diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir/src/lang_items.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir/src/lang_items.rs
index 0454633091568..736e90ae24890 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir/src/lang_items.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir/src/lang_items.rs
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ language_item_table! {
     DynMetadata,             sym::dyn_metadata,        dyn_metadata,               Target::Struct,         GenericRequirement::None;
 
     Freeze,                  sym::freeze,              freeze_trait,               Target::Trait,          GenericRequirement::Exact(0);
+    Identity,                sym::identity,            identity_type,             Target::AssocTy,          GenericRequirement::None;
 
     Drop,                    sym::drop,                drop_trait,                 Target::Trait,          GenericRequirement::None;
     Destruct,                sym::destruct,            destruct_trait,             Target::Trait,          GenericRequirement::None;
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/astconv/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/astconv/mod.rs
index 3d5f189e233bb..566654f866c3f 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/astconv/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/astconv/mod.rs
@@ -2626,12 +2626,25 @@ impl<'o, 'tcx> dyn AstConv<'tcx> + 'o {
                 let substs = self.ast_path_substs_for_ty(span, did, item_segment.0);
                 tcx.mk_opaque(did, substs)
             }
+            Res::Def(DefKind::TyAlias, def_id) => {
+                assert_eq!(opt_self_ty, None);
+                self.prohibit_generics(path.segments.split_last().unwrap().1.iter(), |_| {});
+
+                if let Some(identity_def_id) = tcx.lang_items().identity_type() && std::env::var("TEST_WITH_IDENTITY").is_ok() {
+                    let item_segment = path.segments.split_last().unwrap();
+
+                    let substs = self.ast_path_substs_for_ty(span, def_id, item_segment.0);
+                    let binder_ty = tcx.bound_type_of(def_id);
+                    let ty = binder_ty.subst(tcx, substs);
+
+                    let substs = tcx.mk_substs_trait(ty, []);
+                    tcx.mk_projection(identity_def_id, substs)
+                } else {
+                    self.ast_path_to_ty(span, def_id, path.segments.last().unwrap())
+                }
+            }
             Res::Def(
-                DefKind::Enum
-                | DefKind::TyAlias
-                | DefKind::Struct
-                | DefKind::Union
-                | DefKind::ForeignTy,
+                DefKind::Enum | DefKind::Struct | DefKind::Union | DefKind::ForeignTy,
                 did,
             ) => {
                 assert_eq!(opt_self_ty, None);
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs b/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
index 1ced75cccbb30..5ddff430d2151 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
@@ -790,6 +790,7 @@ symbols! {
         i64,
         i8,
         ident,
+        identity,
         identity_future,
         if_let,
         if_let_guard,
diff --git a/library/core/src/marker.rs b/library/core/src/marker.rs
index e11bca5962a15..83dd77667265f 100644
--- a/library/core/src/marker.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/marker.rs
@@ -779,6 +779,26 @@ unsafe impl<T: ?Sized> Freeze for *mut T {}
 unsafe impl<T: ?Sized> Freeze for &T {}
 unsafe impl<T: ?Sized> Freeze for &mut T {}
 
+/// Compiler-internal trait used to handle more easily trait aliases.
+/// They get generated like projections. For example:
+/// ```ignore (pseudo-code)
+/// type Foo = Bar;
+/// // becomes:
+/// type Foo = <Bar as Identity>::Identity;
+/// ```
+#[stable(feature = "pin", since = "1.33.0")]
+pub trait Identity {
+    #[cfg_attr(not(bootstrap), lang = "identity")]
+    #[stable(feature = "pin", since = "1.33.0")]
+    /// doc
+    type Identity: ?Sized;
+}
+
+#[stable(feature = "pin", since = "1.33.0")]
+impl<T: ?Sized> Identity for T {
+    type Identity = T;
+}
+
 /// Types that can be safely moved after being pinned.
 ///
 /// Rust itself has no notion of immovable types, and considers moves (e.g.,