diff --git a/src/qe/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qe/CMakeLists.txt
index d771ec62e..e9f91ae3e 100644
--- a/src/qe/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qe/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ z3_add_component(qe
     qe_mbp.cpp
     qe_mbi.cpp
     qe_sat_tactic.cpp
+    qe_solve_plugin.cpp
     qe_tactic.cpp
     qe_term_graph.cpp
     qsat.cpp
diff --git a/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.cpp b/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a4dd97f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+/**
+Copyright (c) 2018 Microsoft Corporation
+
+Module Name:
+
+    qe_solve.cpp
+
+Abstract:
+
+    Light-weight variable solving plugin model for qe-lite and term_graph.
+
+Author:
+
+    Nikolaj Bjorner (nbjorner), Arie Gurfinkel 2018-6-8
+
+Revision History:
+
+
+--*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "ast/arith_decl_plugin.h"
+#include "ast/ast_util.h"
+#include "ast/ast_pp.h"
+#include "qe/qe_solve_plugin.h"
+
+namespace qe {
+
+    expr_ref solve_plugin::operator()(expr* lit) {
+        if (m.is_not(lit, lit)) 
+            return solve(lit, false);
+        else
+            return solve(lit, true);
+    }
+
+    class arith_solve_plugin : public solve_plugin {
+        arith_util a;
+    public:
+        arith_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var): solve_plugin(m, m.get_family_id("arith"), is_var), a(m) {}
+
+        typedef std::pair<bool,expr*> signed_expr;
+        
+        /**
+         *\brief 
+         *   return r * (sum_{(sign,e) \in exprs} sign * e)
+         */
+        expr_ref mk_term(bool is_int, rational const& r, bool sign, svector<signed_expr> const& exprs) {
+            expr_ref_vector result(m);
+            for (auto const& kv : exprs) {
+                bool sign2 = kv.first;
+                expr* e    = kv.second;
+                rational r2(r);
+                if (sign == sign2) {
+                    r2.neg();
+                }
+                if (!r2.is_one()) {
+                    result.push_back(a.mk_mul(a.mk_numeral(r2, is_int), e));
+                }
+                else {
+                    result.push_back(e);
+                }
+            }
+            return a.mk_add_simplify(result);
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * \brief return true if lhs = rhs can be solved as v = t, where v is a variable.
+         */
+        bool solve_arith(expr* lhs, expr* rhs, expr_ref& v, expr_ref& t) {
+            if (!a.is_int(lhs) && !a.is_real(rhs)) {
+                return false;
+            }
+            rational a_val;
+            bool is_int = a.is_int(lhs);
+            svector<signed_expr> todo, done;
+            todo.push_back(std::make_pair(true,  lhs));
+            todo.push_back(std::make_pair(false, rhs));
+            while (!todo.empty()) {
+                expr* e = todo.back().second;
+                bool sign = todo.back().first;
+                todo.pop_back();
+                if (a.is_add(e)) {
+                    for (expr* e : *to_app(e)) {
+                        todo.push_back(std::make_pair(sign, e));
+                    }
+                }
+                else if (is_invertible_mul(is_int, e, a_val)) {
+                    done.append(todo);
+                    v = e;
+                    a_val = rational(1)/a_val;
+                    t = mk_term(is_int, a_val, sign, done);
+                    TRACE("qe", tout << mk_pp(lhs, m) << " " << mk_pp(rhs, m) << " " << e << " := " << t << "\n";);
+                    return true;
+                }
+                else {
+                    done.push_back(std::make_pair(sign, e));
+                }
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // can we solve for a variable by ...
+        bool is_invertible_const(bool is_int, expr* x, rational& a_val) {
+            expr* y;
+            if (a.is_uminus(x, y) && is_invertible_const(is_int, y, a_val)) {
+                a_val.neg();
+                return true;
+            }
+            else if (a.is_numeral(x, a_val) && !a_val.is_zero()) {
+                if (!is_int || a_val.is_one() || a_val.is_minus_one()) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        bool is_invertible_mul(bool is_int, expr*& arg, rational& a_val) {
+            if (is_variable(arg)) {
+                a_val = rational(1);
+                return true;
+            }
+            expr* x, *y;
+            if (a.is_mul(arg, x, y)) {
+                if (is_variable(x) && is_invertible_const(is_int, y, a_val)) {
+                    arg = x;
+                    return true;
+                }
+                if (is_variable(y) && is_invertible_const(is_int, x, a_val)) {
+                    arg = y;
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+        
+
+        expr_ref mk_eq_core (expr *_e1, expr *_e2) {
+            expr *e1, *e2;
+            e1 = _e1;
+            e2 = _e2;
+
+            if (a.is_zero(e1)) {
+                std::swap(e1, e2);
+            }
+            // y + -1*x == 0  --> y = x
+            expr *a0 = 0, *a1 = 0, *x = 0;
+            if (a.is_zero(e2) && a.is_add(e1, a0, a1)) {
+                if (a.is_times_minus_one(a1, x)) {
+                    e1 = a0;
+                    e2 = x;
+                }
+                else if (a.is_times_minus_one(a0, x)) {
+                    e1 = a1;
+                    e2 = x;
+                }
+            }
+            return expr_ref(m.mk_eq(e1, e2), m);
+        }
+
+        app* mk_le_zero(expr *arg) {
+            expr *e1, *e2, *e3;
+            // XXX currently disabled
+            if (a.is_add(arg, e1, e2)) {
+                // e1-e2<=0 --> e1<=e2
+                if (a.is_times_minus_one(e2, e3)) {
+                    return a.mk_le(e1, e3);
+                }
+                // -e1+e2<=0 --> e2<=e1
+                else if (a.is_times_minus_one(e1, e3)) {
+                    return a.mk_le(e2, e3);
+                }
+            }
+            return a.mk_le(arg, mk_zero());
+        }
+
+        app* mk_ge_zero(expr *arg) {
+            expr *e1, *e2, *e3;
