diff --git a/py/builtin.h b/py/builtin.h
index ddd63a7dad7349345de294e2800a2a397bb0d243..db3ba6378516e4fd6a16cfac01ee27a34685575b 100644
--- a/py/builtin.h
+++ b/py/builtin.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_eval_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_exec_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_execfile_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_getattr_obj);
+MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_setattr_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_globals_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_hasattr_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(mp_builtin_hash_obj);
diff --git a/py/modbuiltins.c b/py/modbuiltins.c
index b876ca32da3e7193c43df7104313fe33e2cfc214..594f385f4c968f7fbf66424f55bbecd1ed813038 100644
--- a/py/modbuiltins.c
+++ b/py/modbuiltins.c
@@ -534,20 +534,20 @@ STATIC inline mp_obj_t mp_load_attr_default(mp_obj_t base, qstr attr, mp_obj_t d
 }
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t mp_builtin_getattr(mp_uint_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
-    mp_obj_t attr = args[1];
-    if (MP_OBJ_IS_TYPE(attr, &mp_type_str)) {
-        attr = mp_obj_str_intern(attr);
-    } else if (!MP_OBJ_IS_QSTR(attr)) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg(&mp_type_TypeError, "string required"));
-    }
     mp_obj_t defval = MP_OBJ_NULL;
     if (n_args > 2) {
         defval = args[2];
     }
-    return mp_load_attr_default(args[0], MP_OBJ_QSTR_VALUE(attr), defval);
+    return mp_load_attr_default(args[0], mp_obj_str_get_qstr(args[1]), defval);
 }
 MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(mp_builtin_getattr_obj, 2, 3, mp_builtin_getattr);
 
+STATIC mp_obj_t mp_builtin_setattr(mp_obj_t base, mp_obj_t attr, mp_obj_t value) {
+    mp_store_attr(base, mp_obj_str_get_qstr(attr), value);
+    return mp_const_none;
+}
+MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_3(mp_builtin_setattr_obj, mp_builtin_setattr);
+
 STATIC mp_obj_t mp_builtin_hasattr(mp_obj_t object_in, mp_obj_t attr_in) {
     assert(MP_OBJ_IS_QSTR(attr_in));
 
@@ -637,6 +637,7 @@ STATIC const mp_map_elem_t mp_module_builtins_globals_table[] = {
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_execfile), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_execfile_obj },
 #endif
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_getattr), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_getattr_obj },
+    { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_setattr), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_setattr_obj },
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_globals), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_globals_obj },
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_hasattr), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_hasattr_obj },
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_hash), (mp_obj_t)&mp_builtin_hash_obj },
diff --git a/py/qstrdefs.h b/py/qstrdefs.h
index ffb2bf032102cdf79306f6661e584a9d74864308..4a34010a129be7951b991c0d9b4d4442f84322e4 100644
--- a/py/qstrdefs.h
+++ b/py/qstrdefs.h
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ Q(float)
 #endif
 Q(from_bytes)
 Q(getattr)
+Q(setattr)
 Q(globals)
 Q(hasattr)
 Q(hash)
diff --git a/tests/basics/setattr1.py b/tests/basics/setattr1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..acc3299119aaff4fff12a855b3b441deb7fb08af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/basics/setattr1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+class A:
+
+    var = 132
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.var2 = 34
+
+
+a = A()
+setattr(a, "var", 123)
+setattr(a, "var2", 56)
+print(a.var)
+print(a.var2)