diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 80c381c4..3769a06c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -62,6 +62,24 @@ extra performance and small bundle size.
 - `println` is a synonym for `console.log`
 - `pr-str` and `prn` coerce values to a string using `JSON.stringify`
 
+### seqs
+
+Clava does not implement Clojure seqs. Instead it uses the JavaScript
+[iteration protocols](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Iteration_protocols)
+to work with collections. What this means in practice is the following:
+
+- `seq` takes a collection and returns an Iterable of that collection, or nil if it's empty
+- `iterable` takes a collection and returns an Iterable of that collection, even if it's empty
+- `seqable?` can be used to check if you can call either one
+
+Most collections are iterable already, so `seq` and `iterable` will simply
+return them; an exception are objects created via `{:a 1}`, where `seq` and
+`iterable` will return the result of `Object.entries`.
+
+`first`, `rest`, `map`, `reduce` et al. call `iterable` on the collection before
+processing, and functions that typically return seqs instead return an array of
+the results.
+
 ## Open questions
 
 - TC39 records and tuples are immutable but not widely supported. It's not yet sure how they will fit within clava.
diff --git a/core.js b/core.js
index 390ec992..e4a2d101 100644
--- a/core.js
+++ b/core.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 export function assoc_BANG_(m, k, v, ...kvs) {
   if (kvs.length % 2 !== 0) {
-    throw new Error(
-      "Illegal argument: assoc expects an odd number of arguments."
-    );
+    throw new Error('Illegal argument: assoc expects an odd number of arguments.');
   }
 
   if (m instanceof Map) {
@@ -19,7 +17,7 @@ export function assoc_BANG_(m, k, v, ...kvs) {
     }
   } else {
     throw new Error(
-      "Illegal argument: assoc! expects a Map, Array, or Object as the first argument."
+      'Illegal argument: assoc! expects a Map, Array, or Object as the first argument.'
     );
   }
 
@@ -29,7 +27,7 @@ export function assoc_BANG_(m, k, v, ...kvs) {
 export function assoc(o, k, v, ...kvs) {
   if (!(o instanceof Object)) {
     throw new Error(
-      "Illegal argument: assoc expects a Map, Array, or Object as the first argument."
+      'Illegal argument: assoc expects a Map, Array, or Object as the first argument.'
     );
   }
 
@@ -100,11 +98,11 @@ function assoc_in_with(f, fname, o, keys, value) {
 }
 
 export function assoc_in(o, keys, value) {
-  return assoc_in_with(assoc, "assoc-in", o, keys, value);
+  return assoc_in_with(assoc, 'assoc-in', o, keys, value);
 }
 
 export function assoc_in_BANG_(o, keys, value) {
-  return assoc_in_with(assoc_BANG_, "assoc-in!", o, keys, value);
+  return assoc_in_with(assoc_BANG_, 'assoc-in!', o, keys, value);
 }
 
 export function conj_BANG_(...xs) {
@@ -130,7 +128,7 @@ export function conj_BANG_(...xs) {
     }
   } else {
     throw new Error(
-      "Illegal argument: conj! expects a Set, Array, Map, or Object as the first argument."
+      'Illegal argument: conj! expects a Set, Array, Map, or Object as the first argument.'
     );
   }
 
@@ -167,7 +165,7 @@ export function conj(...xs) {
   }
 
   throw new Error(
-    "Illegal argument: conj expects a Set, Array, Map, or Object as the first argument."
+    'Illegal argument: conj expects a Set, Array, Map, or Object as the first argument.'
   );
 }
 
@@ -217,31 +215,44 @@ export function get(coll, key, otherwise = undefined) {
   return key in coll ? coll[key] : otherwise;
 }
 
-export function iterable_QMARK_(x) {
+export function seqable_QMARK_(x) {
   // String is iterable but doesn't allow `m in s`
-  return x instanceof String || Symbol.iterator in x;
+  return typeof x === 'string' || x === null || x === undefined || Symbol.iterator in x;
 }
 
 export function iterable(x) {
-  if (iterable_QMARK_(x)) {
+  // nil puns to empty iterable, support passing nil to first/rest/reduce, etc.
+  if (x === null || x === undefined) {
+    return [];
+  }
+  if (seqable_QMARK_(x)) {
     return x;
   }
   return Object.entries(x);
 }
 
+export function seq(x) {
+  let iter = iterable(x);
+  // return nil for terminal checking
+  if (iter.length === 0 || iter.size === 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return iter;
+}
+
 export function first(coll) {
   // destructuring uses iterable protocol
-  let [first] = coll;
+  let [first] = iterable(coll);
   return first;
 }
 
 export function second(coll) {
-  let [_, v] = coll;
+  let [_, v] = iterable(coll);
   return v;
 }
 
 export function rest(coll) {
-  let [_, ...rest] = coll;
+  let [_, ...rest] = iterable(coll);
   return rest;
 }
 
