diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/ApplicativeError.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/ApplicativeError.scala
index 9e72bb9edc..37e391b62c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/ApplicativeError.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/ApplicativeError.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package cats
 
 import cats.data.EitherT
+
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 import scala.util.{Failure, Success, Try}
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
@@ -73,6 +75,12 @@ trait ApplicativeError[F[_], E] extends Applicative[F] {
    */
   def attemptT[A](fa: F[A]): EitherT[F, E, A] = EitherT(attempt(fa))
 
+  /**
+   * Similar to [[attempt]], but it only handles errors of type `EE`.
+   */
+  def attemptNarrow[EE, A](fa: F[A])(implicit tag: ClassTag[EE], ev: EE <:< E): F[Either[EE, A]] =
+    recover(map(fa)(Right[EE, A](_): Either[EE, A])) { case e: EE => Left[EE, A](e) }
+
   /**
    * Recover from certain errors by mapping them to an `A` value.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicativeError.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicativeError.scala
index 1d9c6ccbb5..cbe7153e1d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicativeError.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicativeError.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ package syntax
 import cats.data.Validated.{Invalid, Valid}
 import cats.data.{EitherT, Validated}
 
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
+
 trait ApplicativeErrorSyntax {
   implicit final def catsSyntaxApplicativeErrorId[E](e: E): ApplicativeErrorIdOps[E] =
     new ApplicativeErrorIdOps(e)
@@ -83,6 +85,9 @@ final class ApplicativeErrorOps[F[_], E, A](private val fa: F[A]) extends AnyVal
   def attempt(implicit F: ApplicativeError[F, E]): F[Either[E, A]] =
     F.attempt(fa)
 
+  def attemptNarrow[EE](implicit F: ApplicativeError[F, E], tag: ClassTag[EE], ev: EE <:< E): F[Either[EE, A]] =
+    F.attemptNarrow[EE, A](fa)
+
   def attemptT(implicit F: ApplicativeError[F, E]): EitherT[F, E, A] =
     F.attemptT(fa)
 
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ApplicativeErrorSuite.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ApplicativeErrorSuite.scala
index 658bd97e8d..a47e1413d4 100644
--- a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ApplicativeErrorSuite.scala
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ApplicativeErrorSuite.scala
@@ -23,6 +23,43 @@ class ApplicativeErrorSuite extends CatsSuite {
     failed.attempt should ===(Option(Left(())))
   }
 
+  test("attemptNarrow[EE] syntax creates an F[Either[EE, A]]") {
+    trait Err
+    case class ErrA() extends Err
+    case class ErrB() extends Err
+
+    implicit val eqForErr: Eq[Err] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[Err]
+    implicit val eqForErrA: Eq[ErrA] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[ErrA]
+    implicit val eqForErrB: Eq[ErrB] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[ErrB]
+
+    val failed: Either[Err, Int] = ErrA().raiseError[Either[Err, ?], Int]
+
+    failed.attemptNarrow[ErrA] should ===(ErrA().asLeft[Int].asRight[Err])
+    failed.attemptNarrow[ErrB] should ===(Either.left[Err, Either[ErrB, Int]](ErrA()))
+  }
+
+  test("attemptNarrow works for parametrized types") {
+    trait T[A]
+    case object Str extends T[String]
+    case class Num(i: Int) extends T[Int]
+
+    implicit def eqForT[A]: Eq[T[A]] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[T[A]]
+    implicit val eqForStr: Eq[Str.type] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[Str.type]
+    implicit val eqForNum: Eq[Num] = Eq.fromUniversalEquals[Num]
+
+    val e: Either[T[Int], Unit] = Num(1).asLeft[Unit]
+    e.attemptNarrow[Num] should ===(e.asRight[T[Int]])
+    assertTypeError("e.attemptNarrow[Str.type]")
+
+    val e2: Either[T[String], Unit] = Str.asLeft[Unit]
+    e2.attemptNarrow[Str.type] should ===(e2.asRight[T[String]])
+    assertTypeError("e2.attemptNarrow[Num]")
+
+    val e3: Either[List[T[String]], Unit] = List(Str).asLeft[Unit]
+    e3.attemptNarrow[List[Str.type]] should ===(e3.asRight[List[T[String]]])
+    assertTypeError("e3.attemptNarrow[List[Num]]")
+  }
+
   test("attemptT syntax creates an EitherT") {
     failed.attemptT should ===(EitherT[Option, Unit, Int](Option(Left(()))))
   }