diff --git a/src/topology/algebra/module/basic.lean b/src/topology/algebra/module/basic.lean
index 1fe46146c0826..55646b2427c7c 100644
--- a/src/topology/algebra/module/basic.lean
+++ b/src/topology/algebra/module/basic.lean
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ section semiring
 
 variables
 {R₁ : Type*} {R₂ : Type*} {R₃ : Type*} [semiring R₁] [semiring R₂] [semiring R₃]
-{σ₁₂ : R₁ →+* R₂} {σ₂₃ : R₂ →+* R₃}
+{σ₁₂ : R₁ →+* R₂} {σ₂₃ : R₂ →+* R₃} {σ₁₃ : R₁ →+* R₃}
 {M₁ : Type*} [topological_space M₁] [add_comm_monoid M₁]
 {M'₁ : Type*} [topological_space M'₁] [add_comm_monoid M'₁]
 {M₂ : Type*} [topological_space M₂] [add_comm_monoid M₂]
@@ -446,6 +446,30 @@ begin
   exact hf'.dense_image f.continuous hs
 end
 
+section smul_monoid
+
+variables {S₂ T₂ : Type*} [monoid S₂] [monoid T₂]
+variables [distrib_mul_action S₂ M₂] [smul_comm_class R₂ S₂ M₂] [has_continuous_const_smul S₂ M₂]
+variables [distrib_mul_action T₂ M₂] [smul_comm_class R₂ T₂ M₂] [has_continuous_const_smul T₂ M₂]
+
+instance : mul_action S₂ (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
+{ smul := λ c f, ⟨c • f, (f.2.const_smul _ : continuous (λ x, c • f x))⟩,
+  one_smul := λ f, ext $ λ x, one_smul _ _,
+  mul_smul := λ a b f, ext $ λ x, mul_smul _ _ _ }
+
+lemma smul_apply (c : S₂) (f : M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) (x : M₁) : (c • f) x = c • (f x) := rfl
+@[simp, norm_cast]
+lemma coe_smul (c : S₂) (f : M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) : (↑(c • f) : M₁ →ₛₗ[σ₁₂] M₂) = c • f := rfl
+@[simp, norm_cast] lemma coe_smul' (c : S₂) (f : M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) : ⇑(c • f) = c • f := rfl
+
+instance [has_scalar S₂ T₂] [is_scalar_tower S₂ T₂ M₂] : is_scalar_tower S₂ T₂ (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
+⟨λ a b f, ext $ λ x, smul_assoc a b (f x)⟩
+
+instance [smul_comm_class S₂ T₂ M₂] : smul_comm_class S₂ T₂ (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
+⟨λ a b f, ext $ λ x, smul_comm a b (f x)⟩
+
+end smul_monoid
+
 /-- The continuous map that is constantly zero. -/
 instance: has_zero (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) := ⟨⟨0, continuous_zero⟩⟩
 instance : inhabited (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) := ⟨0⟩
@@ -504,10 +528,7 @@ instance : add_comm_monoid (M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
   add_zero := by intros; ext; apply_rules [zero_add, add_assoc, add_zero, add_left_neg, add_comm],
   add_comm := by intros; ext; apply_rules [zero_add, add_assoc, add_zero, add_left_neg, add_comm],
   add_assoc := by intros; ext; apply_rules [zero_add, add_assoc, add_zero, add_left_neg, add_comm],
-  nsmul := λ n f,
-    { to_fun := λ x, n • (f x),
-      map_add' := by simp,
-      map_smul' := by simp [smul_comm n] },
+  nsmul := (•),
   nsmul_zero' := λ f, by { ext, simp },
   nsmul_succ' := λ n f, by { ext, simp [nat.succ_eq_one_add, add_smul] } }
 
@@ -525,14 +546,14 @@ by simp only [coe_sum', finset.sum_apply]
 
 end add
 
-variables {σ₁₃ : R₁ →+* R₃} [ring_hom_comp_triple σ₁₂ σ₂₃ σ₁₃]
+variables [ring_hom_comp_triple σ₁₂ σ₂₃ σ₁₃]
 
 /-- Composition of bounded linear maps. -/
 def comp (g : M₂ →SL[σ₂₃] M₃) (f : M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) : M₁ →SL[σ₁₃] M₃ :=
 ⟨(g : M₂ →ₛₗ[σ₂₃] M₃).comp ↑f, g.2.comp f.2⟩
 
-infixr ` ∘L `:80 := @continuous_linear_map.comp _ _ _ _ _ _ (ring_hom.id _) (ring_hom.id _)
-  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (ring_hom.id _) ring_hom_comp_triple.ids
+infixr ` ∘L `:80 := @continuous_linear_map.comp _ _ _ _ _ _
+  (ring_hom.id _) (ring_hom.id _) (ring_hom.id _) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ring_hom_comp_triple.ids
 
