diff --git a/src/Init/Grind/Tactics.lean b/src/Init/Grind/Tactics.lean
index 1ed632d93031..0a234217a1a3 100644
--- a/src/Init/Grind/Tactics.lean
+++ b/src/Init/Grind/Tactics.lean
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ namespace Lean.Parser.Attr
 syntax grindEq     := "="
 syntax grindEqBoth := atomic("_" "=" "_")
 syntax grindEqRhs  := atomic("=" "_")
+syntax grindEqBwd  := atomic("←" "=")
 syntax grindBwd    := "←"
 syntax grindFwd    := "→"
 
-syntax grindThmMod := grindEqBoth <|> grindEqRhs <|> grindEq <|> grindBwd <|> grindFwd
+syntax grindThmMod := grindEqBoth <|> grindEqRhs <|> grindEq <|> grindEqBwd <|> grindBwd <|> grindFwd
 
 syntax (name := grind) "grind" (grindThmMod)? : attr
 
diff --git a/src/Init/Grind/Util.lean b/src/Init/Grind/Util.lean
index 7001755ee455..34bc7ec2df73 100644
--- a/src/Init/Grind/Util.lean
+++ b/src/Init/Grind/Util.lean
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ def doNotSimp {α : Sort u} (a : α) : α := a
 /-- Gadget for representing offsets `t+k` in patterns. -/
 def offset (a b : Nat) : Nat := a + b
 
+/-- Gadget for representing `a = b` in patterns for backward propagation. -/
+def eqBwdPattern (a b : α) : Prop := a = b
+
 /--
 Gadget for annotating the equalities in `match`-equations conclusions.
 `_origin` is the term used to instantiate the `match`-equation using E-matching.
diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatch.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatch.lean
index 7d01def92554..8341d44add46 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatch.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatch.lean
@@ -310,12 +310,44 @@ private def main (p : Expr) (cnstrs : List Cnstr) : M Unit := do
           modify fun s => { s with choiceStack := [c] }
           processChoices
 
+/--
+Entry point for matching `lhs ←= rhs` patterns.
+It traverses disequalities `a = b`, and tries to solve two matching problems:
+1- match `lhs` with `a` and `rhs` with `b`
+2- match `lhs` with `b` and `rhs` with `a`
+-/
+private def matchEqBwdPat (p : Expr) : M Unit := do
+  let_expr Grind.eqBwdPattern pα plhs prhs := p | return ()
+  let numParams  := (← read).thm.numParams
+  let assignment := mkArray numParams unassigned
+  let useMT      := (← read).useMT
+  let gmt        := (← getThe Goal).gmt
+  let false      ← getFalseExpr
+  let mut curr   := false
+  repeat
+    if (← checkMaxInstancesExceeded) then return ()
+    let n ← getENode curr
+    if (n.heqProofs || n.isCongrRoot) &&
+       (!useMT || n.mt == gmt) then
+      let_expr Eq α lhs rhs := n.self | pure ()
+      if (← isDefEq α pα) then
+         let c₀ : Choice := { cnstrs := [], assignment, gen := n.generation }
+         let go (lhs rhs : Expr) : M Unit := do
+           let some c₁ ← matchArg? c₀ plhs lhs |>.run | return ()
+           let some c₂ ← matchArg? c₁ prhs rhs |>.run | return ()
+           modify fun s => { s with choiceStack := [c₂] }
+           processChoices
+         go lhs rhs
+         go rhs lhs
+    if isSameExpr n.next false then return ()
+    curr := n.next
+
 def ematchTheorem (thm : EMatchTheorem) : M Unit := do
   if (← checkMaxInstancesExceeded) then return ()
   withReader (fun ctx => { ctx with thm }) do
     let ps := thm.patterns
     match ps, (← read).useMT with
-    | [p],   _     => main p []
+    | [p],   _     => if isEqBwdPattern p then matchEqBwdPat p else main p []
     | p::ps, false => main p (ps.map (.continue ·))
     | _::_,  true  => tryAll ps []
     | _,     _     => unreachable!
diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatchTheorem.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatchTheorem.lean
index eb0e94ea40b1..d1cb334d351f 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatchTheorem.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Grind/EMatchTheorem.lean
@@ -39,6 +39,17 @@ def isOffsetPattern? (pat : Expr) : Option (Expr × Nat) := Id.run do
   let .lit (.natVal k) := k | none
   return some (pat, k)
 
