diff --git a/src/category_theory/generator.lean b/src/category_theory/generator.lean
index 522630650fe36..23f20b7069223 100644
--- a/src/category_theory/generator.lean
+++ b/src/category_theory/generator.lean
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ Authors: Markus Himmel
 import category_theory.balanced
 import category_theory.limits.opposites
 import category_theory.limits.shapes.zero_morphisms
+import category_theory.subobject.lattice
+import category_theory.subobject.well_powered
 import data.set.opposite
 
 /-!
@@ -237,6 +239,43 @@ lemma is_codetecting_empty_of_groupoid [∀ {X Y : C} (f : X ⟶ Y), is_iso f] :
 
 end empty
 
+section well_powered
+
+namespace subobject
+
+lemma eq_of_le_of_is_detecting {𝒢 : set C} (h𝒢 : is_detecting 𝒢) {X : C} (P Q : subobject X)
+  (h₁ : P ≤ Q) (h₂ : ∀ (G ∈ 𝒢) {f : G ⟶ X}, Q.factors f → P.factors f) : P = Q :=
+begin
+  suffices : is_iso (of_le _ _ h₁),
+  { exactI le_antisymm h₁ (le_of_comm (inv (of_le _ _ h₁)) (by simp)) },
+  refine h𝒢 _ (λ G hG f, _),
+  have : P.factors (f ≫ Q.arrow) := h₂ _ hG ((factors_iff _ _).2 ⟨_, rfl⟩),
+  refine ⟨factor_thru _ _ this, _, λ g (hg : g ≫ _ = f), _⟩,
+  { simp only [← cancel_mono Q.arrow, category.assoc, of_le_arrow, factor_thru_arrow] },
+  { simp only [← cancel_mono (subobject.of_le _ _ h₁), ← cancel_mono Q.arrow, hg,
+      category.assoc, of_le_arrow, factor_thru_arrow] }
+end
+
+lemma inf_eq_of_is_detecting [has_pullbacks C] {𝒢 : set C} (h𝒢 : is_detecting 𝒢) {X : C}
+  (P Q : subobject X) (h : ∀ (G ∈ 𝒢) {f : G ⟶ X}, P.factors f → Q.factors f) : P ⊓ Q = P :=
+eq_of_le_of_is_detecting h𝒢 _ _ _root_.inf_le_left (λ G hG f hf, (inf_factors _).2 ⟨hf, h _ hG hf⟩)
+
+lemma eq_of_is_detecting [has_pullbacks C] {𝒢 : set C} (h𝒢 : is_detecting 𝒢) {X : C}
+  (P Q : subobject X) (h : ∀ (G ∈ 𝒢) {f : G ⟶ X}, P.factors f ↔ Q.factors f) : P = Q :=
+calc P = P ⊓ Q : eq.symm $ inf_eq_of_is_detecting h𝒢 _ _ $ λ G hG f hf, (h G hG).1 hf
+   ... = Q ⊓ P : inf_comm
+   ... = Q     : inf_eq_of_is_detecting h𝒢 _ _ $ λ G hG f hf, (h G hG).2 hf
+
+end subobject
+
+/-- A category with pullbacks and a small detecting set is well-powered. -/
+lemma well_powered_of_is_detecting [has_pullbacks C] {𝒢 : set C} [small.{v} 𝒢]
+  (h𝒢 : is_detecting 𝒢) : well_powered C :=
+⟨λ X, @small_of_injective _ _ _ (λ P : subobject X, { f : Σ G : 𝒢, G.1 ⟶ X | P.factors f.2 }) $
+  λ P Q h, subobject.eq_of_is_detecting h𝒢 _ _ (by simpa [set.ext_iff] using h)⟩
+
+end well_powered
+
 /-- We say that `G` is a separator if the functor `C(G, -)` is faithful. -/
 def is_separator (G : C) : Prop :=
 is_separating ({G} : set C)
@@ -442,4 +481,8 @@ begin
     rwa [is_iso_iff_bijective, function.bijective_iff_exists_unique] }
 end
 
+lemma well_powered_of_is_detector [has_pullbacks C] (G : C) (hG : is_detector G) :
+  well_powered C :=
+well_powered_of_is_detecting hG
+
 end category_theory