diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/Reducible.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/Reducible.scala
index 348c037ca13..745023e6722 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/Reducible.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/Reducible.scala
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package cats
 
-import cats.data.NonEmptyList
-
+import cats.data.{Ior, NonEmptyList}
 import simulacrum.typeclass
 
 /**
@@ -177,6 +176,22 @@ import simulacrum.typeclass
         Reducible[NonEmptyList].reduce(NonEmptyList(hd, a :: intersperseList(tl, a)))
     }
 
+  def partitionE[A, B, C](fa: F[A])(f: A => Either[B, C]): Ior[NonEmptyList[B], NonEmptyList[C]] = {
+    import cats.syntax.either._
+
+    def g(a: A, eval: Eval[Ior[NonEmptyList[B], NonEmptyList[C]]]): Eval[Ior[NonEmptyList[B], NonEmptyList[C]]] ={
+      val ior = eval.value
+      (f(a), ior) match {
+        case (Right(c), Ior.Left(_)) => Eval.now(ior.putRight(NonEmptyList.one(c)))
+        case (Right(c), _) => Eval.now(ior.map(c :: _))
+        case (Left(b), Ior.Right(r)) => Eval.now(Ior.bothNel(b, r))
+        case (Left(b), _) => Eval.now(ior.leftMap(b :: _))
+      }
+    }
+
+    reduceRightTo(fa)(a => f(a).bimap(NonEmptyList.one, NonEmptyList.one).toIor)(g).value
+  }
+
   override def isEmpty[A](fa: F[A]): Boolean = false
 
   override def nonEmpty[A](fa: F[A]): Boolean = true
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/NonEmptyList.scala b/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/NonEmptyList.scala
index 0a87272785f..4de780eccad 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/NonEmptyList.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/cats/data/NonEmptyList.scala
@@ -320,20 +320,6 @@ final case class NonEmptyList[+A](head: A, tail: List[A]) {
     b.result
   }
 
-  def partitionE[B, C](f: A => Either[B, C]): Ior[NonEmptyList[B], NonEmptyList[C]] = {
-    import cats.syntax.either._
-
-    val reversed = reverse
-    val lastIor = f(reversed.head).bimap(NonEmptyList.one, NonEmptyList.one).toIor
-
-    reversed.tail.foldLeft(lastIor)((ior, a) => (f(a), ior) match {
-      case (Right(c), Ior.Left(l)) => ior.putRight(NonEmptyList.one(c))
-      case (Right(c), _) => ior.map(c :: _)
-      case (Left(b), Ior.Right(r)) => Ior.bothNel(b, r)
-      case (Left(b), _) => ior.leftMap(b :: _)
-    })
-  }
-
 }
 
 object NonEmptyList extends NonEmptyListInstances {
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/NonEmptyListTests.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/NonEmptyListTests.scala
index 11f7bc6f3ff..991b4a5a29f 100644
--- a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/NonEmptyListTests.scala
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/NonEmptyListTests.scala
@@ -74,36 +74,6 @@ class NonEmptyListTests extends CatsSuite {
     }
   }
 
-  test("NonEmptyList#partitionE retains size") {
-    forAll { (nel: NonEmptyList[Int], f: Int => Either[String, String]) =>
-      val folded = nel.partitionE(f).fold(identity, identity, _ ++ _.toList)
-      folded.size should === (nel.size)
-    }
-  }
-
-  test("NonEmptyList#partitionE to one side is identity") {
-    forAll { (nel: NonEmptyList[Int], f: Int => String) =>
-      val g: Int => Either[Double, String] = f andThen Right.apply
-      val h: Int => Either[String, Double] = f andThen Left.apply
-
-      val withG = nel.partitionE(g).fold(_ => NonEmptyList.one(""), identity, (l,r) => r)
-      withG should === (nel.map(f))
-
-      val withH = nel.partitionE(h).fold(identity, _ => NonEmptyList.one(""), (l,r) => l)
-      withH should === (nel.map(f))
-    }
-  }
-
-  test("NonEmptyList#partitionE remains sorted") {
-    forAll { (nel: NonEmptyList[Int], f: Int => Either[String, String]) =>
-
-      val sorted = nel.map(f).sorted
-      val ior = sorted.partitionE(identity)
-
-      ior.left.map(xs => xs.sorted should === (xs))
-      ior.right.map(xs => xs.sorted should === (xs))
-    }
-  }
 
   test("NonEmptyList#filter is consistent with List#filter") {
     forAll { (nel: NonEmptyList[Int], p: Int => Boolean) =>
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ReducibleTests.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ReducibleTests.scala
index 8f6230a82ea..1a8a1163c4a 100644
--- a/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ReducibleTests.scala
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/ReducibleTests.scala
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class ReducibleTestsAdditional extends CatsSuite {
 
 }
 
-abstract class ReducibleCheck[F[_]: Reducible](name: String)(implicit ArbFInt: Arbitrary[F[Int]], ArbFString: Arbitrary[F[String]]) extends FoldableCheck[F](name) {
+abstract class ReducibleCheck[F[_]: Reducible: Functor](name: String)(implicit ArbFInt: Arbitrary[F[Int]], ArbFString: Arbitrary[F[String]]) extends FoldableCheck[F](name) {
   def range(start: Long, endInclusive: Long): F[Long]
 
   test(s"Reducible[$name].reduceLeftM stack safety") {
@@ -95,4 +95,37 @@ abstract class ReducibleCheck[F[_]: Reducible](name: String)(implicit ArbFInt: A
       fa.nonEmptyIntercalate(a) === (fa.toList.mkString(a))
     }
   }
+
+
+  test("Reducible#partitionE retains size") {
+    forAll { (fi: F[Int], f: Int => Either[String, String]) =>
+      val folded = fi.partitionE(f).fold(identity, identity, _ ++ _.toList)
+      folded.size.toLong should === (fi.size)
+    }
+  }
+
+  test("Reducible#partitionE to one side is identity") {
+    forAll { (fi: F[Int], f: Int => String) =>
+      val g: Int => Either[Double, String] = f andThen Right.apply
+      val h: Int => Either[String, Double] = f andThen Left.apply
+
+      val withG = fi.partitionE(g).fold(_ => NonEmptyList.one(""), identity, (l,r) => r)
+      withG should === (Reducible[F].toNonEmptyList((fi.map(f))))
+
+      val withH = fi.partitionE(h).fold(identity, _ => NonEmptyList.one(""), (l,r) => l)
+      withH should === (Reducible[F].toNonEmptyList((fi.map(f))))
+    }
+  }
+
+  test("Reducible#partitionE remains sorted") {
+    forAll { (fi: F[Int], f: Int => Either[String, String]) =>
+      val nel = Reducible[F].toNonEmptyList(fi)
+
+      val sorted = nel.map(f).sorted
+      val ior = sorted.partitionE(identity)
+
+      ior.left.map(xs => xs.sorted should === (xs))
+      ior.right.map(xs => xs.sorted should === (xs))
+    }
+  }
 }