+def mkEqBwdPattern (u : List Level) (α : Expr) (lhs rhs : Expr) : Expr :=
+  mkApp3 (mkConst ``Grind.eqBwdPattern u) α lhs rhs
+
+def isEqBwdPattern (e : Expr) : Bool :=
+  e.isAppOfArity ``Grind.eqBwdPattern 3
+
+def isEqBwdPattern? (e : Expr) : Option (Expr × Expr) :=
+  let_expr Grind.eqBwdPattern _ lhs rhs := e
+    | none
+  some (lhs, rhs)
+
 def preprocessPattern (pat : Expr) (normalizePattern := true) : MetaM Expr := do
   let pat ← instantiateMVars pat
   let pat ← unfoldReducible pat
@@ -314,7 +325,8 @@ private partial def go (pattern : Expr) (root := false) : M Expr := do
   let some f := getPatternFn? pattern
     | throwError "invalid pattern, (non-forbidden) application expected{indentExpr pattern}"
   assert! f.isConst || f.isFVar
-  saveSymbol f.toHeadIndex
+  unless f.isConstOf ``Grind.eqBwdPattern do
+   saveSymbol f.toHeadIndex
   let mut args := pattern.getAppArgs.toVector
   let supportMask ← getPatternSupportMask f args.size
   for h : i in [:args.size] do
@@ -481,6 +493,8 @@ Pattern variables are represented using de Bruijn indices.
 -/
 def mkEMatchTheoremCore (origin : Origin) (levelParams : Array Name) (numParams : Nat) (proof : Expr) (patterns : List Expr) : MetaM EMatchTheorem := do
   let (patterns, symbols, bvarFound) ← NormalizePattern.main patterns
+  if symbols.isEmpty then
+    throwError "invalid pattern for `{← origin.pp}`{indentD (patterns.map ppPattern)}\nthe pattern does not contain constant symbols for indexing"
   trace[grind.ematch.pattern] "{MessageData.ofConst proof}: {patterns.map ppPattern}"
   if let .missing pos ← checkCoverage proof numParams bvarFound then
      let pats : MessageData := m!"{patterns.map ppPattern}"
@@ -523,6 +537,14 @@ def mkEMatchEqTheoremCore (origin : Origin) (levelParams : Array Name) (proof :
     return (xs.size, pats)
   mkEMatchTheoremCore origin levelParams numParams proof patterns
 
+def mkEMatchEqBwdTheoremCore (origin : Origin) (levelParams : Array Name) (proof : Expr) : MetaM EMatchTheorem := do
+  let (numParams, patterns) ← forallTelescopeReducing (← inferType proof) fun xs type => do
+    let_expr f@Eq α lhs rhs := type
+      | throwError "invalid E-matching `≠` theorem, conclusion must be an equality{indentExpr type}"
+    let pat ← preprocessPattern (mkEqBwdPattern f.constLevels! α lhs rhs)
+    return (xs.size, [pat.abstract xs])
+  mkEMatchTheoremCore origin levelParams numParams proof patterns
+
 /--
 Given theorem with name `declName` and type of the form `∀ (a_1 ... a_n), lhs = rhs`,
 creates an E-matching pattern for it using `addEMatchTheorem n [lhs]`
@@ -552,13 +574,14 @@ def getEMatchTheorems : CoreM EMatchTheorems :=
   return ematchTheoremsExt.getState (← getEnv)
 
 inductive TheoremKind where
-  | eqLhs | eqRhs | eqBoth | fwd | bwd | default
+  | eqLhs | eqRhs | eqBoth | eqBwd | fwd | bwd | default
   deriving Inhabited, BEq, Repr
 