+            // XXX currently disabled
+            if (a.is_add(arg, e1, e2)) {
+                // e1-e2>=0 --> e1>=e2
+                if (a.is_times_minus_one(e2, e3)) {
+                    return a.mk_ge(e1, e3);
+                }
+                // -e1+e2>=0 --> e2>=e1
+                else if (a.is_times_minus_one(e1, e3)) {
+                    return a.mk_ge(e2, e3);
+                }
+            }
+            return a.mk_ge(arg, mk_zero());
+        }
+
+        bool mk_le_core (expr *arg1, expr * arg2, expr_ref &result) {
+            // t <= -1  ==> t < 0 ==> ! (t >= 0)
+            rational n;
+            if (a.is_int (arg1) && a.is_minus_one (arg2)) {
+                result = m.mk_not (mk_ge_zero (arg1));
+                return true;
+            }
+            else if (a.is_zero(arg2)) {
+                result = mk_le_zero(arg1);
+                return true;
+            }
+            else if (a.is_int(arg1) && a.is_numeral(arg2, n) && n < 0) {
+                // t <= n ==> t < n + 1 ==> ! (t >= n + 1)
+                result = m.mk_not(a.mk_ge(arg1, a.mk_numeral(n+1, true)));
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        expr * mk_zero () {
+            return a.mk_numeral (rational (0), true);
+        }
+
+        bool is_one (expr const * n) const {
+            rational val;
+            return a.is_numeral (n, val) && val.is_one ();
+        }
+
+        bool mk_ge_core (expr * arg1, expr * arg2, expr_ref &result) {
+            // t >= 1 ==> t > 0 ==> ! (t <= 0)
+            rational n;
+            if (a.is_int (arg1) && is_one (arg2)) {
+                result = m.mk_not (mk_le_zero (arg1));
+                return true;
+            }
+            else if (a.is_zero(arg2)) {
+                result = mk_ge_zero(arg1);
+                return true;
+            }
+            else if (a.is_int(arg1) && a.is_numeral(arg2, n) && n > 0) {
+                // t >= n ==> t > n - 1 ==> ! (t <= n - 1)
+                result = m.mk_not(a.mk_le(arg1, a.mk_numeral(n-1, true)));
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        expr_ref solve(expr* lit, bool is_pos) override {
+            expr *e1, *e2;
+
+            expr_ref res(lit, m);
+            if (m.is_eq (lit, e1, e2)) {
+                res = mk_eq_core(e1, e2);
+            }
+            else if (a.is_le(lit, e1, e2)) {
+                mk_le_core(e1, e2, res);
+            }
+            else if (a.is_ge(lit, e1, e2)) {
+                mk_ge_core(e1, e2, res);
+            }
+
+            // restore negation
+            if (!is_pos) {
+                res = mk_not(m, res);
+            }
+            return res;
+        }
+    };
+
+    class bv_solve_plugin : public solve_plugin {
+    public:
+        bv_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var): solve_plugin(m, m.get_family_id("bv"), is_var) {}
+        expr_ref solve(expr *atom, bool is_pos) override {
+            expr_ref res(atom, m);
+            return is_pos ? res : mk_not(res);
+        }
+    };
+
+    class dt_solve_plugin : public solve_plugin {
+    public:
+        dt_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var): solve_plugin(m, m.get_family_id("dt"), is_var) {}
+        expr_ref solve(expr *atom, bool is_pos) override {
+            expr_ref res(atom, m);
+            return is_pos ? res : mk_not(res);
+        }
+    };
+    
+    class array_solve_plugin : public solve_plugin {
+    public:
+        array_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var): solve_plugin(m, m.get_family_id("array"), is_var) {}
+        expr_ref solve(expr *atom, bool is_pos) override {
+            expr_ref res(atom, m);
+            return is_pos ? res : mk_not(res);
+        }
+    };
+
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_arith_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var) {
+        return alloc(arith_solve_plugin, m, is_var);
+    }
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_dt_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var) {
+        return alloc(dt_solve_plugin, m, is_var);
+    }
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_bv_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var) {
+        return alloc(bv_solve_plugin, m, is_var);
+    }
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_array_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var) {
+        return alloc(array_solve_plugin, m, is_var);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.h b/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..064d3b84d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/qe/qe_solve_plugin.h
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+Copyright (c) 2018 Microsoft Corporation
+
+Module Name:
+
+    qe_solve.h
+
+Abstract:
+
+    Light-weight variable solving plugin model for qe-lite and term_graph.
+
+Author:
+
+    Nikolaj Bjorner (nbjorner), Arie Gurfinkel 2018-6-8
+
+Revision History:
+
+
+--*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "ast/ast.h"
+#include "util/plugin_manager.h"
+#include "qe/qe_vartest.h"
+
+namespace qe {
+
+    class solve_plugin {
+    protected:
+        ast_manager&      m;
+        family_id         m_id;
+        is_variable_proc& m_is_var;
+
+        virtual expr_ref solve(expr* atom, bool is_pos) = 0;
+        bool is_variable(expr* e) const { return m_is_var(e); }
+    public:
+        solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, family_id fid, is_variable_proc& is_var) : m(m), m_id(fid), m_is_var(is_var) {}
+        virtual ~solve_plugin() {}
+        family_id get_family_id() const { return m_id; }
+        /// Process (and potentially augment) a literal
+        expr_ref operator() (expr *lit);
+    };
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_arith_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var);
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_dt_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var);
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_bv_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var);
+
+    solve_plugin* mk_array_solve_plugin(ast_manager& m, is_variable_proc& is_var);
+}