diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/coherence/orphan.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/coherence/orphan.rs
index bacc1f1549973..96f657f0963ce 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/coherence/orphan.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/coherence/orphan.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,13 @@ pub(crate) fn orphan_check_impl(
     );
 
     if tcx.trait_is_auto(trait_def_id) {
-        let self_ty = trait_ref.self_ty();
+        // Expand free alias types (e.g. lazy type aliases) so that the checks below operate
+        // on the type the alias resolves to rather than the alias itself. Otherwise an impl
+        // whose self type is an alias expanding to an otherwise valid nominal type would be
+        // wrongly rejected, e.g. `unsafe impl Sync for Alias {}` where `type Alias = Local;`.
+        // Expansion also reveals genuinely problematic self types (trait objects, opaque
+        // types, type parameters), so those keep being rejected. See issue #157756.
+        let self_ty = tcx.expand_free_alias_tys(trait_ref.self_ty());
 
         // If the impl is in the same crate as the auto-trait, almost anything
         // goes.
diff --git a/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.rs b/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e5d9c988f0d5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+//! Auto-trait impls whose self type is a free (lazy) type alias are checked against the
+//! type the alias *expands* to, not the alias itself. An alias resolving to an otherwise
+//! valid nominal type is accepted, just as if the underlying type had been written
+//! directly; an alias resolving to a problematic type is still rejected.
+//!
+//! Regression test for <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/157756>.
+
+#![feature(lazy_type_alias, auto_traits, negative_impls)]
+#![allow(incomplete_features)]
+
+struct Local;
+
+auto trait Marker {}
+
+// Aliases expanding to a local nominal type are accepted for both a cross-crate auto trait
+// (`Sync`) and a local one (`Marker`), exactly as if `Local` had been named directly.
+type ToLocal = Local;
+unsafe impl Sync for ToLocal {}
+impl Marker for ToLocal {}
+
+// Nested aliases are expanded transitively, so an alias chain ending in a local nominal type
+// is accepted as well.
+struct Inner;
+type Mid = Inner;
+type Nested = Mid;
+impl Marker for Nested {}
+
+// A generic alias instantiated with a local nominal type is accepted.
+struct Generic;
+type Id<T> = T;
+impl Marker for Id<Generic> {}
+
+// Negative auto-trait impls go through the same orphan check, so an alias to a local nominal
+// type is accepted for them too.
+struct Negated;
+type ToNeg = Negated;
+impl !Marker for ToNeg {}
+
+// An alias expanding to a reference is still rejected for the cross-crate auto trait. Using
+// `&'static NotSync` (with `NotSync: !Sync`) avoids overlapping std's `Send for &T` impl, so
+// the only error is the auto-trait nominal-type restriction.
+struct NotSync;
+impl !Sync for NotSync {}
+type ToRef = &'static NotSync;
+unsafe impl Send for ToRef {}
+//~^ ERROR cross-crate traits with a default impl, like `Send`, can only be implemented for a struct/enum type, not `&'static NotSync`
+
+// An alias expanding to a trait object is still rejected for the local auto trait.
+type ToDyn = dyn Send;
+impl Marker for ToDyn {}
+//~^ ERROR traits with a default impl, like `Marker`, cannot be implemented for trait object `(dyn Send + 'static)`
+
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.stderr b/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f2ab6db19fb2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/lazy-type-alias/auto-trait-impls.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+error[E0321]: traits with a default impl, like `Marker`, cannot be implemented for trait object `(dyn Send + 'static)`
+  --> $DIR/auto-trait-impls.rs:50:1
+   |
+LL | impl Marker for ToDyn {}
+   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+   |
+   = note: a trait object implements `Marker` if and only if `Marker` is one of the trait object's trait bounds
+
+error[E0321]: cross-crate traits with a default impl, like `Send`, can only be implemented for a struct/enum type, not `&'static NotSync`
+  --> $DIR/auto-trait-impls.rs:45:1
+   |
+LL | unsafe impl Send for ToRef {}
+   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ can't implement cross-crate trait with a default impl for non-struct/enum type
+
+error: aborting due to 2 previous errors
+
+For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0321`.
diff --git a/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.rs b/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.rs
index b50345bb637c3..57a092a682aaf 100644
--- a/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.rs
+++ b/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+//! The orphan check expands a free alias used as the self type of an auto-trait impl, so an
+//! alias resolving to a tuple is accepted just like the tuple written directly. See #157756.
+
+//@ check-pass
+
 #![feature(type_alias_impl_trait)]
 #![feature(auto_traits)]
 
@@ -5,7 +10,6 @@ type Alias = (impl Sized, u8);
 
 auto trait Trait {}
 impl Trait for Alias {}
-//~^ ERROR traits with a default impl, like `Trait`, cannot be implemented for type alias `Alias`
 
 #[define_opaque(Alias)]
 fn _def() -> Alias {
diff --git a/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.stderr b/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.stderr
deleted file mode 100644
index a13e9eaab3add..0000000000000
--- a/tests/ui/type-alias-impl-trait/impl_for_weak_alias.stderr
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-error[E0321]: traits with a default impl, like `Trait`, cannot be implemented for type alias `Alias`
-  --> $DIR/impl_for_weak_alias.rs:7:1
-   |
-LL | impl Trait for Alias {}
-   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-   |
-   = note: a trait object implements `Trait` if and only if `Trait` is one of the trait object's trait bounds
-
-error: aborting due to 1 previous error
-
-For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0321`.