 private def TheoremKind.toAttribute : TheoremKind → String
   | .eqLhs   => "[grind =]"
   | .eqRhs   => "[grind =_]"
   | .eqBoth  => "[grind _=_]"
+  | .eqBwd   => "[grind ←=]"
   | .fwd     => "[grind →]"
   | .bwd     => "[grind ←]"
   | .default => "[grind]"
@@ -567,6 +590,7 @@ private def TheoremKind.explainFailure : TheoremKind → String
   | .eqLhs   => "failed to find pattern in the left-hand side of the theorem's conclusion"
   | .eqRhs   => "failed to find pattern in the right-hand side of the theorem's conclusion"
   | .eqBoth  => unreachable! -- eqBoth is a macro
+  | .eqBwd   => "failed to use theorem's conclusion as a pattern"
   | .fwd     => "failed to find patterns in the antecedents of the theorem"
   | .bwd     => "failed to find patterns in the theorem's conclusion"
   | .default => "failed to find patterns"
@@ -656,6 +680,8 @@ def mkEMatchTheoremWithKind? (origin : Origin) (levelParams : Array Name) (proof
     return (← mkEMatchEqTheoremCore origin levelParams proof (normalizePattern := true) (useLhs := true))
   else if kind == .eqRhs then
     return (← mkEMatchEqTheoremCore origin levelParams proof (normalizePattern := true) (useLhs := false))
+  else if kind == .eqBwd then
+    return (← mkEMatchEqBwdTheoremCore origin levelParams proof)
   let type ← inferType proof
   forallTelescopeReducing type fun xs type => do
     let searchPlaces ← match kind with
@@ -687,6 +713,7 @@ def getTheoremKindCore (stx : Syntax) : CoreM TheoremKind := do
   | `(Parser.Attr.grindThmMod| ←) => return .bwd
   | `(Parser.Attr.grindThmMod| =_) => return .eqRhs
   | `(Parser.Attr.grindThmMod| _=_) => return .eqBoth
+  | `(Parser.Attr.grindThmMod| ←=) => return .eqBwd
   | _ => throwError "unexpected `grind` theorem kind: `{stx}`"
 
 /-- Return theorem kind for `stx` of the form `(Attr.grindThmMod)?` -/
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/grind_eq_bwd.lean b/tests/lean/run/grind_eq_bwd.lean
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..16214c52b7b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/run/grind_eq_bwd.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+theorem dummy (x : Nat) : x = x :=
+  rfl
+
+/--
+error: invalid pattern for `dummy`
+  [@Lean.Grind.eqBwdPattern `[Nat] #0 #0]
+the pattern does not contain constant symbols for indexing
+-/
+#guard_msgs in
+attribute [grind ←=] dummy
+
+def α : Type := sorry
+def inv : α → α := sorry
+def mul : α → α → α := sorry
+def one : α := sorry
+
+theorem inv_eq {a b : α} (w : mul a b = one) : inv a = b := sorry
+
+/--
+info: [grind.ematch.pattern] inv_eq: [@Lean.Grind.eqBwdPattern `[α] (inv #2) #1]
+-/
+#guard_msgs in
+set_option trace.grind.ematch.pattern true in
+attribute [grind ←=] inv_eq
+
+example {a b : α} (w : mul a b = one) : inv a = b := by
+  grind
+
+structure S where
+  f : Bool → α
+  h : mul (f true) (f false) = one
+  h' : mul (f false) (f true) = one
+
+attribute [grind =] S.h S.h'
+
+example (s : S) : inv (s.f true) = s.f false := by
+  grind
+
+example (s : S) : s.f false = inv (s.f true) := by
+  grind
+
+example (s : S) : a = false → s.f a = inv (s.f true) := by
+  grind
+
+example (s : S) : a ≠ s.f false → a = inv (s.f true) → False := by
+  grind
+
+/--
+info: [grind.ematch.instance] inv_eq: mul (s.f true) (s.f false) = one → inv (s.f true) = s.f false
+[grind.ematch.instance] S.h: mul (s.f true) (s.f false) = one
+-/
+#guard_msgs (info) in
+set_option trace.grind.ematch.instance true in
+example (s : S) : inv (s.f true) = s.f false := by
+  grind