diff --git a/cgen.scm b/cgen.scm
index a3846ef8..da7db4e7 100644
--- a/cgen.scm
+++ b/cgen.scm
@@ -465,7 +465,9 @@
      ((eq? p 'symbol->string) "Cyc_symbol2string")
      ((eq? p 'number->string) "Cyc_number2string")
      ((eq? p 'string-length)  "Cyc_string_length")
+     ((eq? p 'string-ref)     "Cyc_string_ref")
      ((eq? p 'substring)      "Cyc_substring")
+     ((eq? p 'command-line-arguments) "Cyc_command_line_arguments")
      ((eq? p 'system)         "Cyc_system")
      ((eq? p 'assq)          "assq")
      ((eq? p 'assv)          "assq")
diff --git a/eval.scm b/eval.scm
index 1d61347f..4f4982c1 100644
--- a/eval.scm
+++ b/eval.scm
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@
       (list '%halt %halt)
       (list 'exit exit)
       (list 'system system)
+      (list 'command-line-arguments command-line-arguments)
       (list 'error error)
       (list 'cons cons)
       (list 'cell-get cell-get)
@@ -269,6 +270,7 @@
       (list 'symbol->string symbol->string)
       (list 'number->string number->string)
       (list 'string-length string-length)
+      (list 'string-ref string-ref)
       (list 'substring substring)
       (list 'make-vector make-vector)
       (list 'list->vector list->vector)
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index eecbb169..c0d0e69d 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -857,6 +857,18 @@ integer_type Cyc_string_length(object str) {
   return len;
 }
 
+object Cyc_string_ref(object str, object k) {
+  const char *raw = string_str(str);
+  int idx = integer_value(k),
+      len = strlen(raw);
+
+  if (idx < 0 || idx >= len) {
+    Cyc_rt_raise2("string-ref - invalid index", k);
+  }
+
+  return obj_char2obj(raw[idx]);
+}
+
 string_type Cyc_substring(object str, object start, object end) {
   const char *raw = string_str(str);
   int s = integer_value(start),
@@ -879,6 +891,11 @@ string_type Cyc_substring(object str, object start, object end) {
   }
 }
 
+object Cyc_command_line_arguments() {
+  Cyc_rt_raise_msg("not implemented yet");
+  return boolean_f;
+}
+
 integer_type Cyc_system(object cmd) {
   if (nullp(cmd) || is_value_type(cmd) || type_of(cmd) != string_tag) {
     make_int(n, -1);
@@ -1291,6 +1308,12 @@ void _string_91length(object cont, object args) {
 void _cyc_substring(object cont, object args) {
     string_type s = Cyc_substring(car(args), cadr(args), caddr(args));
     return_funcall1(cont, &s);}
+void _cyc_string_91ref(object cont, object args) {
+    object c = Cyc_string_ref(car(args), cadr(args));
+    return_funcall1(cont, c); }
+void _command_91line_91arguments(object cont, object args) {
+    object cmdline = Cyc_command_line_arguments();
+    return_funcall1(cont, cmdline); }
 void _cyc_system(object cont, object args) {
     integer_type i = Cyc_system(car(args));
     return_funcall1(cont, &i);}
@@ -2028,6 +2051,8 @@ static primitive_type integer_91_125char_primitive = {primitive_tag, "integer->c
 static primitive_type string_91_125number_primitive = {primitive_tag, "string->number", &_string_91_125number};
 static primitive_type string_91length_primitive = {primitive_tag, "string-length", &_string_91length};
 static primitive_type substring_primitive = {primitive_tag, "substring", &_cyc_substring};
+static primitive_type string_91ref_primitive = {primitive_tag, "string-ref", &_cyc_string_91ref};
+static primitive_type command_91line_91arguments_primitive = {primitive_tag, "command-line-arguments", &_command_91line_91arguments};
 static primitive_type system_primitive = {primitive_tag, "system", &_cyc_system};
 static primitive_type string_91cmp_primitive = {primitive_tag, "string-cmp", &_string_91cmp};
 static primitive_type string_91append_primitive = {primitive_tag, "string-append", &_string_91append};
@@ -2141,6 +2166,8 @@ const object primitive_integer_91_125char = &integer_91_125char_primitive;
 const object primitive_string_91_125number = &string_91_125number_primitive;
 const object primitive_string_91length = &string_91length_primitive;
 const object primitive_substring = &substring_primitive;
+const object primitive_string_91ref = &string_91ref_primitive;
+const object primitive_command_91line_91arguments = &command_91line_91arguments_primitive;
 const object primitive_system = &system_primitive;
 const object primitive_string_91cmp = &string_91cmp_primitive;
 const object primitive_string_91append = &string_91append_primitive;
diff --git a/runtime.h b/runtime.h
index 36d59c62..688d6acc 100644
--- a/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime.h
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ string_type Cyc_string_append(int argc, object str1, ...);
 string_type Cyc_string_append_va_list(int argc, object str1, va_list ap);
 integer_type Cyc_string_length(object str);
 string_type Cyc_substring(object str, object start, object end);
+object Cyc_string_ref(object str, object k);
+object Cyc_command_line_arguments();
 integer_type Cyc_system(object cmd);
 integer_type Cyc_char2integer(object chr);
 object Cyc_integer2char(object n);
@@ -318,6 +320,8 @@ extern const object primitive_make_91vector;
 extern const object primitive_list_91_125vector;
 extern const object primitive_vector_91ref;
 extern const object primitive_vector_91set_67;
+extern const object primitive_string_91ref;
+extern const object primitive_command_91line_91arguments;
 extern const object primitive_system;
 extern const object primitive_boolean_127;
 extern const object primitive_char_127;
diff --git a/transforms.scm b/transforms.scm
index 342f4e26..de7bba40 100644
--- a/transforms.scm
+++ b/transforms.scm
@@ -536,6 +536,7 @@
      %halt
      exit
      system
+     command-line-arguments
      Cyc-default-exception-handler
      Cyc-current-exception-handler
      cons
@@ -572,6 +573,7 @@
      symbol->string
      number->string
      string-length
+     string-ref
      substring
      make-vector
      list->vector
@@ -621,6 +623,7 @@
                   %halt
                   exit
                   system
+                  command-line-arguments
                   Cyc-default-exception-handler
                   Cyc-current-exception-handler
                   cell-get