diff --git a/semantic-diff.cabal b/semantic-diff.cabal
index 63d92519d..fd94cbf0b 100644
--- a/semantic-diff.cabal
+++ b/semantic-diff.cabal
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ library
                      , QuickCheck >= 2.8.1
                      , quickcheck-text
                      , semigroups
+                     , syb
                      , text >= 1.2.1.3
                      , text-icu
                      , these
diff --git a/src/Term.hs b/src/Term.hs
index 8aa956f91..0c8eb41a8 100644
--- a/src/Term.hs
+++ b/src/Term.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes, TypeFamilies, TypeSynonymInstances #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables, RankNTypes, TypeFamilies, TypeSynonymInstances #-}
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-orphans #-}
 module Term where
 
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import Data.Functor.Both
 import Data.OrderedMap hiding (size)
 import Data.These
 import Syntax
+import Data.Data
+import Data.Generics.Twins
+import Unsafe.Coerce
 
 -- | An annotated node (Syntax) in an abstract syntax tree.
 type TermF a annotation = CofreeF (Syntax a) annotation
@@ -50,3 +53,21 @@ alignSyntax' a b = case (a, b) of
   (Fixed a, Fixed b) -> Just (Fixed (align a b))
   (Keyed a, Keyed b) -> Just (Keyed (align a b))
   _ -> Nothing
+
+alignF :: (Data (f a), Data (f b), Data (f (These a b)), Typeable a, Typeable b) => f a -> f b -> Maybe (f b)
+alignF a b = do
+  guard (toConstr a == toConstr b)
+  alignM a b
+  where alignM :: (Data a, Data b, Alternative m, Monad m) => a -> b -> m b
+        alignM a b = gzipWithM go a b
+          where go :: forall m a b. (Data a, Data b, Alternative m, Monad m) => a -> b -> m b
+                go a b = do
+                  guard (toConstr a == toConstr b)
+                  fromConstrM (do
+                    b' <- guardCast b
+                    alignM a b') (toConstr b)
+
+        guardCast :: forall f a b. (Typeable a, Typeable b, Alternative f) => a -> f b
+        guardCast a =
+          guard (typeRep (Proxy :: Proxy a) == typeRep (Proxy :: Proxy b))
+          *> unsafeCoerce a