diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/README b/src/stages/adt_generator/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..20ecdfd43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/README
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Build with:
+
+    dune build adt_generator.a
+
+Run with
+
+    python ./generator.py
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/a.ml b/src/stages/adt_generator/a.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c30254e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/a.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+type root =
+| A of a
+| B of int
+| C of string
+
+and a = {
+  a1 : ta1 ;
+  a2 : ta2 ;
+}
+
+and ta1 =
+| X of root
+| Y of ta2
+
+and ta2 =
+| Z of ta2
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/adt_generator.ml b/src/stages/adt_generator/adt_generator.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c1ff4b88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/adt_generator.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+module A = A
+module Use_a_fold = Use_a_fold
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/dune b/src/stages/adt_generator/dune
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e1a15f71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/dune
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+(library
+  (name adt_generator)
+  (public_name ligo.adt_generator)
+  (libraries
+  )
+)
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/fold.ml b/src/stages/adt_generator/fold.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f46ca6b5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/fold.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+open A
+
+type root' =
+| A' of a'
+| B' of int
+| C' of string
+
+and a' = {
+  a1' : ta1' ;
+  a2' : ta2' ;
+}
+
+and ta1' =
+| X' of root'
+| Y' of ta2'
+
+and ta2' =
+| Z' of ta2'
+
+type 'state continue_fold = {
+    a    : a    -> 'state -> (a'    * 'state) ;
+    ta1  : ta1  -> 'state -> (ta1'  * 'state) ;
+    ta2  : ta2  -> 'state -> (ta2'  * 'state) ;
+    root : root -> 'state -> (root' * 'state) ;
+}
+
+type 'state fold_config = {
+    root   : root   -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (root'  * 'state) ;
+    root_a : a      -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (a'     * 'state) ;
+    root_b : int    -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (int    * 'state) ;
+    root_c : string -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (string * 'state) ;
+    a      : a      -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (a'     * 'state) ;
+    ta1    : ta1    -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (ta1'   * 'state) ;
+    ta2    : ta2    -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (ta2'   * 'state) ;
+  }
+
+let rec mk_continue_fold : type state . state fold_config -> state continue_fold = fun visitor ->
+  {
+    a    = fold_a    visitor ;
+    ta1  = fold_ta1  visitor ;
+    ta2  = fold_ta2  visitor ;
+    root = fold_root visitor ;
+  }
+
+and fold_a : type state . state fold_config -> a -> state -> (a' * state) = fun visitor x state ->
+  let continue_fold : state continue_fold = mk_continue_fold visitor in
+  match x with
+  | { a1; a2 } ->
+     let (a1', state) = visitor.ta1 a1 state continue_fold in
+     let (a2', state) = visitor.ta2 a2 state continue_fold in
+     ({ a1'; a2' }, state)
+
+and fold_ta2 : type state . state fold_config -> ta2 -> state -> (ta2' * state) = fun visitor x state ->
+  let continue_fold : state continue_fold = mk_continue_fold visitor in
+  match x with
+  | Z v -> let (v, state) = visitor.ta2  v state continue_fold in (Z' v, state)
+
+and fold_ta1 : type state . state fold_config -> ta1 -> state -> (ta1' * state) = fun visitor x state ->
+  let continue_fold : state continue_fold = mk_continue_fold visitor in
+  match x with
+  | X v -> let (v, state) = visitor.root v state continue_fold in (X' v , state)
+  | Y v -> let (v, state) = visitor.ta2  v state continue_fold in (Y' v , state)
