diff --git a/docs/language/api.rst b/docs/language/api.rst
index 91bf707..3ee2374 100644
--- a/docs/language/api.rst
+++ b/docs/language/api.rst
@@ -823,26 +823,47 @@ keyword, the second function would have raised a ``NameError``.
     (set-a 5)
     (print-a)
 
-if / if-not
------------
+if / if* / if-not
+-----------------
 
 .. versionadded:: 0.10.0
    if-not
 
-``if`` is used to conditionally select code to be executed. It has to contain a
-condition block and the block to be executed if the condition block evaluates
-to ``True``. Optionally, it may contain a final block that is executed in case
-the evaluation of the condition is ``False``.
+``if / if* / if-not`` respect Python *truthiness*, that is, a *test* fails if it
+evaluates to a "zero" (including values of ``len`` zero, ``nil``, and
+``false``), and passes otherwise, but values with a ``__bool__`` method
+(``__nonzero__`` in Python 2) can overrides this.
 
-``if-not`` is similar, but the second block will be executed when the condition
-fails while the third and final block is executed when the test succeeds -- the
-opposite order of ``if``.
+The ``if`` macro is for conditionally selecting an expression for evaluation.
+The result of the selected expression becomes the result of the entire ``if``
+form. ``if`` can select a group of expressions with the help of a ``do`` block.
+
+``if`` takes any number of alternating *test* and *then* expressions, plus an
+optional *else* expression at the end, which defaults to ``nil``. ``if`` checks
+each *test* in turn, and selects the *then* corresponding to the first passed
+test. ``if`` does not evaluate any expressions following its selection, similar
+to the ``if/elif/else`` control structure from Python. If no tests pass, ``if``
+selects *else*.
+
+The ``if*`` special form is restricted to 2 or 3 arguments, but otherwise works
+exactly like ``if`` (which expands to nested ``if*`` forms), so there is
+generally no reason to use it directly.
+
+``if-not`` is similar to ``if*`` but the second expression will be executed
+when the condition fails while the third and final expression is executed when
+the test succeeds -- the opposite order of ``if*``. The final expression is
+again optional and defaults to ``nil``.
 
 Example usage:
 
 .. code-block:: clj
 
-    (if (money-left? account)
+    (print (if (< n 0.0) "negative"
+               (= n 0.0) "zero"
+               (> n 0.0) "positive"
+               "not a number"))
+
+    (if* (money-left? account)
       (print "let's go shopping")
       (print "let's go and work"))
 
@@ -850,9 +871,6 @@ Example usage:
       (print "let's go and work")
       (print "let's go shopping"))
 
-Python truthiness is respected. ``None``, ``False``, zero of any numeric type,
-an empty sequence, and an empty dictionary are considered ``False``; everything
-else is considered ``True``.
 
 
 lif and lif-not
diff --git a/hy/compiler.py b/hy/compiler.py
index 2dd13c4..8032153 100644
--- a/hy/compiler.py
+++ b/hy/compiler.py
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
             name=name,
             body=body)
 
-    @builds("if")
+    @builds("if*")
     @checkargs(min=2, max=3)
     def compile_if(self, expression):
         expression.pop(0)
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
         if expression:
             orel_expr = expression.pop(0)
             if isinstance(orel_expr, HyExpression) and isinstance(orel_expr[0],
-               HySymbol) and orel_expr[0] == 'if':
+               HySymbol) and orel_expr[0] == 'if*':
                 # Nested ifs: don't waste temporaries
                 root = self.temp_if is None
                 nested = True
diff --git a/hy/core/bootstrap.hy b/hy/core/bootstrap.hy
index 6667ed8..8d8a3f8 100644
--- a/hy/core/bootstrap.hy
+++ b/hy/core/bootstrap.hy
@@ -25,12 +25,20 @@
 ;;; These macros are the essential hy macros.
 ;;; They are automatically required everywhere, even inside hy.core modules.
 
+(defmacro if [&rest args]
+  "if with elif"
+  (setv n (len args))
+  (if* n
+       (if* (= n 1)
+            (get args 0)
+            `(if* ~(get args 0)
+                  ~(get args 1)
+                  (if ~@(cut args 2))))))
 
 (defmacro macro-error [location reason]
   "error out properly within a macro"
   `(raise (hy.errors.HyMacroExpansionError ~location ~reason)))
 
-
 (defmacro defn [name lambda-list &rest body]
   "define a function `name` with signature `lambda-list` and body `body`"
   (if (not (= (type name) HySymbol))
@@ -39,7 +47,6 @@
     (macro-error name "defn takes a parameter list as second argument"))
   `(setv ~name (fn ~lambda-list ~@body)))
 
-
 (defmacro let [variables &rest body]
   "Execute `body` in the lexical context of `variables`"
   (if (not (isinstance variables HyList))
diff --git a/hy/core/macros.hy b/hy/core/macros.hy
index 5d52ed3..d39aabe 100644
--- a/hy/core/macros.hy
+++ b/hy/core/macros.hy
@@ -159,20 +159,25 @@
   ret)
 
