diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index f1382e6..1a8a3b5 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/ikarus.symbols.ss b/src/ikarus.symbols.ss
index e9d3df7..fa08d53 100644
--- a/src/ikarus.symbols.ss
+++ b/src/ikarus.symbols.ss
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
   (export gensym gensym? gensym->unique-string gensym-prefix
           gensym-count print-gensym string->symbol symbol->string
           getprop putprop remprop property-list
-          top-level-value top-level-bound? set-top-level-value!)
+          top-level-value top-level-bound? set-top-level-value!
+          symbol-value symbol-bound? set-symbol-value!)
   (import 
     (only (scheme) $make-symbol $symbol-string $set-symbol-string!
           $symbol-unique-string $set-symbol-unique-string! 
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@
       gensym-prefix gensym-count print-gensym
       string->symbol symbol->string
       getprop putprop remprop property-list
-      top-level-value top-level-bound? set-top-level-value!))
+      top-level-value top-level-bound? set-top-level-value!
+      symbol-value symbol-bound? set-symbol-value!))
 
   (define gensym
     (case-lambda
@@ -53,6 +55,27 @@
         (error 'set-top-level-value! "~s is not a symbol" x))
       ($set-symbol-value! x v)))
 
+  (define symbol-value
+    (lambda (x)
+      (unless (symbol? x)
+        (error 'symbol-value "~s is not a symbol" x))
+      (let ([v ($symbol-value x)])
+        (when ($unbound-object? v)
+          (error 'symbol-value "unbound ~s" x))
+        v)))
+
+  (define symbol-bound?
+    (lambda (x)
+      (unless (symbol? x)
+        (error 'symbol-bound? "~s is not a symbol" x))
+      (not ($unbound-object? ($symbol-value x)))))
+
+  (define set-symbol-value!
+    (lambda (x v)
+      (unless (symbol? x)
+        (error 'set-symbol-value! "~s is not a symbol" x))
+      ($set-symbol-value! x v)))
+
   (define string->symbol
     (lambda (x)
       (unless (string? x) 
diff --git a/src/makefile.ss b/src/makefile.ss
index cf1356f..5a7a5ee 100755
--- a/src/makefile.ss
+++ b/src/makefile.ss
@@ -298,6 +298,9 @@
       [string->symbol                   s i]
       [symbol->string                   s i]
       [gensym->unique-string            s i]
+      [symbol-bound?                    s i]
+      [symbol-value                     s i]
+      [set-symbol-value!                s i]
       [top-level-bound?                 s  ]
       [top-level-value                  s  ]
       [set-top-level-value!             s  ]