diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 dist
+dist-newstyle
 docs
 wiki
 TAGS
@@ -11,3 +12,21 @@
 *.hi
 *~
 *#
+.stack-work/
+cabal-dev
+*.chi
+*.chs.h
+*.dyn_o
+*.dyn_hi
+.hpc
+.hsenv
+.cabal-sandbox/
+cabal.sandbox.config
+*.prof
+*.aux
+*.hp
+*.eventlog
+cabal.project.local
+cabal.project.local~
+.HTF/
+.ghc.environment.*
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,67 +1,160 @@
-# NB: don't set `language: haskell` here
+# This Travis job script has been generated by a script via
+#
+#   runghc make_travis_yml_2.hs '-o' '.travis.yml' '--irc-channel=irc.freenode.org#haskell-lens' '--no-no-tests-no-bench' '--no-installed' 'cabal.project'
+#
+# For more information, see https://github.com/hvr/multi-ghc-travis
+#
+language: c
+sudo: false
 
-# See also https://github.com/hvr/multi-ghc-travis for more information
-env:
- - GHCVER=7.0.4 CABALVER=1.16
- # we have to use CABALVER=1.16 for GHC<7.6 as well, as there's
- # no package for earlier cabal versions in the PPA
- - GHCVER=7.4.2 CABALVER=1.16
- - GHCVER=7.6.3 CABALVER=1.16 OPTS="--constraint=hashable>=1.2"
- - GHCVER=7.6.3 CABALVER=1.16 OPTS="--constraint=hashable<1.2"
- - GHCVER=7.6.3 CABALVER=1.16 OPTS=-f-hashable
- - GHCVER=7.8.3 CABALVER=1.18 OPTS="--constraint=hashable>=1.2"
- - GHCVER=7.8.3 CABALVER=1.18 OPTS="--constraint=hashable<1.2"
- - GHCVER=7.8.3 CABALVER=1.18 OPTS=-f-hashable
- # NOTE: we can't use Cabal 1.20 yet due to
- #  https://github.com/haskell/cabal/issues/1806
- - GHCVER=head  CABALVER=head
+git:
+  submodules: false  # whether to recursively clone submodules
 
+notifications:
+  irc:
+    channels:
+      - "irc.freenode.org#haskell-lens"
+    skip_join: true
+    template:
+      - "\x0313nats\x03/\x0306%{branch}\x03 \x0314%{commit}\x03 %{build_url} %{message}"
+
+cache:
+  directories:
+    - $HOME/.cabal/packages
+    - $HOME/.cabal/store
+
+before_cache:
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/build-reports.log
+  # remove files that are regenerated by 'cabal update'
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/00-index.*
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/*.json
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/01-index.cache
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/01-index.tar
+  - rm -fv $HOME/.cabal/packages/hackage.haskell.org/01-index.tar.idx
+
+  - rm -rfv $HOME/.cabal/packages/head.hackage
+
 matrix:
+  include:
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-hashable"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-template-haskell"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-binary"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-hashable -f-template-haskell"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-hashable -f-binary"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.0.4"
+      env: CABALFLAGS="-f-binary -f-template-haskell"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.0.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.2.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.2.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.4.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.4.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.6.3"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.6.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.8.4"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.8.4], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-7.10.3"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-7.10.3], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-8.0.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-8.0.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-8.2.2"
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-2.0,ghc-8.2.2], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-8.4.1"
+      env: GHCHEAD=true
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-head,ghc-8.4.1], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+    - compiler: "ghc-head"
+      env: GHCHEAD=true
+      addons: {apt: {packages: [ghc-ppa-tools,cabal-install-head,ghc-head], sources: [hvr-ghc]}}
+
   allow_failures:
-   - env: GHCVER=head  CABALVER=head
+    - compiler: "ghc-8.4.1"
+    - compiler: "ghc-head"
 
