diff --git a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Backend.hs b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Backend.hs
index 6652443..1061f0e 100644
--- a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Backend.hs
+++ b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Backend.hs
@@ -172,11 +172,13 @@ layoutBriDocM = \case
         priors
           `forM_` \(ExactPrint.Types.Comment comment _ _, ExactPrint.Types.DP (y, x)) ->
                     do
-                      -- evil hack for CPP:
                       case comment of
                         ('#':_) -> layoutMoveToCommentPos y (-999)
+                                   --  ^ evil hack for CPP
                         "("     -> pure ()
-                        ")"     -> layoutMoveToCommentPosX (x - 1)
+                        ")"     -> pure ()
+                                   --  ^ these two fix the formatting of parens
+                                   -- on the lhs of type alias defs
                         _       -> layoutMoveToCommentPos y x
                       -- fixedX <- fixMoveToLineByIsNewline x
                       -- replicateM_ fixedX layoutWriteNewline
@@ -245,10 +247,12 @@ layoutBriDocM = \case
       Just comments -> do
         comments `forM_` \(ExactPrint.Types.Comment comment _ _, ExactPrint.Types.DP (y, x)) ->
           do
-      -- evil hack for CPP:
             case comment of
               ('#':_) -> layoutMoveToCommentPos y (-999)
-              ")"     -> layoutMoveToCommentPosX (x - 1)
+                         --  ^ evil hack for CPP
+              ")"     -> pure ()
+                         --  ^ fixes the formatting of parens
+                         --    on the lhs of type alias defs
               _       -> layoutMoveToCommentPos y x
             -- fixedX <- fixMoveToLineByIsNewline x
             -- replicateM_ fixedX layoutWriteNewline
diff --git a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/BackendUtils.hs b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/BackendUtils.hs
index 56b95bb..0a2792c 100644
--- a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/BackendUtils.hs
+++ b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/BackendUtils.hs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ module Language.Haskell.Brittany.Internal.BackendUtils
   , layoutAddSepSpace
   , layoutSetCommentCol
   , layoutMoveToCommentPos
-  , layoutMoveToCommentPosX
   , layoutIndentRestorePostComment
   , moveToExactAnn
   , ppmMoveToExactLoc
@@ -189,30 +188,20 @@ layoutMoveToCommentPos y x = do
     { _lstate_curYOrAddNewline = case _lstate_curYOrAddNewline state of
       Left i  -> if y == 0 then Left i else Right y
       Right{} -> Right y
-    , _lstate_addSepSpace      = if Data.Maybe.isJust (_lstate_commentCol state)
-      then Just $ case _lstate_curYOrAddNewline state of
-        Left{}  -> if y == 0 then x else _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
-        Right{} -> _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
-      else Just $ if y == 0 then x else _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
-    , _lstate_commentCol       = Just $ case _lstate_commentCol state of
-      Just existing -> existing
-      Nothing       -> case _lstate_curYOrAddNewline state of
-        Left i  -> i + fromMaybe 0 (_lstate_addSepSpace state)
-        Right{} -> lstate_baseY state
+    , _lstate_addSepSpace      =
+      Just $ if Data.Maybe.isJust (_lstate_commentCol state)
+        then case _lstate_curYOrAddNewline state of
+          Left{}  -> if y == 0 then x else _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
+          Right{} -> _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
+        else if y == 0 then x else _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x
+    , _lstate_commentCol       =
+      Just $ case _lstate_commentCol state of
+        Just existing -> existing
+        Nothing -> case _lstate_curYOrAddNewline state of
+          Left i  -> i + fromMaybe 0 (_lstate_addSepSpace state)
+          Right{} -> lstate_baseY state
     }
 
-layoutMoveToCommentPosX
-  :: ( MonadMultiWriter Text.Builder.Builder m
-     , MonadMultiState LayoutState m
-     , MonadMultiWriter (Seq String) m
-     )
-  => Int
-  -> m ()
-layoutMoveToCommentPosX x = do
-  traceLocal ("layoutMoveToCommentPosX", x)
-  state <- mGet
-  mSet state { _lstate_addSepSpace = Just $ _lstate_indLevelLinger state + x }
-
 -- | does _not_ add spaces to again reach the current base column.
