diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicative.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicative.scala
index 9954f17922..7da7db0fc4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicative.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/applicative.scala
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package cats
 package syntax
 
 trait ApplicativeSyntax {
+  final def unit[F[_]](implicit F: Applicative[F]): F[Unit] = Applicative[F].unit
   implicit final def catsSyntaxApplicativeId[A](a: A): ApplicativeIdOps[A] =
     new ApplicativeIdOps[A](a)
   implicit final def catsSyntaxApplicativeByName[F[_], A](fa: => F[A]): ApplicativeByNameOps[F, A] =
diff --git a/tests/shared/src/test/scala/cats/tests/SyntaxSuite.scala b/tests/shared/src/test/scala/cats/tests/SyntaxSuite.scala
index 3e18524138..f595e77d91 100644
--- a/tests/shared/src/test/scala/cats/tests/SyntaxSuite.scala
+++ b/tests/shared/src/test/scala/cats/tests/SyntaxSuite.scala
@@ -525,6 +525,7 @@ object SyntaxSuite {
   def testApplicative[F[_]: Applicative, A]: Unit = {
     val a = mock[A]
     val fa = a.pure[F]
+    val u: F[Unit] = unit[F]
     val replicateA = fa.replicateA(1)
     val replicateA_ = fa.replicateA_(1)
   }