-# Note: the distinction between `before_install` and `install` is not
-#       important.
 before_install:
- - travis_retry sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:hvr/ghc
- - travis_retry sudo apt-get update
- - travis_retry sudo apt-get install cabal-install-$CABALVER ghc-$GHCVER
- - export PATH=/opt/ghc/$GHCVER/bin:/opt/cabal/$CABALVER/bin:$PATH
- - cabal --version
- - echo "$(ghc --version) [$(ghc --print-project-git-commit-id 2> /dev/null || echo '?')]"
+  - HC=${CC}
+  - HCVER=${HC/ghc-/}
+  - HCPKG=${HC/ghc/ghc-pkg}
+  - unset CC
+  - ROOTDIR=$(pwd)
+  - mkdir -p $HOME/.local/bin
+  - "PATH=/opt/ghc/bin:/opt/ghc-ppa-tools/bin:$HOME/local/bin:$PATH"
+  - HCNUMVER=$(( $(${HC} --numeric-version|sed -E 's/([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+).*/\1 * 10000 + \2 * 100 + \3/') ))
+  - echo $HCNUMVER
 
 install:
- - travis_retry cabal update
- - cabal install --only-dependencies
+  - cabal --version
+  - echo "$(${HC} --version) [$(${HC} --print-project-git-commit-id 2> /dev/null || echo '?')]"
+  - BENCH=${BENCH---enable-benchmarks}
+  - TEST=${TEST---enable-tests}
+  - |
+    if dpkg --compare-versions "${HCVER}" lt "7.10"; then
+      HADDOCK=${HADDOCK-true}
+    else # Nothing to do
+      HADDOCK=${HADDOCK-false}
+    fi
+  - INSTALLED=${INSTALLED-true}
+  - GHCHEAD=${GHCHEAD-false}
+  - travis_retry cabal update -v
+  - "sed -i.bak 's/^jobs:/-- jobs:/' ${HOME}/.cabal/config"
+  - rm -fv cabal.project cabal.project.local
+  # Overlay Hackage Package Index for GHC HEAD: https://github.com/hvr/head.hackage
+  - |
+    if $GHCHEAD; then
+      sed -i.bak 's/-- allow-newer:.*/allow-newer: *:base, *:template-haskell, *:ghc, *:Cabal/' ${HOME}/.cabal/config
 
-# Here starts the actual work to be performed for the package under
-# test; any command which exits with a non-zero exit code causes the
-# build to fail.
+      echo 'repository head.hackage'                                                        >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '   url: http://head.hackage.haskell.org/'                                       >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '   secure: True'                                                                >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '   root-keys: 07c59cb65787dedfaef5bd5f987ceb5f7e5ebf88b904bbd4c5cbdeb2ff71b740' >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '              2e8555dde16ebd8df076f1a8ef13b8f14c66bad8eafefd7d9e37d0ed711821fb' >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '              8f79fd2389ab2967354407ec852cbe73f2e8635793ac446d09461ffb99527f6e' >> ${HOME}/.cabal/config
+      echo '   key-threshold: 3'                                                            >> ${HOME}/.cabal.config
+
+      cabal new-update head.hackage -v
+    fi
+  - grep -Ev -- '^\s*--' ${HOME}/.cabal/config | grep -Ev '^\s*$'
+  - "printf 'packages: \".\"\\n' > cabal.project"
+  - cat cabal.project
+  - if [ -f "./configure.ac" ]; then
+      (cd "." && autoreconf -i);
+    fi
+  - rm -f cabal.project.freeze
+  - cabal new-build -w ${HC} ${TEST} ${BENCH} --project-file="cabal.project" --dep -j2 all
+  - rm -rf "."/.ghc.environment.* "."/dist
+  - DISTDIR=$(mktemp -d /tmp/dist-test.XXXX)
+
+# Here starts the actual work to be performed for the package under test;
+# any command which exits with a non-zero exit code causes the build to fail.
 script:
- # -v2 provides useful information for debugging
- - cabal configure -v2 $OPTS
+  # test that source-distributions can be generated
+  - (cd "." && cabal sdist)
+  - mv "."/dist/nats-*.tar.gz ${DISTDIR}/
+  - cd ${DISTDIR} || false
+  - find . -maxdepth 1 -name '*.tar.gz' -exec tar -xvf '{}' \;
+  - "printf 'packages: nats-*/*.cabal\\n' > cabal.project"
+  - cat cabal.project
 
- # this builds all libraries and executables
- # (including tests/benchmarks)
- - cabal build
 
- # tests that a source-distribution can be generated
- - cabal sdist
+  # build & run tests, build benchmarks
+  - cabal new-build -w ${HC} ${TEST} ${BENCH} all
 
