diff --git a/minproto.leg b/minproto.leg
index 8caa604..ffdef17 100644
--- a/minproto.leg
+++ b/minproto.leg
@@ -4311,6 +4311,22 @@ 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);
@@ -5379,6 +5395,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     prim(defined    , prim_defined);
     prim(__extern__ , prim_extern);
     prim(__match__  , prim_match);
+    prim(intern     , prim_intern);
 
 # undef prim