diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index 1ea6a1c..739e9d1 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/libcore.ss b/src/libcore.ss
index 5a655b2..4ad4917 100644
--- a/src/libcore.ss
+++ b/src/libcore.ss
@@ -1020,6 +1020,35 @@
      (lambda (x ls) 
        (race x ls ls ls))))
 
+(primitive-set! 'assoc
+  (letrec ([race
+            (lambda (x h t ls)
+              (if (pair? h)
+                  (let ([a ($car h)] [h ($cdr h)])
+                     (if (pair? a)
+                         (if (equal? ($car a) x)
+                             a
+                             (if (pair? h)
+                                 (if (not (eq? h t))
+                                     (let ([a ($car h)])
+                                        (if (pair? a)
+                                            (if (equal? ($car a) x)
+                                                a
+                                                (race x ($cdr h) ($cdr t) ls))
+                                            (error 'assoc "malformed alist ~s"
+                                                   ls)))
+                                     (error 'assoc "circular list ~s" ls))
+                                 (if (null? h)
+                                     #f
+                                     (error 'assoc "~s is not a proper list" ls))))
+                         (error 'assoc "malformed alist ~s" ls)))
+                  (if (null? h)
+                      #f
+                      (error 'assoc "~s is not a proper list" ls))))])
+     (lambda (x ls) 
+       (race x ls ls ls))))
+
+
 (primitive-set! 'string->symbol
   (lambda (x)
     (unless (string? x) 
diff --git a/src/makefile.ss b/src/makefile.ss
index 86252bb..16c1c96 100644
--- a/src/makefile.ss
+++ b/src/makefile.ss
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
     remprop putprop getprop property-list
     apply
     map for-each andmap ormap
-    memq memv assq 
+    memq memv assq assoc
     eq? equal?
     reverse
     string->symbol symbol->string oblist