diff --git a/minproto.leg b/minproto.leg
index 1b0ba14..3b89806 100644
--- a/minproto.leg
+++ b/minproto.leg
@@ -3039,6 +3039,22 @@ oop prim___eval__(oop func, oop self, oop args, oop env)
     return self;
 }
 
+oop prim_intern(oop func, oop self, oop args, oop env)
+{
+    int argc     = _get(args, Object,isize);
+    oop *indexed = _get(args, Object,indexed);
+    oop result   = nil;
+
+    if (argc != 1) {
+        fatal("intern: invalid number of arguments");
+    }
+    if (getType(indexed[0]) != String) {
+        fatal("intern: argument is not of type String, got %s instead", getTypeName(indexed[0]));
+    }
+
+    return intern(_get(indexed[0], String, value));
+}
+
 oop prim_print(oop func, oop self, oop args, oop env)
 {
     int argc     = _get(args, Object,isize);
@@ -3280,6 +3296,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     _set(intern("chr"        ), Symbol,value, newPrimitive(prim_chr));
     _set(intern("readfile"   ), Symbol,value, newPrimitive(prim_readfile));
     _set(intern("exit"       ), Symbol,value, newPrimitive(prim_exit));
+    _set(intern("intern"     ), Symbol,value, newPrimitive(prim_intern));
 
     Object_put(pObject, intern("new"),    newPrimitive(prim_new   ));
     Object_put(pObject, intern("push"),   newPrimitive(prim_push  ));