diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/SyntheticMVars.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/SyntheticMVars.lean
index 4c71234d26..60f90a2bcc 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/SyntheticMVars.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/SyntheticMVars.lean
@@ -167,17 +167,21 @@ private def synthesizeUsingDefault : TermElabM Bool := do
       return true
   return false
 
-/-- Report an error for each synthetic metavariable that could not be resolved. -/
-private def reportStuckSyntheticMVars : TermElabM Unit := do
+/--
+  Report an error for each synthetic metavariable that could not be resolved.
+  Remark: we set `ignoreStuckTC := true` when elaborating `simp` arguments.
+-/
+private def reportStuckSyntheticMVars (ignoreStuckTC := false) : TermElabM Unit := do
   let syntheticMVars ← modifyGet fun s => (s.syntheticMVars, { s with syntheticMVars := [] })
   for mvarSyntheticDecl in syntheticMVars do
     withRef mvarSyntheticDecl.stx do
     match mvarSyntheticDecl.kind with
     | SyntheticMVarKind.typeClass =>
-      withMVarContext mvarSyntheticDecl.mvarId do
-        let mvarDecl ← getMVarDecl mvarSyntheticDecl.mvarId
-        unless (← get).messages.hasErrors do
-          throwError "typeclass instance problem is stuck, it is often due to metavariables{indentExpr mvarDecl.type}"
+      unless ignoreStuckTC do
+        withMVarContext mvarSyntheticDecl.mvarId do
+          let mvarDecl ← getMVarDecl mvarSyntheticDecl.mvarId
+          unless (← get).messages.hasErrors do
+            throwError "typeclass instance problem is stuck, it is often due to metavariables{indentExpr mvarDecl.type}"
     | SyntheticMVarKind.coe header eNew expectedType eType e f? =>
       let mvarId := eNew.appArg!.mvarId!
       withMVarContext mvarId do
@@ -251,8 +255,12 @@ mutual
     If `mayPostpone == false`, then it applies default instances to `SyntheticMVarKind.typeClass` (if available)
     metavariables that are still unresolved, and then tries to resolve metavariables
     with `mayPostpone == false`. That is, we force them to produce error messages and/or commit to
-    a "best option". If, after that, we still haven't made progress, we report "stuck" errors. -/
-  partial def synthesizeSyntheticMVars (mayPostpone := true) : TermElabM Unit :=
+    a "best option". If, after that, we still haven't made progress, we report "stuck" errors.
+
+    Remark: we set `ignoreStuckTC := true` when elaborating `simp` arguments. Then,
+    pending TC problems become implicit parameters for the simp theorem.
+-/
+  partial def synthesizeSyntheticMVars (mayPostpone := true) (ignoreStuckTC := false) : TermElabM Unit :=
     let rec loop (u : Unit) : TermElabM Unit := do
       withRef (← getSomeSynthethicMVarsRef) <| withIncRecDepth do
         unless (← get).syntheticMVars.isEmpty do
@@ -284,7 +292,7 @@ mutual
             else if ← synthesizeSyntheticMVarsStep (postponeOnError := false) (runTactics := true) then
               loop ()
             else
-              reportStuckSyntheticMVars
+              reportStuckSyntheticMVars ignoreStuckTC
     loop ()
 end
 
diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simp.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simp.lean
index 7f295623d7..e416fc920b 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simp.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/Tactic/Simp.lean
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ private def addDeclToUnfoldOrLemma (lemmas : Meta.SimpLemmas) (e : Expr) (post :
 private def addSimpLemma (lemmas : Meta.SimpLemmas) (stx : Syntax) (post : Bool) : TermElabM Meta.SimpLemmas := do
   let (levelParams, proof) ← Term.withoutModifyingElabMetaState <| withRef stx <| Term.withoutErrToSorry do
     let e ← Term.elabTerm stx none
-    Term.synthesizeSyntheticMVarsUsingDefault
+    Term.synthesizeSyntheticMVars (mayPostpone := false) (ignoreStuckTC := true)
     let e ← instantiateMVars e
     let e := e.eta
     if e.hasMVar then
diff --git a/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean b/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a3f8ee731
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+example (p : Prop) [Decidable p] (hnp : ¬ p) :
+    if decide p then 0 = 1 else 1 = 1 := by
+  simp [hnp, decideEqFalse Unit]
diff --git a/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dab7b20ba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/simpArgTypeMismatch.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+simpArgTypeMismatch.lean:3:13-3:31: error: application type mismatch
+  decideEqFalse Unit
+argument
+  Unit
+has type
+  Type : Type 1
+but is expected to have type
+  ¬?m : Prop