diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dcacb2ff0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#include "library/tactic/location.h"
+#include "frontends/lean/parser.h"
+#include "frontends/lean/tokens.h"
+#include "frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.h"
+
+namespace lean {
+static occurrence parse_occurrence(parser & p) {
+    if (p.curr_is_token(get_at_tk())) {
+        p.next();
+        bool has_pos = false;
+        bool has_neg = false;
+        buffer<unsigned> occs;
+        while (true) {
+            if (p.curr_is_token(get_sub_tk())) {
+                if (has_pos)
+                    throw parser_error("invalid tactic location, cannot mix positive and negative occurrences", p.pos());
+                has_neg = true;
+                p.next();
+                occs.push_back(p.parse_small_nat());
+            } else {
+                auto pos = p.pos();
+                occs.push_back(p.parse_small_nat());
+                if (has_neg)
+                    throw parser_error("invalid tactic location, cannot mix positive and negative occurrences", pos);
+                has_pos = true;
+            }
+            if (!p.curr_is_token(get_sub_tk()) && !p.curr_is_numeral())
+                break;
+        }
+        if (has_pos)
+            return occurrence::mk_occurrences(occs);
+        else
+            return occurrence::mk_except_occurrences(occs);
+    } else {
+        return occurrence();
+    }
+}
+
+location parse_tactic_location(parser & p) {
+    if (p.curr_is_token(get_in_tk())) {
+        p.next();
+        if (p.curr_is_token(get_star_tk())) {
+            p.next();
+            if (p.curr_is_token(get_turnstile_tk())) {
+                p.next();
+                if (p.curr_is_token(get_star_tk())) {
+                    // in * |- *
+                    return location::mk_everywhere();
+                } else {
+                    // in * |-
+                    return location::mk_all_hypotheses();
+                }
+            } else {
+                // in *
+                return location::mk_everywhere();
+            }
+        } else {
+            buffer<name>       hyps;
+            buffer<occurrence> hyp_occs;
+            while (true) {
+                hyps.push_back(p.get_name_val());
+                p.next();
+                hyp_occs.push_back(parse_occurrence(p));
+                if (!p.curr_is_token(get_comma_tk()))
+                    break;
+                p.next();
+            }
+            if (p.curr_is_token(get_turnstile_tk())) {
+                occurrence goal_occ = parse_occurrence(p);
+                return location::mk_at(goal_occ, hyps, hyp_occs);
+            } else {
+                return location::mk_hypotheses_at(hyps, hyp_occs);
+            }
+        }
+    } else if (p.curr_is_token(get_at_tk())) {
+        occurrence o = parse_occurrence(p);
+        return location::mk_goal_at(o);
+    } else {
+        return location::mk_goal_only();
+    }
+}
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.h b/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a28851af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/parse_tactic_location.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#pragma once
+#include "library/tactic/location.h"
+
+namespace lean {
+class parser;
+location parse_tactic_location(parser & p);
+}