 
-(defmacro if-not [test not-branch &optional [yes-branch nil]]
+(defmacro if-not [test not-branch &optional yes-branch]
   "Like `if`, but execute the first branch when the test fails"
-  (if (nil? yes-branch)
-    `(if (not ~test) ~not-branch)
-    `(if (not ~test) ~not-branch ~yes-branch)))
+  `(if* (not ~test) ~not-branch ~yes-branch))
 
 
-(defmacro lif [test &rest branches]
+(defmacro lif [&rest args]
   "Like `if`, but anything that is not None/nil is considered true."
-  `(if (is-not ~test nil) ~@branches))
+  (setv n (len args))
+  (if* n
+       (if* (= n 1)
+            (get args 0)
+            `(if* (is-not ~(get args 0) nil)
+                  ~(get args 1)
+                  (lif ~@(cut args 2))))))
 
-(defmacro lif-not [test &rest branches]
+
+(defmacro lif-not [test not-branch &optional yes-branch]
   "Like `if-not`, but anything that is not None/nil is considered true."
-  `(if (is ~test nil) ~@branches))
+  `(if* (is ~test nil) ~not-branch ~yes-branch))
 
 
 (defmacro when [test &rest body]
diff --git a/tests/compilers/test_ast.py b/tests/compilers/test_ast.py
index 3a1f92d..41156a3 100644
--- a/tests/compilers/test_ast.py
+++ b/tests/compilers/test_ast.py
@@ -73,15 +73,15 @@ def test_ast_bad_type():
 
 
 def test_ast_bad_if():
-    "Make sure AST can't compile invalid if"
-    cant_compile("(if)")
-    cant_compile("(if foobar)")
-    cant_compile("(if 1 2 3 4 5)")
+    "Make sure AST can't compile invalid if*"
+    cant_compile("(if*)")
+    cant_compile("(if* foobar)")
+    cant_compile("(if* 1 2 3 4 5)")
 
 
 def test_ast_valid_if():
-    "Make sure AST can't compile invalid if"
-    can_compile("(if foo bar)")
+    "Make sure AST can compile valid if*"
+    can_compile("(if* foo bar)")
 
 
 def test_ast_valid_unary_op():
@@ -539,13 +539,13 @@ def test_invalid_list_comprehension():
 
 def test_bad_setv():
     """Ensure setv handles error cases"""
-    cant_compile("(setv if 1)")
+    cant_compile("(setv if* 1)")
     cant_compile("(setv (a b) [1 2])")
 
 
 def test_defn():
     """Ensure that defn works correctly in various corner cases"""
-    cant_compile("(defn if [] 1)")
+    cant_compile("(defn if* [] 1)")
     cant_compile("(defn \"hy\" [] 1)")
     cant_compile("(defn :hy [] 1)")
     can_compile("(defn &hy [] 1)")
@@ -561,5 +561,5 @@ def test_setv_builtins():
       (defn get [self] 42)
       (defclass B []
         (defn get [self] 42))
-      (defn if [self] 0))
+      (defn if* [self] 0))
     """)
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/language.hy b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
index 9986ff7..8c7533a 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/language.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
@@ -274,6 +274,32 @@
   (assert (= (cond) nil)))
 
 
+(defn test-if []
+  "NATIVE: test if if works."
+  ;; with an odd number of args, the last argument is the default case
+  (assert (= 1 (if 1)))
+  (assert (= 1 (if 0 -1
+                     1)))
+  ;; with an even number of args, the default is nil
+  (assert (is nil (if)))
+  (assert (is nil (if 0 1)))
+  ;; test deeper nesting
+  (assert (= 42
+             (if 0 0
+                 nil 1
+                 "" 2
+                 1 42
+                 1 43)))
+  ;; test shortcutting
+  (setv x nil)
+  (if 0 (setv x 0)
+      "" (setv x "")
+      42 (setv x 42)
+      43 (setv x 43)
+         (setv x "default"))
+  (assert (= x 42)))
+
+
 (defn test-index []
   "NATIVE: Test that dict access works"
   (assert (= (get {"one" "two"} "one") "two"))
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy b/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
index 0d10609..f833a30 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/native_macros.hy
@@ -190,11 +190,11 @@
 
 (defn test-lif []
   "test that lif works as expected"
-  ; nil is false
+  ;; nil is false
   (assert (= (lif None "true" "false") "false"))
   (assert (= (lif nil "true" "false") "false"))
 
-  ; But everything else is True!  Even falsey things.
+  ;; But everything else is True!  Even falsey things.
   (assert (= (lif True "true" "false") "true"))
   (assert (= (lif False "true" "false") "true"))
   (assert (= (lif 0 "true" "false") "true"))
@@ -202,7 +202,14 @@
   (assert (= (lif "" "true" "false") "true"))
   (assert (= (lif (+ 1 2 3) "true" "false") "true"))
   (assert (= (lif nil "true" "false") "false"))
-  (assert (= (lif 0 "true" "false") "true")))
+  (assert (= (lif 0 "true" "false") "true"))
+
+  ;; Test ellif [sic]
+  (assert (= (lif nil 0
+                  nil 1
+                  0 2
+                  3)
+             2)))
 
 (defn test-lif-not []
   "test that lif-not works as expected"