diff --git a/src/library/definitional/brec_on.cpp b/src/library/definitional/brec_on.cpp
index 12136315f..f69039b68 100644
--- a/src/library/definitional/brec_on.cpp
+++ b/src/library/definitional/brec_on.cpp
@@ -47,15 +47,17 @@ static environment mk_below(environment const & env, name const & n, bool ibelow
     unsigned nminors       = *inductive::get_num_minor_premises(env, n);
     unsigned ntypeformers  = length(std::get<2>(decls));
     level_param_names lps  = rec_decl.get_univ_params();
-    level  lvl             = mk_param_univ(head(lps)); // universe we are eliminating too
+    bool is_reflexive      = is_reflexive_datatype(tc, n);
+    level  lvl             = mk_param_univ(head(lps)); // universe we are eliminating to
     levels lvls            = param_names_to_levels(tail(lps));
-    levels blvls;
-    level  rlvl;
+    levels blvls; // universe level parameters of ibelow/below
+    level  rlvl;  // universe level of the resultant type
     name prod_name;
-    expr unit, outer_prod;
+    expr unit, outer_prod, inner_prod;
     // The arguments of below (ibelow) are the ones in the recursor - minor premises.
     // The universe we map to is also different (l+1 for below) and (0 fo ibelow).
     expr ref_type;
+    expr Type_result;
     if (ibelow) {
         // we are eliminating to Prop
         blvls      = lvls;
@@ -63,8 +65,10 @@ static environment mk_below(environment const & env, name const & n, bool ibelow
         unit       = mk_constant("true");
         prod_name  = name("and");
         outer_prod = mk_constant(prod_name);
+        inner_prod = outer_prod;
         ref_type   = instantiate_univ_param(rec_decl.get_type(), param_id(lvl), mk_level_zero());
-    } else {
+        Type_result        = mk_sort(rlvl);
+    } else if (is_reflexive) {
         blvls = cons(lvl, lvls);
         rlvl  = get_datatype_level(ind_decl.get_type());
         // if rlvl is of the form (max 1 l), then rlvl <- l
@@ -75,8 +79,18 @@ static environment mk_below(environment const & env, name const & n, bool ibelow
         prod_name  = name("prod");
         outer_prod = mk_constant(prod_name, {rlvl, rlvl});
         ref_type   = instantiate_univ_param(rec_decl.get_type(), param_id(lvl), mk_succ(lvl));
+        Type_result        = mk_sort(rlvl);
+    } else {
+        // we can simplify the universe levels for non-reflexive datatypes
+        blvls       = cons(lvl, lvls);
+        rlvl        = mk_max(mk_level_one(), lvl);
+        unit        = mk_constant("unit", rlvl);
+        prod_name   = name("prod");
+        outer_prod  = mk_constant(prod_name, {rlvl, rlvl});
+        inner_prod  = mk_constant(prod_name, {lvl, rlvl});
+        ref_type    = rec_decl.get_type();
+        Type_result        = mk_sort(rlvl);
     }
-    expr Type_result       = mk_sort(rlvl);
     buffer<expr> ref_args;
     to_telescope(ngen, ref_type, ref_args);
     if (ref_args.size() != nparams + ntypeformers + nminors + nindices + 1)
@@ -121,10 +135,8 @@ static environment mk_below(environment const & env, name const & n, bool ibelow
                 expr r = minor_arg;
                 expr fst = mlocal_type(minor_arg);
                 expr snd = Pi(minor_arg_args, mk_app(r, minor_arg_args));
-                expr inner_prod;
-                if (ibelow) {
-                    inner_prod = outer_prod; // and
-                } else {
+                if (!ibelow && is_reflexive) {
+                    // inner product is not constant
                     level fst_lvl   = sort_level(tc.ensure_type(fst).first);
                     inner_prod = mk_constant(prod_name, {fst_lvl, rlvl});
                 }
diff --git a/src/library/definitional/util.cpp b/src/library/definitional/util.cpp
index c17c30e14..0cd8466c4 100644
--- a/src/library/definitional/util.cpp
+++ b/src/library/definitional/util.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,28 @@ bool is_recursive_datatype(environment const & env, name const & n) {
     return false;
 }
 
