diff --git a/compiler/iface/IfaceSyn.lhs b/compiler/iface/IfaceSyn.lhs
index b12906b3b44fed0ed5f6401ffb8de09759bfd53a..ca772ac9633a868315b8b61e6189c8502a1d2347 100644
--- a/compiler/iface/IfaceSyn.lhs
+++ b/compiler/iface/IfaceSyn.lhs
@@ -436,19 +436,22 @@ instance Binary IfaceBang where
 
 data IfaceTyConDecl
   = IfTyCon {
-        ifTyConOcc   :: OccName,    -- constructor name
-        ifTyConArgKs :: [IfaceKind] -- constructor argument kinds
+        ifTyConOcc   :: OccName,     -- constructor name
+        ifTyConArgKs :: [IfaceKind], -- constructor argument kinds
+        ifTyConRoles :: [Role]       -- constructor argument roles
     }
 
 instance Binary IfaceTyConDecl where
-  put_ bh (IfTyCon a1 a2) = do
+  put_ bh (IfTyCon a1 a2 a3) = do
     put_ bh (occNameFS a1)
     put_ bh a2
+    put_ bh a3
   get bh = do
     a1 <- get bh
     a2 <- get bh
+    a3 <- get bh
     occ <- return $! mkOccNameFS tcName a1
-    return (IfTyCon occ a2)
+    return (IfTyCon occ a2 a3)
 
 data IfaceClsInst
   = IfaceClsInst { ifInstCls  :: IfExtName,                -- See comments with
diff --git a/compiler/iface/MkIface.lhs b/compiler/iface/MkIface.lhs
index 6764c916eb45db9e4b3b83b35da80d7ed731c001..3fff2b81c73507f8f1fafce48629a4e2e0b32c1d 100644
--- a/compiler/iface/MkIface.lhs
+++ b/compiler/iface/MkIface.lhs
@@ -1566,7 +1566,8 @@ tyConToIfaceDecl env tycon
 
     ifaceTyConDecl ty_con
         = IfTyCon { ifTyConOcc   = getOccName (tyConName ty_con),
-                    ifTyConArgKs = map (tidyToIfaceType emptyTidyEnv) args }
+                    ifTyConArgKs = map (tidyToIfaceType emptyTidyEnv) args,
+                    ifTyConRoles = tyConRoles ty_con }
         where
           (args,_) = splitFunTys (tyConKind ty_con)
 
diff --git a/compiler/iface/TcIface.lhs b/compiler/iface/TcIface.lhs
index d6b6a55abe16cd9cd390f2d7c89d7dd8448172a6..2d18a74d1b1f848382cd12400ebd424c0236b2f8 100644
--- a/compiler/iface/TcIface.lhs
+++ b/compiler/iface/TcIface.lhs
@@ -668,11 +668,12 @@ tcIfaceDataCons tycon_name tycon _ if_cons
                                       ; return (HsUnpack (Just co)) }
 
 tcIfaceTyConDecl :: Kind -> KCon -> IfaceTyConDecl -> IfL TyCon
-tcIfaceTyConDecl kind kcon IfTyCon { ifTyConOcc = occ_name, ifTyConArgKs = args }
+tcIfaceTyConDecl kind kcon IfTyCon { ifTyConOcc = occ_name, ifTyConArgKs = args,
+                                     ifTyConRoles = roles }
   = do name  <- lookupIfaceTop occ_name
        -- See the comment in tc_con_decl of tcIfaceDataCons for why forkM
        kinds <- forkM pp_name (mapM tcIfaceKind args)
-       return (mkDataKindTyCon kcon name (mkFunTys kinds kind))
+       return (mkDataKindTyCon kcon name (mkFunTys kinds kind) roles)
   where
   pp_name = ptext (sLit "Type constructor") <+> ppr occ_name
 
diff --git a/compiler/typecheck/TcTyClsDecls.lhs b/compiler/typecheck/TcTyClsDecls.lhs
index 99a3584ab202c578f3cc02d670d0e0802018ee6a..d348e8b9850cd552d8b7bde827200ade21ea673b 100644
--- a/compiler/typecheck/TcTyClsDecls.lhs
+++ b/compiler/typecheck/TcTyClsDecls.lhs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ tcTyAndClassDecls boot_details tyclds_s
              -- remaining groups are typecheck in the extended global env
 
 tcTyClGroup :: ModDetails -> TyClGroup Name -> TcM TcGblEnv
-tcTyClGroup boot_details decls
+tcTyClGroup _boot_details decls
   | all (isKindDecl . unLoc) decls
   = do (kcons, _) <- fixM $ \ ~(_, conss) -> do
          let rec_info = panic "tcTyClGroup" "rec_info"
@@ -820,13 +820,12 @@ mkKindCon _rec_info tycons KindDecl { tcdLName  = L _ kind_name
        kind_name
        sKind
        kvars
-       [] -- XXX roles here?
+       (replicate (length kvars) Nominal) -- no interesting kind equality
        Nothing
        []
        (DataKindTyCon tycons)
        NoParentTyCon
-       -- TODO, make the rec_info work
-       NonRecursive --(rti_is_rec rec_info kind_name)
+       NonRecursive -- XXX is this OK?
        False
        NotPromotable
   where
@@ -838,8 +837,8 @@ mkKindCon _ _ _ =
   panic "mkKindCon" "non 'data kind' declaration"
 
 tcKindDecl :: RecTyInfo -> TyClDecl Name -> TcM [TyCon]
-tcKindDecl rec_info KindDecl { tcdLName = L _ kind_name, tcdKVars = lknames
-                                  , tcdTypeCons = cons }
+tcKindDecl _rec_info KindDecl { tcdLName = L _ kind_name, tcdKVars = lknames
+                              , tcdTypeCons = cons }
   = do traceTc "tcKindDecl" (ppr kind_name)
 
        ~(ATyCon kcon) <- tcLookupGlobal kind_name
@@ -1394,7 +1393,9 @@ tcTyConDecl kvars kind TyConDecl { tycon_name = name, tycon_details = details }
                RecCon {}      -> panic "tcTyConDecl" "unexpected record constructor"
        let (kcon,_) = splitTyConApp kind
            con_kind = mkPiKinds kvars (mkFunTys ks kind)
-       return (mkDataKindTyCon kcon (unLoc name) con_kind)
+           roles    = replicate (length kvars) Nominal
+                   ++ replicate (length ks)    Representational
+       return (mkDataKindTyCon kcon (unLoc name) con_kind roles)
 
 
 \end{code}
diff --git a/compiler/types/TyCon.lhs b/compiler/types/TyCon.lhs
index 8ccbcc9869ee76caac4625dc37f9b52ae71b83b9..9308713dae724a7d8973ac58d722e674990ef74a 100644
--- a/compiler/types/TyCon.lhs
+++ b/compiler/types/TyCon.lhs
@@ -1087,13 +1087,13 @@ mkPromotedDataCon con name unique kind roles
 
 -- | Construct a type constructor for a type introduced by a 'data kind'
 -- declaration.
-mkDataKindTyCon :: TyCon -> Name -> Kind -> TyCon
-mkDataKindTyCon kc name kind
+mkDataKindTyCon :: TyCon -> Name -> Kind -> [Role] -> TyCon
+mkDataKindTyCon kc name kind roles
   = PromotedDataCon {
         tyConName   = name,
         tyConUnique = nameUnique name,
-        tyConArity  = 0,
-        tc_roles    = [], -- XXX is this correct?
+        tyConArity  = length roles,
+        tc_roles    = roles,
         tc_kind     = kind,
         parentTyCon = kc
   }