diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 4949babd99..41c6d9b0bb 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -266,7 +266,6 @@ def mimaSettings(moduleName: String) = {
       import com.typesafe.tools.mima.core.ProblemFilters._
       //Only sealed abstract classes that provide implicit instances to companion objects are allowed here, since they don't affect usage outside of the file.
       Seq(
-        exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("cats.data.OptionTInstances.catsDataMonadForOptionT"),
         exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("cats.data.OptionTInstances2.catsDataTraverseForOptionT"),
         exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("cats.data.KleisliInstances1.catsDataCommutativeArrowForKleisliId"),
         exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("cats.data.OptionTInstances1.catsDataMonoidKForOptionT"),
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/OptionT.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/OptionT.scala
index 9cac0f5c2a..606bc5d252 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/OptionT.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/OptionT.scala
@@ -217,6 +217,10 @@ object OptionT extends OptionTInstances {
 }
 
 private[data] sealed abstract class OptionTInstances extends OptionTInstances0 {
+  // to maintain binary compatibility
+  def catsDataMonadForOptionT[F[_]](implicit F0: Monad[F]): Monad[OptionT[F, ?]] =
+    new OptionTMonad[F] { implicit val F = F0 }
+
   implicit def catsDataTraverseForOptionT[F[_]](implicit F0: Traverse[F]): Traverse[OptionT[F, ?]] =
     new OptionTTraverse[F] with OptionTFunctor[F] { implicit val F = F0 }