+bool is_reflexive_datatype(type_checker & tc, name const & n) {
+    environment const & env = tc.env();
+    name_generator ngen     = tc.mk_ngen();
+    optional<inductive::inductive_decls> decls = inductive::is_inductive_decl(env, n);
+    if (!decls)
+        return false;
+    for (inductive::inductive_decl const & decl : std::get<2>(*decls)) {
+        for (inductive::intro_rule const & intro : inductive::inductive_decl_intros(decl)) {
+            expr type = inductive::intro_rule_type(intro);
+            while (is_pi(type)) {
+                expr arg   = tc.whnf(binding_domain(type)).first;
+                if (is_pi(arg) && find(arg, [&](expr const & e, unsigned) { return is_constant(e) && const_name(e) == n; })) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+                expr local = mk_local(ngen.next(), binding_domain(type));
+                type = instantiate(binding_body(type), local);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 level get_datatype_level(expr ind_type) {
     while (is_pi(ind_type))
         ind_type = binding_body(ind_type);
diff --git a/src/library/definitional/util.h b/src/library/definitional/util.h
index f54e4ac40..ccc3b7a9c 100644
--- a/src/library/definitional/util.h
+++ b/src/library/definitional/util.h
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ bool has_prod_decls(environment const & env);
 */
 bool is_recursive_datatype(environment const & env, name const & n);
 
+/** \brief Return true if \c n is a recursive *and* reflexive datatype.
+
+    We say an inductive type T is reflexive if it contains at least one constructor that
+    takes as an argument a function returning T.
+*/
+bool is_reflexive_datatype(type_checker & tc, name const & n);
+
 /** \brief Return true iff \c n is an inductive predicate, i.e., an inductive datatype that is in Prop.
 
     \remark If \c env does not have Prop (i.e., Type.{0} is not impredicative), then this method always return false.
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/vector.lean b/tests/lean/run/vector.lean
index b15308780..019729dc6 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/vector.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/vector.lean
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ vnil {} : vector A zero,
 vcons   : Π {n : nat}, A → vector A n → vector A (succ n)
 
 namespace vector
-  print definition no_confusion
+  -- print definition no_confusion
   infixr `::` := vcons
 
   theorem vcons.inj₁ {A : Type} {n : nat} (a₁ a₂ : A) (v₁ v₂ : vector A n) : vcons a₁ v₁ = vcons a₂ v₂ → a₁ = a₂ :=
@@ -19,10 +19,13 @@ namespace vector
      intro h, apply heq.to_eq, apply (no_confusion h), intros, eassumption,
   end
 
+  set_option pp.universes true
+  check @below
+
   section
     universe variables l₁ l₂
     variable {A : Type.{l₁}}
-    variable {C : Π (n : nat), vector A n → Type.{l₂+1}}
+    variable {C : Π (n : nat), vector A n → Type.{l₂}}
     definition brec_on {n : nat} (v : vector A n) (H : Π (n : nat) (v : vector A n), @below A C n v → C n v) : C n v :=
     have general : C n v × @below A C n v, from
       rec_on v
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ namespace vector
     pr₁ general
   end
 
-  check brec_on
+  -- check brec_on
 
   definition bw := @below
 
@@ -94,7 +97,7 @@ namespace vector
   example : add (1 :: 2 :: vnil) (3 :: 5 :: vnil) = 4 :: 7 :: vnil :=
   rfl
 
-  definition map {A B C : Type'} {n : nat} (f : A → B → C) (w : vector A n) (v : vector B n) : vector C n :=
+  definition map {A B C : Type} {n : nat} (f : A → B → C) (w : vector A n) (v : vector B n) : vector C n :=
   let P := λ (n : nat) (v : vector A n), vector B n → vector C n in
   @brec_on A P n w
   (λ (n : nat) (w : vector A n),
@@ -111,6 +114,13 @@ namespace vector
          end
      end) v
 
+  theorem map_nil_nil {A B C : Type} (f : A → B → C) : map f vnil vnil = vnil :=
+  rfl
+
+  theorem map_cons_cons {A B C : Type} (f : A → B → C) (a : A) (b : B) {n : nat} (va : vector A n) (vb : vector B n) :
+          map f (a :: va) (b :: vb) = f a b :: map f va vb :=
+  rfl
+
   example : map nat.add (1 :: 2 :: vnil) (3 :: 5 :: vnil) = 4 :: 7 :: vnil :=
   rfl