diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/Foldable.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/Foldable.scala
index 676c80f5ac..aa83ebf49e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/Foldable.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/Foldable.scala
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ import simulacrum.typeclass
   def foldMap[A, B](fa: F[A])(f: A => B)(implicit B: Monoid[B]): B =
     foldLeft(fa, B.empty)((b, a) => B.combine(b, f(a)))
 
+  /**
+   * Left associative monadic folding on `F`.
+   */
+  def foldM[G[_], A, B](fa: F[A], z: B)(f: (B, A) => G[B])(implicit G: Monad[G]): G[B] =
+    foldLeft(fa, G.pure(z))((gb, a) => G.flatMap(gb)(f(_, a)))
+
   /**
    * Traverse `F[A]` using `Applicative[G]`.
    *
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/FoldableTests.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/FoldableTests.scala
index 8d4efefd24..fda51a443a 100644
--- a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/FoldableTests.scala
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/FoldableTests.scala
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ class FoldableTestsAdditional extends CatsSuite {
     // more basic checks
     val names = List("Aaron", "Betty", "Calvin", "Deirdra")
     F.foldMap(names)(_.length) should === (names.map(_.length).sum)
+    val sumM = F.foldM(names, "") { (acc, x) => (Some(acc + x): Option[String]) }
+    assert(sumM == Some("AaronBettyCalvinDeirdra"))
+    val notCalvin = F.foldM(names, "") { (acc, x) =>
+      if (x == "Calvin") (None: Option[String])
+      else (Some(acc + x): Option[String]) }
+    assert(notCalvin == None)
 
     // test trampolining
     val large = (1 to 10000).toList
@@ -73,6 +79,16 @@ class FoldableTestsAdditional extends CatsSuite {
     larger.value should === (large.map(_ + 1))
   }
 
+  test("Foldable[List].foldM stack safety") {
+    def nonzero(acc: Long, x: Long): Option[Long] =
+      if (x == 0) None else Some(acc + x)
+
+    val n = 100000L
+    val expected = n*(n+1)/2
+    val actual = Foldable[List].foldM((1L to n).toList, 0L)(nonzero)
+    assert(actual.get == expected)
+  }
+
   test("Foldable[Stream]") {
     val F = Foldable[Stream]