diff --git a/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/nonterminal/rule.hpp b/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/nonterminal/rule.hpp
index 0d3ddba18b..0ba94ea746 100644
--- a/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/nonterminal/rule.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/nonterminal/rule.hpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
         typedef ID id;
         typedef Attribute attribute_type;
         static bool const has_attribute =
-            !is_same<Attribute, unused_type>::value;
+            !std::is_same<std::remove_const_t<Attribute>, unused_type>::value;
         static bool const handles_container =
             traits::is_container<Attribute>::value;
         static bool const force_attribute = force_attribute_;
@@ -111,9 +111,24 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
         bool parse(Iterator& first, Iterator const& last
           , Context const& context, unused_type, Attribute_& attr) const
         {
+            static_assert(has_attribute,
+                "The rule does not have an attribute. Check your parser.");
+
             return parse_rule(*this, first, last, context, attr);
         }
 
+        template <typename Iterator, typename Context>
+        bool parse(Iterator& first, Iterator const& last
+            , Context const& context, unused_type, unused_type) const
+        {
+            static_assert(!has_attribute,
+                "The rule requires an input attribute. Check your parser.");
+
+            // shield from user specified `unused_type const` as rule attribute
+            attribute_type no_attr;
+            return parse_rule(*this, first, last, context, no_attr);
+        }
+
         char const* name;
     };
 
@@ -140,42 +155,12 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
         }
     };
 
-    namespace detail
-    {
-        template <typename Attribute>
-        struct rule_attr_deducer
-        {
-            template <typename PassedAttribute>
-            using deduce = PassedAttribute&;
-        };
-
-        template <typename PassedAttribute>
-        struct rule_requires_unused_attribute
-        {
-            static_assert(std::is_same<std::remove_cv_t<PassedAttribute>, unused_type>::value,
-                "The rule does not syntesize an attribute");
-
-            static int constexpr dummy = 1; // just a dummy member, used to force instantiation
-        };
-
-        template <>
-        struct rule_attr_deducer<unused_type>
-        {
-            template <typename PassedAttribute, int = rule_requires_unused_attribute<PassedAttribute>::dummy>
-            using deduce = PassedAttribute;
-        };
-
-        template <typename Rule, typename Attribute = typename Rule::attribute_type>
-        using deduce_rule_attr = typename rule_attr_deducer<typename Rule::attribute_type>::template deduce<Attribute>;
-    }
-
 #define BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE_(r, data, rule_type)                               \
     template <typename Iterator, typename Context, typename Attribute>          \
     bool parse_rule(                                                            \
         rule_type rule_                                                         \
       , Iterator& first, Iterator const& last                                   \
-      , Context const& context                                                  \
-      , ::boost::spirit::x3::detail::deduce_rule_attr<rule_type, Attribute> attr); \
+      , Context const& context, Attribute& attr);                               \
     /***/
 
 #define BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(...) BOOST_PP_SEQ_FOR_EACH(                        \
@@ -189,8 +174,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
     inline bool parse_rule(                                                     \
         BOOST_PP_CAT(rule_name, _synonym) /* rule_ */                           \
       , Iterator& first, Iterator const& last                                   \
-      , Context const& context                                                  \
-      , ::boost::spirit::x3::detail::deduce_rule_attr<BOOST_PP_CAT(rule_name, _synonym), Attribute> attr) \
+      , Context const& context, Attribute& attr)                                \
     {                                                                           \
         using boost::spirit::x3::unused;                                        \
         static auto const def_ = (rule_name = BOOST_PP_CAT(rule_name, _def));   \
@@ -203,8 +187,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
     inline bool parse_rule(                                                     \
         decltype(rule_name) /* rule_ */                                         \
       , Iterator& first, Iterator const& last                                   \
-      , Context const& context                                                  \
-      , ::boost::spirit::x3::detail::deduce_rule_attr<decltype(rule_name), Attribute> attr) \
+      , Context const& context, Attribute& attr)                                \
     {                                                                           \
         using boost::spirit::x3::unused;                                        \
         static auto const def_ = (rule_name = BOOST_PP_CAT(rule_name, _def));   \
@@ -221,8 +204,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
     template bool parse_rule<Iterator, Context, rule_type::attribute_type>(     \
         rule_type rule_                                                         \
       , Iterator& first, Iterator const& last                                   \
-      , Context const& context                                                  \
-      , ::boost::spirit::x3::detail::deduce_rule_attr<rule_type> attr);         \
+      , Context const& context, rule_type::attribute_type&);                    \
     /***/
 
 
diff --git a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu.cpp b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu.cpp
index 50909a70cf..74810c6ad2 100644
--- a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu.cpp
+++ b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu.cpp
@@ -18,5 +18,10 @@ int main()
     BOOST_TEST(parse(s, end, unused_attr::grammar));
     BOOST_TEST(phrase_parse(s, end, unused_attr::grammar, unused_attr::skipper));
 
+    std::string rs;
+    BOOST_TEST(parse(s, end, used_attr::skipper));
+    BOOST_TEST(parse(s, end, used_attr::grammar, rs));
+    BOOST_TEST(phrase_parse(s, end, used_attr::grammar, used_attr::skipper, rs));
+
     return boost::report_errors();
 }
diff --git a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.cpp b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.cpp
index 4c6b1616a8..568e7760b8 100644
--- a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.cpp
+++ b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.cpp
@@ -24,3 +24,18 @@ BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(grammar_type, char const*, x3::unused_type)
 BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(grammar_type, char const*, x3::phrase_parse_context<skipper_type>::type)
 
 }
+
+namespace used_attr {
+
+const skipper_type skipper = "skipper";
+const auto skipper_def = x3::char_('*');
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DEFINE(skipper)
+BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(skipper_type, char const*, x3::unused_type)
+
+const grammar_type grammar = "grammar";
+const auto grammar_def = *x3::char_('=');
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DEFINE(grammar)
+BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(grammar_type, char const*, x3::unused_type)
+BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(grammar_type, char const*, x3::phrase_parse_context<skipper_type>::type)
+
+}
diff --git a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.hpp b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.hpp
index 5691dd94d6..19a9ed7d78 100644
--- a/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.hpp
+++ b/test/x3/rule_separate_tu_grammar.hpp
@@ -26,3 +26,21 @@ extern const grammar_type grammar;
 BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(grammar_type)
 
 }
+
+// Check instantiation when rule has an attribute.
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace used_attr {
+
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+
+using skipper_type = x3::rule<class skipper_r, x3::unused_type const>;
+extern const skipper_type skipper;
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(skipper_type)
+
+using grammar_type = x3::rule<class grammar_r, std::string>;
+extern const grammar_type grammar;
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(grammar_type)
+
+}