diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3404cafa6..79df773e8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ Currently, the `@compat` macro supports the following syntaxes:
 * `@compat A{T} = B{T}` or `@compat const A{T} = B{T}` to declare type alias with free
   parameters. [#20500]. Use `const A = B` for type alias without free parameters.
 
+* `@compat Compat.IndexStyle(::Type{<:MyArray}) = IndexLinear()` and `@compat Compat.IndexStyle(::Type{<:MyArray}) = IndexCartesian()` to define traits for abstract arrays, replacing the former `Base.linearindexing{T<:MyArray}(::Type{T}) = Base.LinearFast()` and `Base.linearindexing{T<:MyArray}(::Type{T}) = Base.LinearSlow()`, respectively.
+
 ## Module Aliases
 
 * In 0.6, some 0.5 iterator functions have been moved to the `Base.Iterators`
diff --git a/src/Compat.jl b/src/Compat.jl
index 9a512ace4..d251542e7 100644
--- a/src/Compat.jl
+++ b/src/Compat.jl
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ function is_quote_symbol(ex::ANY, val::Symbol)
     return false
 end
 
+is_index_style(ex::Expr) = ex == :(Compat.IndexStyle) ||
+    (ex.head == :(.) && ex.args[1] == :Compat && ex.args[2] == Expr(:quote, :IndexStyle))
+
+is_index_style(arg) = false
+
 # rewrites accesses to IOContext dicts
 function rewrite_iocontext!(expr::Expr)
     args = expr.args
@@ -463,6 +468,18 @@ function _compat(ex::Expr)
             return _compat(Expr(:comparison, ex.args[1], :.=, Expr(:call, Symbol(shead[1:end-1]), ex.args...)))
         end
     end
+    if VERSION < v"0.6.0-dev.2840"
+        if ex.head == :(=) && isa(ex.args[1], Expr) && ex.args[1].head == :call
+            a = ex.args[1].args[1]
+            if is_index_style(a)
+                ex.args[1].args[1] = :(Base.linearindexing)
+            elseif isa(a, Expr) && a.head == :curly
+                if is_index_style(a.args[1])
+                    ex.args[1].args[1].args[1] = :(Base.linearindexing)
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
     return Expr(ex.head, map(_compat, ex.args)...)
 end
 function _compat(ex::Symbol)
@@ -1384,6 +1401,15 @@ else
     using Base: Iterators
 end
 
+if VERSION < v"0.6.0-dev.2840"
+    export IndexStyle, IndexLinear, IndexCartesian
+    eval(Expr(:typealias, :IndexStyle, :(Base.LinearIndexing)))
+    eval(Expr(:typealias, :IndexLinear, :(Base.LinearFast)))
+    eval(Expr(:typealias, :IndexCartesian, :(Base.LinearSlow)))
+    IndexStyle{T}(::Type{T}) = Base.linearindexing(T)
+    IndexStyle(args...) = Base.linearindexing(args...)
+end
+
 include("to-be-deprecated.jl")
 
 end # module Compat
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 0f6015794..b98d8e846 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -1745,4 +1745,22 @@ f20500_2() = A20500_2
 @inferred f20500()
 @inferred f20500_2()
 
+module CompatArray
+using Compat
+immutable CartesianArray{T,N} <: AbstractArray{T,N}
+    parent::Array{T,N}
+end
+immutable LinearArray{T,N} <: AbstractArray{T,N}
+    parent::Array{T,N}
+end
+@compat Compat.IndexStyle(::Type{<:LinearArray}) = IndexLinear()
+end
+@test IndexStyle(Array{Float32,2}) === IndexLinear()
+@test IndexStyle(CompatArray.CartesianArray{Float32,2}) === IndexCartesian()
+@test IndexStyle(CompatArray.LinearArray{Float32,2}) === IndexLinear()
+let a = CompatArray.CartesianArray(rand(2,3)), b = CompatArray.LinearArray(rand(2,3))
+    @test IndexStyle(a) === IndexCartesian()
+    @test IndexStyle(b) === IndexLinear()
+end
+
 include("to-be-deprecated.jl")