 layoutWriteNewline
   :: ( MonadMultiWriter Text.Builder.Builder m
diff --git a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Layouters/Decl.hs b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Layouters/Decl.hs
index 7f37282..cf7da4f 100644
--- a/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Layouters/Decl.hs
+++ b/src/Language/Haskell/Brittany/Internal/Layouters/Decl.hs
@@ -659,46 +659,45 @@ layoutSynDecl isInfix wrapNodeRest name vars typ = do
         -- This isn't quite right, but does give syntactically valid results
         let needsParens = not $ null rest || hasOwnParens
         docSeq
-          $  [ appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "type"
-             , appSep
-             .  docSeq
-             $  [ docParenL | needsParens ]
-             ++ [ appSep $ layoutTyVarBndr a
-                , appSep $ docLit nameStr
-                , layoutTyVarBndr b
-                ]
-             ++ [ docParenR | needsParens ]
+          $  [ docLit $ Text.pack "type"
+             , docSeparator
              ]
-          ++ fmap (appSep . layoutTyVarBndr) rest
+          ++ [ docParenL | needsParens ]
+          ++ [ layoutTyVarBndr False a
+             , docSeparator
+             , docLit nameStr
+             , docSeparator
+             , layoutTyVarBndr False b
+             ]
+          ++ [ docParenR | needsParens ]
+          ++ fmap (layoutTyVarBndr True) rest
       else
         docSeq
-        $  [ appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "type"
-           , appSep $ docWrapNode name $ docLit nameStr
+        $  [ docLit $ Text.pack "type"
+           , docSeparator
+           , docWrapNode name $ docLit nameStr
            ]
-        ++ fmap (appSep . layoutTyVarBndr) vars
+        ++ fmap (layoutTyVarBndr True) vars
+  sharedLhs   <- docSharedWrapper id lhs
   typeDoc     <- docSharedWrapper layoutType typ
   hasComments <- hasAnyCommentsConnected typ
-  docAlt
-    $  [ docSeq
-           [lhs, appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "=", docForceSingleline typeDoc]
-       | not hasComments
-       ]
-    ++ [ docAddBaseY BrIndentRegular $ docPar
-          lhs
-          (docCols ColTyOpPrefix [appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "=", typeDoc])
-       ]
+  runFilteredAlternative $ do
+    addAlternativeCond (not hasComments) $ docSeq
+      [sharedLhs, appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "=", docForceSingleline typeDoc]
+    addAlternative $ docAddBaseY BrIndentRegular $ docPar
+      sharedLhs
+      (docCols ColTyOpPrefix [appSep $ docLit $ Text.pack "=", typeDoc])
 
-layoutTyVarBndr :: ToBriDoc HsTyVarBndr
-layoutTyVarBndr lbndr@(L _ bndr) = do
-  needsPriorSpace <- hasAnnKeywordComment lbndr AnnCloseP
+layoutTyVarBndr :: Bool -> ToBriDoc HsTyVarBndr
+layoutTyVarBndr needsSep lbndr@(L _ bndr) = do
   docWrapNodePrior lbndr $ case bndr of
     UserTyVar name -> do
       nameStr <- lrdrNameToTextAnn name
-      docSeq $ [ docSeparator | needsPriorSpace ] ++ [docLit nameStr]
+      docSeq $ [docSeparator | needsSep] ++ [docLit nameStr]
     KindedTyVar name kind -> do
       nameStr <- lrdrNameToTextAnn name
       docSeq
-        $  [ docSeparator | needsPriorSpace ]
+        $  [ docSeparator | needsSep ]
         ++ [ docLit $ Text.pack "("
            , appSep $ docLit nameStr
            , appSep . docLit $ Text.pack "::"