diff --git a/hy/core/language.hy b/hy/core/language.hy
index a96b25d..ff98a11 100644
--- a/hy/core/language.hy
+++ b/hy/core/language.hy
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 ;;;; to make functional programming slightly easier.
 ;;;;
 
+(import [hy._compat [long-type]]) ; long for python2, int for python3
+
 (defn _numeric-check [x]
   (if (not (numeric? x))
     (raise (TypeError (.format "{0!r} is not a number" x)))))
@@ -97,11 +99,13 @@
 (defn instance? [klass x]
   (isinstance x klass))
 
+(defn integer [x]
+  "Return Hy kind of integer"
+  (long-type x))
+
 (defn integer? [x]
   "Return True if x in an integer"
-  (if-python2
-    (isinstance x (, int long))
-    (isinstance x int)))
+  (isinstance x (, int long-type)))
 
 (defn iterable? [x]
   "Return true if x is iterable"
@@ -213,8 +217,7 @@
   (= n 0))
 
 (def *exports* ["cycle" "dec" "distinct" "drop" "drop_while" "empty?"
-                "even?" "filter" "float?" "inc"
-                "instance?" "integer?" "iterable?" "iterate" "iterator?" "neg?"
-                "none?" "nth" "numeric?" "odd?" "pos?" "remove" "repeat"
-                "repeatedly" "second" "string?" "take" "take_nth" "take_while"
-                "zero?"])
+                "even?" "filter" "float?" "inc" "instance?" "integer" "integer?"
+                "iterable?" "iterate" "iterator?" "neg?" "none?" "nth"
+                "numeric?" "odd?" "pos?" "remove" "repeat" "repeatedly" "second"
+                "string?" "take" "take_nth" "take_while" "zero?"])
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/core.hy b/tests/native_tests/core.hy
index e9d73c7..2f6b717 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/core.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/core.hy
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@
   (assert-true (integer? 0))
   (assert-true (integer? 3))
   (assert-true (integer? -3))
+  (assert-true (integer? (integer "-3")))
+  (assert-true (integer? (integer 3)))
   (assert-false (integer? 4.2))
   (assert-false (integer? None))
   (assert-false (integer? "foo")))