+license-file:        LICENSE
+author:              Herbert Valerio Riedel
+maintainer:          libraries@haskell.org
+category:            Development
+build-type:          Simple
+cabal-version:       >=1.10
+description:
+  This package contains the "Control.Monad.Fail" module providing the
+  <https://prime.haskell.org/wiki/Libraries/Proposals/MonadFail MonadFail>
+  class that became available in
+  <https://hackage.haskell.org/package/base-4.9.0.0 base-4.9.0.0>
+  for older @base@ package versions.
+  .
+  This package turns into an empty package when used with GHC versions
+  which already provide the "Control.Monad.Fail" module to make way for
+  GHC's own "Control.Monad.Fail" module.
+
+library
+  default-language: Haskell2010
+
+  if !impl(ghc >= 8.0)
+    exposed-modules: Control.Monad.Fail
+    build-depends:   base >=4.3 && <4.9