diff --git a/src/comp/front/parser.rs b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
index a3d20d23b6b..e2f51cba6a5 100644
--- a/src/comp/front/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ fn parse_bottom_expr(&parser p) -> @ast::expr {
         hi = es.span.hi;
         ex = ast::expr_call(f, es.node);
     } else if (is_ident(p.peek()) && !is_word(p, "true") &&
-                   !is_word(p, "false")) {
+               !is_word(p, "false")) {
         check_bad_word(p);
         auto pth = parse_path_and_ty_param_substs(p);
         hi = pth.span.hi;
@@ -1979,6 +1979,21 @@ fn parse_item_tag(&parser p, vec[ast::attribute] attrs) -> @ast::item {
     auto id = parse_ident(p);
     auto ty_params = parse_ty_params(p);
     let vec[ast::variant] variants = [];
+    // Newtype syntax
+    if (p.peek() == token::EQ) {
+        if (p.get_bad_expr_words().contains_key(id)) {
+            p.fatal("found " + id + " in tag constructor position");
+        }
+        p.bump();
+        auto ty = parse_ty(p);
+        expect(p, token::SEMI);
+        auto variant = spanned(ty.span.lo, ty.span.hi,
+                               rec(name=id,
+                                   args=[rec(ty=ty, id=p.get_id())],
+                                   id=p.get_id()));
+        ret mk_item(p, lo, ty.span.hi, id,
+                    ast::item_tag([variant], ty_params), attrs);
+    }
     expect(p, token::LBRACE);
     while (p.peek() != token::RBRACE) {
         auto tok = p.peek();
diff --git a/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs b/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
index 0889b725163..4190c69448e 100644
--- a/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
@@ -383,27 +383,43 @@ fn print_item(&ps s, &@ast::item item) {
             break_offset(s.s, 0u, 0);
         }
         case (ast::item_tag(?variants, ?params)) {
-            head(s, "tag");
+            auto newtype = vec::len(variants) == 1u &&
+                str::eq(item.ident, variants.(0).node.name) &&
+                vec::len(variants.(0).node.args) == 1u;
+            if (newtype) {
+                ibox(s, indent_unit);
+                word_space(s, "tag");
+            } else {
+                head(s, "tag");
+            }
             word(s.s, item.ident);
             print_type_params(s, params);
             space(s.s);
-            bopen(s);
-            for (ast::variant v in variants) {
-                space(s.s);
-                maybe_print_comment(s, v.span.lo);
-                word(s.s, v.node.name);
-                if (vec::len(v.node.args) > 0u) {
-                    popen(s);
-                    fn print_variant_arg(&ps s, &ast::variant_arg arg) {
-                        print_type(s, *arg.ty);
-                    }
-                    commasep(s, consistent, v.node.args, print_variant_arg);
-                    pclose(s);
-                }
+            if (newtype) {
+                word_space(s, "=");
+                print_type(s, *variants.(0).node.args.(0).ty);
                 word(s.s, ";");
-                maybe_print_trailing_comment(s, v.span, none[uint]);
+                end(s);
+            } else {
+                bopen(s);
+                for (ast::variant v in variants) {
+                    space(s.s);
+                    maybe_print_comment(s, v.span.lo);
+                    word(s.s, v.node.name);
+                    if (vec::len(v.node.args) > 0u) {
+                        popen(s);
+                        fn print_variant_arg(&ps s, &ast::variant_arg arg) {
+                            print_type(s, *arg.ty);
+                        }
+                        commasep(s, consistent, v.node.args,
+                                 print_variant_arg);
+                        pclose(s);
+                    }
+                    word(s.s, ";");
+                    maybe_print_trailing_comment(s, v.span, none[uint]);
+                }
+                bclose(s, item.span);
             }
-            bclose(s, item.span);
         }
         case (ast::item_obj(?_obj, ?params, _)) {
             head(s, "obj");