@@ -293,7 +304,7 @@ export function map(f, coll) {
 }
 
 export function str(...xs) {
-  return xs.join("");
+  return xs.join('');
 }
 
 export function not(expr) {
@@ -307,13 +318,11 @@ export function nil_QMARK_(v) {
 export const PROTOCOL_SENTINEL = {};
 
 function pr_str_1(x) {
-  return JSON.stringify(x, (_key, value) =>
-    value instanceof Set ? [...value] : value
-  );
+  return JSON.stringify(x, (_key, value) => (value instanceof Set ? [...value] : value));
 }
 
 export function pr_str(...xs) {
-  return xs.map(pr_str_1).join(" ");
+  return xs.map(pr_str_1).join(' ');
 }
 
 export function prn(...xs) {
diff --git a/resources/clava/core.edn b/resources/clava/core.edn
index dde6dd00..fb4a6c93 100644
--- a/resources/clava/core.edn
+++ b/resources/clava/core.edn
@@ -1 +1 @@
-#{reduce first dissoc atom dec map assoc_in reset_BANG_ rest PROTOCOL_SENTINEL reduced_QMARK_ range disj iterable conj get disj_BANG_ vec second prn assoc_BANG_ println Atom nth nil_QMARK_ assoc_in_BANG_ iterable_QMARK_ dissoc_BANG_ not pr_str swap_BANG_ vector mapv subvec reduced inc str apply map_indexed deref assoc conj_BANG_ re_matches}
\ No newline at end of file
+#{seq reduce first dissoc atom dec map assoc_in reset_BANG_ rest PROTOCOL_SENTINEL reduced_QMARK_ range disj seqable_QMARK_ iterable conj get disj_BANG_ vec second prn assoc_BANG_ println Atom nth nil_QMARK_ assoc_in_BANG_ dissoc_BANG_ not pr_str swap_BANG_ vector mapv subvec reduced inc str apply map_indexed deref assoc conj_BANG_ re_matches}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/clava/compiler_test.cljs b/test/clava/compiler_test.cljs
index a51d38e8..d1a623e1 100644
--- a/test/clava/compiler_test.cljs
+++ b/test/clava/compiler_test.cljs
@@ -528,14 +528,26 @@
     (is (eq 3 (jsv! '(get {"my-key" 1} "bad-key" 3))))))
 
 (deftest first-test
+  (is (= nil (jsv! '(first nil))))
+  (is (= nil (jsv! '(first []))))
+  (is (= nil (jsv! '(first #{}))))
+  (is (= nil (jsv! '(first {}))))
+  (is (= nil (jsv! '(first (js/Map. [])))))
   (is (= 1 (jsv! '(first [1 2 3]))))
   (is (= 1 (jsv! '(first #{1 2 3}))))
-  (is (eq #js [1 2] (jsv! '(first (js/Map. [[1 2] [3 4]]))))))
+  (is (eq #js [1 2] (jsv! '(first (js/Map. [[1 2] [3 4]])))))
+  (is (eq "a" (jsv! '(first "abc")))))
 
 (deftest rest-test
+  (is (eq () (jsv! '(rest nil))))
+  (is (eq () (jsv! '(rest []))))
+  (is (eq () (jsv! '(rest #{}))))
+  (is (eq () (jsv! '(rest {}))))
+  (is (eq () (jsv! '(rest (js/Map. [])))))
   (is (eq #js [2 3] (jsv! '(rest [1 2 3]))))
   (is (eq #{2 3} (jsv! '(rest #{1 2 3}))))
-  (is (eq #js [#js [3 4]] (jsv! '(rest (js/Map. [[1 2] [3 4]]))))))
+  (is (eq #js [#js [3 4]] (jsv! '(rest (js/Map. [[1 2] [3 4]])))))
+  (is (eq '("b" "c") (jsv! '(rest "abc")))))
 
 (deftest reduce-test
   (testing "no val"
@@ -595,5 +607,31 @@
   (is (jsv! '(reduced? (reduced 5))))
   (is (= 4 (jsv! '(deref (reduced 4))))))
 
+(deftest seq-test
+  (is (= "abc" (jsv! '(seq "abc"))))
+  (is (eq '(1 2 3) (jsv! '(seq [1 2 3]))))
+  (is (eq '([:a 1] [:b 2]) (jsv! '(seq {:a 1 :b 2}))))
+  (is (eq (js/Set. [1 2 3])
+          (jsv! '(seq #{1 2 3}))))
+  (is (eq (js/Map. #js[#js[1 2] #js[3 4]])
+          (jsv! '(seq (js/Map. [[1 2] [3 4]])))))
+  (testing "empty"
+    (is (= nil (jsv! '(seq nil))))
+    (is (= nil (jsv! '(seq []))))
+    (is (= nil (jsv! '(seq {}))))
+    (is (= nil (jsv! '(seq #{}))))
+    (is (= nil (jsv! '(seq (js/Map.))))))
+  (is (eq #js [0 2 4 6 8]
+          (jsv! '(loop [evens []
+                        nums (range 10)]
+                   (if-some [x (first nums)]
+                     (recur (if (case x
+                                  (0 2 4 6 8 10) true
+                                  false)
+                              (conj evens x)
+                              evens)
+                            (rest nums))
+                     evens))))))
+
 (defn init []
   (cljs.test/run-tests 'clava.compiler-test))