- # check that the generated source-distribution can be built & installed
- - export SRC_TGZ=$(cabal info . | awk '{print $2 ".tar.gz";exit}') ;
-   cd dist/;
-   if [ -f "$SRC_TGZ" ]; then
-      cabal install --force-reinstalls "$SRC_TGZ";
-   else
-      echo "expected '$SRC_TGZ' not found";
-      exit 1;
-   fi
+  # cabal check
+  - (cd nats-* && cabal check)
 
-notifications:
-  irc:
-    channels:
-      - "irc.freenode.org#haskell-lens"
-    skip_join: true
-    template:
-      - "\x0313nats\x03/\x0306%{branch}\x03 \x0314%{commit}\x03 %{build_url} %{message}"
+  # haddock
+  - rm -rf ./dist-newstyle
+  - if $HADDOCK; then cabal new-haddock -w ${HC} ${TEST} ${BENCH} all; else echo "Skipping haddock generation";fi
+
+# REGENDATA ["-o",".travis.yml","--irc-channel=irc.freenode.org#haskell-lens","--no-no-tests-no-bench","--no-installed","cabal.project"]
+# EOF
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.markdown b/CHANGELOG.markdown
--- a/CHANGELOG.markdown
+++ b/CHANGELOG.markdown
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+1.1.2 [2018-02-06]
+------------------
+* Don't enable `Safe` on GHC 7.2.
+
+1.1.1
+-----
+* Backported a more efficient `Binary` instance for `Nat`
+* Allow `binary-0.8`
+
+1.1
+---
+* Backported `Lift` instances.
+
 1.0
 ---
 * Make `nats` a compat-package since `Numeric.Natural` moved to `base-4.8.0.0`.
diff --git a/nats.cabal b/nats.cabal
--- a/nats.cabal
+++ b/nats.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name:          nats
 category:      Numeric, Algebra
-version:       1
+version:       1.1.2
 license:       BSD3
 cabal-version: >= 1.10
 license-file:  LICENSE
@@ -11,8 +11,17 @@
 bug-reports:   http://github.com/ekmett/nats/issues
 copyright:     Copyright (C) 2011-2014 Edward A. Kmett
 synopsis:      Natural numbers
-description:   Natural numbers
+description:   Natural numbers.
 build-type:    Simple
+tested-with:   GHC == 7.0.4
+             , GHC == 7.2.2
+             , GHC == 7.4.2
+             , GHC == 7.6.3
+             , GHC == 7.8.4
+             , GHC == 7.10.3
+             , GHC == 8.0.2
+             , GHC == 8.2.2
+             , GHC == 8.4.1
 extra-source-files:
   .ghci
   .gitignore
@@ -31,21 +40,50 @@
     .
     Disabling this is an unsupported configuration, but it may be useful for accelerating builds in sandboxes for expert users.
     .
-    If disabled we will not supply an instance of `Hashable`
+    If disabled we will not supply an instance of `Hashable`.
   default: True
   manual: True
 
+flag binary
+  description:
+    You can disable the use of the `binary` package using `-f-binary`.
+    .
+    Disabling this is an unsupported configuration, but it may be useful for accelerating builds in sandboxes for expert users.
+    .
+    If disabled we will not supply an instance of `Binary`.
+  default: True
+  manual: True
+
+flag template-haskell
+  description:
+    You can disable the use of the `template-haskell` package using `-f-template-haskell`.
+    .
+    Disabling this is an unsupported configuration, but it may be useful for accelerating builds in sandboxes for expert users.
+    .
+    If disabled we will not supply an instance of `Lift`.
+  default: True
+  manual: True
+
 library
   default-language: Haskell98
   if impl(ghc<7)
     -- {-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable #-} is only understood starting w/ GHC-7.0
     default-extensions: DeriveDataTypeable
 
-  if !impl(ghc>=7.9)
+  if impl(ghc<7.9)
     -- Starting with GHC 7.10/base-4.8, "Numeric.Natural" lives in `base`
     hs-source-dirs: src
     exposed-modules: Numeric.Natural
     ghc-options: -Wall
-    build-depends: base >= 2 && < 4.8
+
+    -- the needlessly relaxed bound here is to due to stack shenanigans
+    build-depends: base >= 2 && < 5
+
+    if flag(binary)
+      build-depends: binary >= 0.2 && < 0.9
+
+    if flag(template-haskell)
+      build-depends: template-haskell >= 2.2 && < 2.12
+
     if flag(hashable)
       build-depends: hashable >= 1.1 && < 1.3
diff --git a/src/Numeric/Natural.hs b/src/Numeric/Natural.hs
--- a/src/Numeric/Natural.hs
+++ b/src/Numeric/Natural.hs
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 #define MIN_VERSION_base(x,y,z) 1
 #endif
 