+
+and fold_root : type state . state fold_config -> root -> state -> (root' * state) = fun visitor x state ->
+  let continue_fold : state continue_fold = mk_continue_fold visitor in
+  match x with
+  | A v -> let (v, state) = visitor.a      v state continue_fold in (A' v , state)
+  | B v -> let (v, state) = visitor.root_b v state continue_fold in (B' v , state)
+  | C v -> let (v, state) = visitor.root_c v state continue_fold in (C' v , state)
+let no_op = failwith "todo"
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/generator.py b/src/stages/adt_generator/generator.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad537f4d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/generator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+adts = [
+  # typename, variant?, fields_or_ctors
+  ("root", True, [
+      # ctor, builtin, type
+      ("A", False, "a"),
+      ("B", True, "int"),
+      ("C", True, "string"),
+  ]),
+  ("a", False, [
+    ("a1", False, "ta1"),
+    ("a2", False, "ta2"),
+  ]),
+  ("ta1", True, [
+      ("X", False, "root"),
+      ("Y", False, "ta2"),
+  ]),
+  ("ta2", True, [
+      ("Z", False, "ta2"),
+  ]),
+]
+
+print "type 'state fold_config = {"
+for (t, is_variant, ctors) in adts:
+  tt = ("%s'" % (t,)) # output type t'
+  print ("    %s   : %s   -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (%s  * 'state) ;" % (t, t, tt))
+  for (c, builtin, ct,) in ctors:
+    if builtin:
+      ctt = ct # TODO: use a wrapper instead of a' for the intermediate steps, and target a different type a' just to change what the output type is
+    else:
+      ctt = ("%s'" % (ct,))
+    print ("    %s_%s : %s      -> 'state -> ('state continue_fold) -> (%s     * 'state) ;" % (t, c, ct, ctt))
+print "  }"
+print ""
+
+print "let rec mk_continue_fold : type state . state fold_config -> state continue_fold = fun visitor ->"
+print "  {"
+for (t, is_variant, ctors) in adts:
+  print ("    %s    = fold_%s    visitor ;" % (t, t))
+print "  }"
+print ""
+
+for (t, is_variant, ctors) in adts:
+  v = t # visitor field
+  tt = ("%s'" % (t,)) # output type t'
+  print ("and fold_%s : type state . state fold_config -> %s -> state -> (%s * state) = fun visitor x state ->" % (t, t, tt,))
+  print "  let continue_fold : state continue_fold = mk_continue_fold visitor in"
+  print "  match x with"
+  if is_variant:
+    for (c, builtin, ct,) in ctors:
+      cc = ("%s'" % (c,))
+      print ("  | %s v ->" % (c,))
+      print ("    let (v, state) = visitor.%s_%s v state continue_fold in" % (t, c,))
+      if not builtin:
+        print ("    let (v, state) = visitor.%s v state continue_fold in" % (ct,))
+      print ("    (%s v, state)" % (cc,))
+  else:
+    print "  | {"
+    for (f, builtin, ft,) in ctors:
+      print ("      %s;" % (f,))
+    print "  } ->"
+    for (f, builtin, ft,) in ctors:
+      ff = ("%s'" % (f,))
+      print ("    let (%s, state) = visitor.%s_%s %s state continue_fold in" % (f, t, f, f,))
+      if not builtin:
+        print ("    let (%s, state) = visitor.%s %s state continue_fold in" % (ff, ft, f,))
+    print "    ({"
+    for (f, builtin, ft,) in ctors:
+      ff = ("%s'" % (f,))
+      print ("       %s;" % (ff,))
+    print "     }, state)"
+  print ""
diff --git a/src/stages/adt_generator/use_a_fold.ml b/src/stages/adt_generator/use_a_fold.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03f4cca3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stages/adt_generator/use_a_fold.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+open A
+open Fold
+
+let _ =
+  let some_root = ((failwith "assume we have some root") : root) in
+  let op = {
+      no_op with
+      a = fun the_a state continue_fold ->
+          let (a1' , state') = continue_fold.ta1 the_a.a1 state in
+          let (a2' , state'') = continue_fold.ta2 the_a.a2 state' in
+          ({
+              a1' = a1' ;
+              a2' = a2' ;
+            }, state'')
+    } in
+  let state = () in
+  fold_root op some_root state
+