diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeBodyBuilder.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeBodyBuilder.scala
index 334c47f3511d..164e602bbe1b 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeBodyBuilder.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeBodyBuilder.scala
@@ -88,9 +88,23 @@ trait BCodeBodyBuilder extends BCodeSkelBuilder {
         case Assign(lhs, rhs) =>
           val s = lhs.symbol
           val Local(tk, _, idx, _) = locals.getOrMakeLocal(s)
-          genLoad(rhs, tk)
-          lineNumber(tree)
-          bc.store(idx, tk)
+
+          rhs match {
+            case Apply(Select(larg: Ident, nme.ADD), Literal(x) :: Nil)
+            if larg.symbol == s && tk.isIntSizedType && x.isShortRange =>
+              lineNumber(tree)
+              bc.iinc(idx, x.intValue)
+
+            case Apply(Select(larg: Ident, nme.SUB), Literal(x) :: Nil)
+            if larg.symbol == s && tk.isIntSizedType && Constant(-x.intValue).isShortRange =>
+              lineNumber(tree)
+              bc.iinc(idx, -x.intValue)
+
+            case _ =>
+              genLoad(rhs, tk)
+              lineNumber(tree)
+              bc.store(idx, tk)
+          }
 
         case _ =>
           genLoad(tree, UNIT)
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeIdiomatic.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeIdiomatic.scala
index ea257ee959ea..fffefae8a165 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeIdiomatic.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/BCodeIdiomatic.scala
@@ -433,6 +433,7 @@ trait BCodeIdiomatic {
 
     final def load( idx: Int, tk: BType): Unit = { emitVarInsn(Opcodes.ILOAD,  idx, tk) } // can-multi-thread
     final def store(idx: Int, tk: BType): Unit = { emitVarInsn(Opcodes.ISTORE, idx, tk) } // can-multi-thread
+    final def iinc( idx: Int, increment: Int): Unit = jmethod.visitIincInsn(idx, increment) // can-multi-thread
 
     final def aload( tk: BType): Unit = { emitTypeBased(JCodeMethodN.aloadOpcodes,  tk) } // can-multi-thread
     final def astore(tk: BType): Unit = { emitTypeBased(JCodeMethodN.astoreOpcodes, tk) } // can-multi-thread
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/DottyBytecodeTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/DottyBytecodeTests.scala
index d984b612ced2..22fcacbb6a9c 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/DottyBytecodeTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/DottyBytecodeTests.scala
@@ -759,17 +759,14 @@ class TestBCode extends DottyBytecodeTest {
         FrameEntry(1, List(1), List()),
         VarOp(Opcodes.ILOAD, 1),
         Op(Opcodes.ICONST_5),
-        Jump(Opcodes.IF_ICMPGT, Label(16)),
+        Jump(Opcodes.IF_ICMPGT, Label(13)),
         Field(Opcodes.GETSTATIC, "scala/Predef$", "MODULE$", "Lscala/Predef$;"),
         VarOp(Opcodes.ILOAD, 1),
         Invoke(Opcodes.INVOKESTATIC, "scala/runtime/BoxesRunTime", "boxToInteger", "(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;", false),
         Invoke(Opcodes.INVOKEVIRTUAL, "scala/Predef$", "println", "(Ljava/lang/Object;)V", false),
-        VarOp(Opcodes.ILOAD, 1),
-        Op(Opcodes.ICONST_1),
-        Op(Opcodes.IADD),
-        VarOp(Opcodes.ISTORE, 1),
+        Incr(Opcodes.IINC, 1, 1),
         Jump(Opcodes.GOTO, Label(2)),
-        Label(16),
+        Label(13),
         FrameEntry(3, List(), List()),
         Op(Opcodes.RETURN))
 
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/IincTest.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/IincTest.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ad19a4b489ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/IincTest.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package dotty.tools.backend.jvm
+
+import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.Assert._
+
+import scala.tools.asm.Opcodes._
+
+class IincTest extends DottyBytecodeTest {
+  import ASMConverters._
+
+  @Test def increment = test(
+    """{
+      |  var i = x
+      |  i += 1
+      |  i += 54
+      |  i += 127
+      |  i -= 1
+      |  i -= 54
+      |  i -= 128
+      |  i
+      |}""".stripMargin,
+    List(1, 54, 127, -1, -54, -128)
+  )
+
+  @Test def wideIncrement = test(
+    """{
+      |  var i = x
+      |  i += 128
+      |  i += 8765
+      |  i += 32767
+      |  i -= 129
+      |  i -= 8765
+      |  i -= 32768
+      |  i
+      |}""".stripMargin,
+    List(128, 8765, 32767, -129, -8765, -32768)
+  )
+
+  @Test def tooBigForIinc = test(
+    """{
+      |  var i = x
+      |  i += 32768
+      |  i += 56789
+      |  i += 2147483647
+      |  i -= 32769
+      |  i -= 56789
+      |  i -= 2147483647
+      |  i
+      |}""".stripMargin,
+    Nil
+  )
+
+  private def test(code: String, expectedIincs: List[Int])= {
+    val source =
+      s"""class Increment {
+         | def test(x: Int): Int = $code
+         |}
+       """.stripMargin
+
+    checkBCode(source) { dir =>
+      val clsIn   = dir.lookupName("Increment.class", directory = false).input
+      val clsNode = loadClassNode(clsIn)
+      val meth   = getMethod(clsNode, "test")
+
+      val foundIincs = instructionsFromMethod(meth).collect { case iinc: Incr => iinc.incr }
+
+      assertEquals(expectedIincs, foundIincs)
+    }
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/InlineBytecodeTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/InlineBytecodeTests.scala
index 3e9f191ab279..741928203d77 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/InlineBytecodeTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/backend/jvm/InlineBytecodeTests.scala
@@ -397,10 +397,7 @@ class InlineBytecodeTests extends DottyBytecodeTest {
         List(
           IntOp(BIPUSH, 10),
           VarOp(ISTORE, 1),
-          VarOp(ILOAD, 1),
-          Op(ICONST_1),
-          Op(IADD),
-          VarOp(ISTORE, 1),
+          Incr(IINC, 1, 1),
           VarOp(ILOAD, 1),
           Op(IRETURN),
         )