diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2ccec4e..287aa68 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ passing checks, set the `-default-signifies-exhasutive=false` flag.
 As a special case, if the type switch statement contains a `default` clause
 that always panics, then exhaustiveness checks are still performed.
 
+By default, `go-check-sumtype` will not include shared interfaces in the exhaustiviness check.
+This can be changed by setting the `-include-shared-interfaces=true` flag.
+When this flag is set, `go-check-sumtype` will not require that all concrete structs
+are listed in the switch statement, as long as the switch statement is exhaustive
+with respect to interfaces the structs implement.
+
 ## Details and motivation
 
 Sum types are otherwise known as discriminated unions. That is, a sum type is
diff --git a/check.go b/check.go
index e4976ff..ff7fec7 100644
--- a/check.go
+++ b/check.go
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ func missingVariantsInSwitch(
 ) (*sumTypeDef, []types.Object) {
 	asserted := findTypeAssertExpr(swtch)
 	ty := pkg.TypesInfo.TypeOf(asserted)
+	if ty == nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("no type found for asserted expression: %v", asserted))
+	}
+
 	def := findDef(defs, ty)
 	if def == nil {
 		// We couldn't find a corresponding sum type, so there's
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ func missingVariantsInSwitch(
 	for _, expr := range variantExprs {
 		variantTypes = append(variantTypes, pkg.TypesInfo.TypeOf(expr))
 	}
-	return def, def.missing(variantTypes)
+	return def, def.missing(variantTypes, config.IncludeSharedInterfaces)
 }
 
 // switchVariants returns all case expressions found in a type switch. This
diff --git a/check_test.go b/check_test.go
index 70aece8..5710a21 100644
--- a/check_test.go
+++ b/check_test.go
@@ -217,6 +217,84 @@ func main() {}
 	assert.Equal(t, "T", errs[0].(notInterfaceError).Decl.TypeName)
 }
 
+// TestSubTypeInSwitch tests that if a shared interface is declared in the switch
+// statement, we don't report an error if structs that implement the interface are not explicitly
+// declared in the switch statement.
+func TestSubTypeInSwitch(t *testing.T) {
+	code := `
+package gochecksumtype
+
+//sumtype:decl
+type T1 interface { sealed1() }
+type T2 interface { 
+  T1
+  sealed2()
+}
+
+
+type A struct {}
+func (a *A) sealed1() {}
+
+type B struct {}
+func (b *B) sealed1() {}
+func (b *B) sealed2() {}
+
+type C struct {}
+func (c *C) sealed1() {}
+func (c *C) sealed2() {}
+
+func main() {
+	switch T1(nil).(type) {
+	case *A:
+	case T2:
+	}
+}
+`
+	pkgs := setupPackages(t, code)
+
+	errs := Run(pkgs, Config{IncludeSharedInterfaces: true})
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(errs))
+}
+
+// TestAllLeavesInSwitch tests that we do not report an error if a switch statement
+// covers all leaves of the sum type, even if any SubTypes are not explicitly covered
+func TestAllLeavesInSwitch(t *testing.T) {
+	code := `
+package gochecksumtype
+
+//sumtype:decl
+type T1 interface { sealed1() }
+type T2 interface { 
+  T1
+  sealed2()
+}
+
+
+type A struct {}
+func (a *A) sealed1() {}
+
+type B struct {}
+func (b *B) sealed1() {}
+func (b *B) sealed2() {}
+
+type C struct {}
+func (c *C) sealed1() {}
+func (c *C) sealed2() {}
+
+func main() {
+	switch T1(nil).(type) {
+	case *A:
+	case *B:
+	case *C:
+	}
+}
+`
+	pkgs := setupPackages(t, code)
+
+	errs := Run(pkgs, Config{})
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(errs))
+}
+
 func missingNames(t *testing.T, err error) []string {
 	t.Helper()
 	ierr, ok := err.(inexhaustiveError)
diff --git a/cmd/go-check-sumtype/main.go b/cmd/go-check-sumtype/main.go
index 4d4bec1..f482b32 100644
--- a/cmd/go-check-sumtype/main.go
+++ b/cmd/go-check-sumtype/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ func main() {
 		"Presence of \"default\" case in switch statements satisfies exhaustiveness, if all members are not listed.",
 	)
 
+	includeSharedInterfaces := flag.Bool(
+		"include-shared-interfaces",
+		false,
+		"Include shared interfaces in the exhaustiviness check.",
+	)
+
 	flag.Parse()
 	if flag.NArg() < 1 {
 		log.Fatalf("Usage: sumtype <packages>\n")
@@ -27,6 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	config := gochecksumtype.Config{
 		DefaultSignifiesExhaustive: *defaultSignifiesExhaustive,
+		IncludeSharedInterfaces:    *includeSharedInterfaces,
 	}
 
 	conf := &packages.Config{
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 759176e..5c722b7 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -2,4 +2,7 @@ package gochecksumtype
 
 type Config struct {
 	DefaultSignifiesExhaustive bool
+	// IncludeSharedInterfaces in the exhaustiviness check. If true, we do not need to list all concrete structs, as long
+	// as the switch statement is exhaustive with respect to interfaces the structs implement.
+	IncludeSharedInterfaces bool
 }
diff --git a/def.go b/def.go
index df1aa4a..71bdf2f 100644
--- a/def.go
+++ b/def.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (def *sumTypeDef) String() string {
 
 // missing returns a list of variants in this sum type that are not in the
 // given list of types.
-func (def *sumTypeDef) missing(tys []types.Type) []types.Object {
+func (def *sumTypeDef) missing(tys []types.Type, includeSharedInterfaces bool) []types.Object {
 	// TODO(ag): This is O(n^2). Fix that. /shrug
 	var missing []types.Object
 	for _, v := range def.Variants {
@@ -155,15 +155,29 @@ func (def *sumTypeDef) missing(tys []types.Type) []types.Object {
 			ty = indirect(ty)
 			if types.Identical(varty, ty) {
 				found = true
+				break
+			}
+			if includeSharedInterfaces && implements(varty, ty) {
+				found = true
+				break
 			}
 		}
-		if !found {
+		if !found && !isInterface(varty) {
+			// we do not include interfaces extending the sumtype, as the
+			// all implementations of those interfaces are already covered
+			// by the sumtype.
 			missing = append(missing, v)
 		}
 	}
 	return missing
 }
 
+func isInterface(ty types.Type) bool {
+	underlying := indirect(ty).Underlying()
+	_, ok := underlying.(*types.Interface)
+	return ok
+}
+
 // indirect dereferences through an arbitrary number of pointer types.
 func indirect(ty types.Type) types.Type {
 	if ty, ok := ty.(*types.Pointer); ok {
@@ -171,3 +185,11 @@ func indirect(ty types.Type) types.Type {
 	}
 	return ty
 }
+
+func implements(varty, interfaceType types.Type) bool {
+	underlying := interfaceType.Underlying()
+	if interf, ok := underlying.(*types.Interface); ok {
+		return types.Implements(varty, interf) || types.Implements(types.NewPointer(varty), interf)
+	}
+	return false
+}