diff --git a/src/algebra/module/prod.lean b/src/algebra/module/prod.lean
index bbd6b05c24364..3cf57deae9155 100644
--- a/src/algebra/module/prod.lean
+++ b/src/algebra/module/prod.lean
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /-
 Copyright (c) 2018 Simon Hudon. All rights reserved.
 Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
-Authors: Simon Hudon, Patrick Massot
+Authors: Simon Hudon, Patrick Massot, Eric Wieser
 -/
 import algebra.module.basic
 /-!
@@ -10,27 +10,41 @@ import algebra.module.basic
 This file defines instances for binary product of modules
 -/
 
-variables {α : Type*} {β : Type*} {γ : Type*} {δ : Type*} {p q : α × β}
+variables {R : Type*} {S : Type*} {M : Type*} {N : Type*}
 
 namespace prod
 
-instance [has_scalar α β] [has_scalar α γ] : has_scalar α (β × γ) := ⟨λa p, (a • p.1, a • p.2)⟩
-
-@[simp] theorem smul_fst [has_scalar α β] [has_scalar α γ]
-  (a : α) (x : β × γ) : (a • x).1 = a • x.1 := rfl
-@[simp] theorem smul_snd [has_scalar α β] [has_scalar α γ]
-  (a : α) (x : β × γ) : (a • x).2 = a • x.2 := rfl
-@[simp] theorem smul_mk [has_scalar α β] [has_scalar α γ]
-  (a : α) (b : β) (c : γ) : a • (b, c) = (a • b, a • c) := rfl
-
-instance {r : semiring α} [add_comm_monoid β] [add_comm_monoid γ]
-  [semimodule α β] [semimodule α γ] : semimodule α (β × γ) :=
-{ smul_add  := assume a p₁ p₂, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_add _ _ _, smul_add _ _ _⟩,
-  add_smul  := assume a p₁ p₂, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨add_smul _ _ _, add_smul _ _ _⟩,
-  mul_smul  := assume a₁ a₂ p, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨mul_smul _ _ _, mul_smul _ _ _⟩,
-  one_smul  := assume ⟨b, c⟩, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨one_smul _ _, one_smul _ _⟩,
-  zero_smul := assume ⟨b, c⟩, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨zero_smul _ _, zero_smul _ _⟩,
-  smul_zero := assume a, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_zero _, smul_zero _⟩,
-  .. prod.has_scalar }
+instance [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar R N] : has_scalar R (M × N) := ⟨λa p, (a • p.1, a • p.2)⟩
+
+@[simp] theorem smul_fst [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar R N]
+  (a : R) (x : M × N) : (a • x).1 = a • x.1 := rfl
+@[simp] theorem smul_snd [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar R N]
+  (a : R) (x : M × N) : (a • x).2 = a • x.2 := rfl
+@[simp] theorem smul_mk [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar R N]
+  (a : R) (b : M) (c : N) : a • (b, c) = (a • b, a • c) := rfl
+
+instance [has_scalar R S] [has_scalar S M] [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar S N] [has_scalar R N]
+  [is_scalar_tower R S M] [is_scalar_tower R S N] : is_scalar_tower R S (M × N) :=
+⟨λ x y z, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_assoc _ _ _, smul_assoc _ _ _⟩⟩
+
+instance [has_scalar R M] [has_scalar S M] [has_scalar R N] [has_scalar S N]
+  [smul_comm_class R S M] [smul_comm_class R S N] :
+  smul_comm_class R S (M × N) :=
+{ smul_comm := λ r s x, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_comm _ _ _, smul_comm _ _ _⟩ }
+
+instance {r : monoid R} [mul_action R M] [mul_action R N] : mul_action R (M × N) :=
+{ mul_smul  := λ a₁ a₂ p, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨mul_smul _ _ _, mul_smul _ _ _⟩,
+  one_smul  := λ ⟨b, c⟩, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨one_smul _ _, one_smul _ _⟩ }
+
+instance {r : monoid R} [add_monoid M] [add_monoid N]
+  [distrib_mul_action R M] [distrib_mul_action R N] : distrib_mul_action R (M × N) :=
+{ smul_add  := λ a p₁ p₂, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_add _ _ _, smul_add _ _ _⟩,
+  smul_zero := λ a, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨smul_zero _, smul_zero _⟩ }
+
+instance {r : semiring R} [add_comm_monoid M] [add_comm_monoid N]
+  [semimodule R M] [semimodule R N] : semimodule R (M × N) :=
+{ add_smul  := λ a p₁ p₂, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨add_smul _ _ _, add_smul _ _ _⟩,
+  zero_smul := λ ⟨b, c⟩, mk.inj_iff.mpr ⟨zero_smul _ _, zero_smul _ _⟩,
+  .. prod.distrib_mul_action }
 
 end prod