 @[simp, norm_cast] lemma coe_comp (h : M₂ →SL[σ₂₃] M₃) (f : M₁ →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :
   (h.comp f : M₁ →ₛₗ[σ₁₃] M₃) = (h : M₂ →ₛₗ[σ₂₃] M₃).comp (f : M₁ →ₛₗ[σ₁₂] M₂) := rfl
@@ -930,14 +951,8 @@ by refine
   neg := has_neg.neg,
   sub := has_sub.sub,
   sub_eq_add_neg := _,
-  nsmul := λ n f,
-    { to_fun := λ x, n • (f x),
-      map_add' := by simp,
-      map_smul' := by simp [smul_comm n] },
-  zsmul := λ n f,
-    { to_fun := λ x, n • (f x),
-      map_add' := by simp,
-      map_smul' := by simp [smul_comm n] },
+  nsmul := (•),
+  zsmul := (•),
   zsmul_zero' := λ f, by { ext, simp },
   zsmul_succ' := λ n f, by { ext, simp [add_smul, add_comm] },
   zsmul_neg' := λ n f, by { ext, simp [nat.succ_eq_add_one, add_smul] },
@@ -1011,11 +1026,6 @@ variables {R R₂ R₃ S S₃ : Type*} [semiring R] [semiring R₂] [semiring R
   [distrib_mul_action S N₃] [smul_comm_class R S N₃] [has_continuous_const_smul S N₃]
   {σ₁₂ : R →+* R₂} {σ₂₃ : R₂ →+* R₃} {σ₁₃ : R →+* R₃} [ring_hom_comp_triple σ₁₂ σ₂₃ σ₁₃]
 
-instance : mul_action S₃ (M →SL[σ₁₃] M₃) :=
-{ smul := λ c f, ⟨c • f, (f.2.const_smul _ : continuous (λ x, c • f x))⟩,
-  one_smul := λ f, ext $ λ x, one_smul _ _,
-  mul_smul := λ a b f, ext $ λ x, mul_smul _ _ _ }
-
 include σ₁₃
 @[simp] lemma smul_comp (c : S₃) (h : M₂ →SL[σ₂₃] M₃) (f : M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :
   (c • h).comp f = c • (h.comp f) := rfl
@@ -1024,11 +1034,6 @@ omit σ₁₃
 variables [distrib_mul_action S₃ M₂] [has_continuous_const_smul S₃ M₂] [smul_comm_class R₂ S₃ M₂]
 variables [distrib_mul_action S N₂] [has_continuous_const_smul S N₂] [smul_comm_class R S N₂]
 
-lemma smul_apply (c : S₃) (f : M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) (x : M) : (c • f) x = c • (f x) := rfl
-@[simp, norm_cast]
-lemma coe_smul (c : S₃) (f : M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) : (↑(c • f) : M →ₛₗ[σ₁₂] M₂) = c • f := rfl
-@[simp, norm_cast] lemma coe_smul' (c : S₃) (f : M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) : ⇑(c • f) = c • f := rfl
-
 @[simp] lemma comp_smul [linear_map.compatible_smul N₂ N₃ S R]
   (hₗ : N₂ →L[R] N₃) (c : S) (fₗ : M →L[R] N₂) :
   hₗ.comp (c • fₗ) = c • (hₗ.comp fₗ) :=
@@ -1042,16 +1047,6 @@ include σ₁₃
 by { ext x, simp only [coe_smul', coe_comp', function.comp_app, pi.smul_apply, map_smulₛₗ] }
 omit σ₁₃
 
-instance {T : Type*} [monoid T] [distrib_mul_action T M₂]
-  [has_continuous_const_smul T M₂] [smul_comm_class R₂ T M₂] [has_scalar S₃ T]
-  [is_scalar_tower S₃ T M₂] : is_scalar_tower S₃ T (M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
-⟨λ a b f, ext $ λ x, smul_assoc a b (f x)⟩
-
-instance {T : Type*} [monoid T] [distrib_mul_action T M₂]
-  [has_continuous_const_smul T M₂] [smul_comm_class R₂ T M₂] [smul_comm_class S₃ T M₂] :
-  smul_comm_class S₃ T (M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
-⟨λ a b f, ext $ λ x, smul_comm a b (f x)⟩
-
 instance [has_continuous_add M₂] : distrib_mul_action S₃ (M →SL[σ₁₂] M₂) :=
 { smul_add := λ a f g, ext $ λ x, smul_add a (f x) (g x),
   smul_zero := λ a, ext $ λ x, smul_zero _ }