-#if defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) && __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 702
-#ifdef MIN_VERSION_hashable
+#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 702
+#if defined(MIN_VERSION_hashable) || defined(MIN_VERSION_template_haskell) \
+                                  || __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ == 702
 {-# LANGUAGE Trustworthy #-}
 #else
 {-# LANGUAGE Safe #-}
@@ -35,15 +36,32 @@
 module Numeric.Natural ( Natural ) where
 
 import Control.Exception ( throw, ArithException(Underflow) )
+
+#ifdef MIN_VERSION_binary
+import Control.Monad (liftM)
+import Data.Binary (Binary(..), Get, Word8, Word64, putWord8)
+import Data.List (foldl', unfoldr)
+#endif
+
 import Data.Bits
 import Data.Ix
+
 #ifdef LANGUAGE_DeriveDataTypeable
 import Data.Data
 #endif
+
 #ifdef MIN_VERSION_hashable
 import Data.Hashable
 #endif
 
+#ifdef MIN_VERSION_template_haskell
+import Language.Haskell.TH.Syntax (Lift(..), Exp(LitE), Lit(IntegerL))
+#endif
+
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,7,0) && !(MIN_VERSION_base(4,8,0))
+import Text.Printf (PrintfArg(..), formatInteger)
+#endif
+
 -- | Type representing arbitrary-precision non-negative integers.
 --
 -- Operations whose result would be negative
@@ -78,7 +96,7 @@
 instance Data Natural where
   toConstr x = mkIntegralConstr naturalType x
   gunfold _ z c = case constrRep c of
-                    (IntConstr x) -> z (fromIntegral x)
+                    IntConstr x -> z (fromIntegral x)
                     _ -> error $ "Data.Data.gunfold: Constructor " ++ show c
                                  ++ " is not of type Natural"
   dataTypeOf _ = naturalType
@@ -131,7 +149,7 @@
   {-# INLINE complementBit #-}
   testBit = testBit . runNatural
   {-# INLINE testBit #-}
-#if defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) && __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 707
+#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 707
   bitSizeMaybe _ = Nothing
   {-# INLINE bitSizeMaybe #-}
 #endif
@@ -206,3 +224,53 @@
   {-# INLINE quotRem #-}
   toInteger = runNatural
   {-# INLINE toInteger #-}
+
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,7,0) && !(MIN_VERSION_base(4,8,0))
+instance PrintfArg Natural where
+  formatArg     = formatInteger . toInteger
+  parseFormat _ = parseFormat (undefined :: Integer)
+#endif
+
+#ifdef MIN_VERSION_binary
+--
+-- Fold and unfold an Integer to and from a list of its bytes
+--
+unroll :: (Integral a, Bits a) => a -> [Word8]
+unroll = unfoldr step
+  where
+    step 0 = Nothing
+    step i = Just (fromIntegral i, i `shiftR` 8)
+
+roll :: (Integral a, Bits a) => [Word8] -> a
+roll   = foldl' unstep 0 . reverse
+  where
+    unstep a b = a `shiftL` 8 .|. fromIntegral b
+
+-- Fixed-size type for a subset of Natural
+type NaturalWord = Word64
+
+instance Binary Natural where
+    {-# INLINE put #-}
+    put n | n <= hi = do
+        putWord8 0
+        put (fromIntegral n :: NaturalWord)  -- fast path
+     where
+        hi = fromIntegral (maxBound :: NaturalWord) :: Natural
+
+    put n = do
+        putWord8 1
+        put (unroll (abs n))         -- unroll the bytes
+
+    {-# INLINE get #-}
+    get = do
+        tag <- get :: Get Word8
+        case tag of
+            0 -> liftM fromIntegral (get :: Get NaturalWord)
+            _ -> do bytes <- get
+                    return $! roll bytes
+#endif
+
+#ifdef MIN_VERSION_template_haskell
+instance Lift Natural where
+    lift x = return (LitE (IntegerL (fromIntegral x)))
+#endif
