diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
index e3a7c2d7e4..de74dd1ead 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-docs.factor
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ HELP: firstn
     }
 } ;
 
+HELP: set-firstn
+{ $values { "n" integer } }
+{ $description "A generalization of " { $link set-first } " "
+"that sets the first " { $snippet "n" } " elements of a sequence from the top " { $snippet "n" } " elements of the stack." } ;
+
 HELP: npick
 { $values { "n" integer } }
 { $description "A generalization of " { $link dup } ", "
@@ -257,7 +262,7 @@ HELP: nweave
 HELP: n*quot
 { $values
      { "n" integer } { "quot" quotation }
-     { "quot'" quotation }
+     { "quotquot" quotation }
 }
 { $examples
     { $example "USING: generalizations prettyprint math ;"
@@ -314,6 +319,7 @@ ARTICLE: "sequence-generalizations" "Generalized sequence operations"
     narray
     nsequence
     firstn
+    set-firstn
     nappend
     nappend-as
 } ;
diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
index f95ba63228..d466d56251 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations-tests.factor
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ IN: generalizations.tests
 [ { "xyc" "xyd" } ] [ "x" "y" { "c" "d" } [ 3append ] 2 nwith map ] unit-test
 
 [ 1 2 3 4 ] [ { 1 2 3 4 } 4 firstn ] unit-test
+[ { 1 2 3 4 } ] [ 1 2 3 4 { f f f f } [ 4 set-firstn ] keep ] unit-test
+[ 1 2 3 4 { f f f } [ 4 set-firstn ] keep ] must-fail
 [ ] [ { } 0 firstn ] unit-test
 [ "a" ] [ { "a" } 1 firstn ] unit-test
 
diff --git a/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor b/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
index 5ca00018a2..2e9d560ae6 100644
--- a/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
+++ b/basis/generalizations/generalizations.factor
@@ -48,6 +48,18 @@ MACRO: nrot ( n -- )
 MACRO: -nrot ( n -- )
     1 - [ ] [ '[ swap _ dip ] ] repeat ;
 
+MACRO: set-firstn-unsafe ( n -- )
+    [ 1 + ]
+    [ iota [ '[ _ rot [ set-nth-unsafe ] keep ] ] map ] bi
+    '[ _ -nrot _ spread drop ] ;
+
+MACRO: set-firstn ( n -- )
+    dup zero? [ drop [ drop ] ] [
+        [ 1 - swap bounds-check 2drop ]
+        [ set-firstn-unsafe ]
+        bi-curry '[ _ _ bi ]
+    ] if ;
+
 MACRO: ndrop ( n -- )
     [ drop ] n*quot ;