diff --git a/c/builtin.c b/c/builtin.c
index 5b329fbd..ddac58f9 100644
--- a/c/builtin.c
+++ b/c/builtin.c
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ static block j_null() {
                                       gen_op_simple(RET)));
 }
 
+static block j_not() {
+  return gen_op_block_defn(CLOSURE_CREATE, "not",
+                           block_join(gen_condbranch(gen_op_const(LOADK, jv_false()),
+                                                     gen_op_const(LOADK, jv_true())),
+                                      gen_op_simple(RET)));
+}
 
 static struct cfunction function_list[] = {
   {f_plus, "_plus", CALL_BUILTIN_3_1},
@@ -179,6 +185,7 @@ static bytecoded_builtin bytecoded_builtins[] = {
   j_false,
   j_true,
   j_null,
+  j_not,
 };
 
 
diff --git a/c/compile.c b/c/compile.c
index c45d45a1..023acb95 100644
--- a/c/compile.c
+++ b/c/compile.c
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ block gen_definedor(block a, block b) {
   return c;
 }
 
-static block gen_condbranch(block iftrue, block iffalse) {
+block gen_condbranch(block iftrue, block iffalse) {
   block b = gen_noop();
   block_append(&iftrue, gen_op_target(JUMP, iffalse));
   block_append(&b, gen_op_target(JUMP_F, iftrue));
@@ -398,11 +398,6 @@ block gen_or(block a, block b) {
   return code;
 }
 
-block gen_not(block a) {
-  return block_join(a, gen_condbranch(gen_op_const(LOADK, jv_false()),
-                                      gen_op_const(LOADK, jv_true())));
-}
-
 block gen_cond(block cond, block iftrue, block iffalse) {
   block b = gen_op_simple(DUP);
   block_append(&b, cond);
diff --git a/c/compile.h b/c/compile.h
index 28249e8f..411654fe 100644
--- a/c/compile.h
+++ b/c/compile.h
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ block gen_both(block a, block b);
 block gen_collect(block expr);
 block gen_assign(block expr);
 block gen_definedor(block a, block b);
+block gen_condbranch(block iftrue, block iffalse);
 block gen_and(block a, block b);
 block gen_or(block a, block b);
-block gen_not(block a);
 
 block gen_cond(block cond, block iftrue, block iffalse);
 
diff --git a/c/lexer.l b/c/lexer.l
index 94196146..412d9065 100644
--- a/c/lexer.l
+++ b/c/lexer.l
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 "elif" { return ELSE_IF; }
 "and" { return AND; }
 "or" { return OR; }
-"not" { return NOT; }
 "end" { return END; }
 "//" { return DEFINEDOR; }
 "|=" { return SETPIPE; }
diff --git a/c/parser.y b/c/parser.y
index 2684a26e..822a3385 100644
--- a/c/parser.y
+++ b/c/parser.y
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@
 %token END "end"
 %token AND "and"
 %token OR "or"
-%token NOT "not"
 %token SETPIPE "|="
 %token SETPLUS "+="
 %token SETMINUS "-="
@@ -210,10 +209,6 @@ Exp "and" Exp {
   $$ = gen_and($1, $3);
 } |
 
-"not" Exp {
-  $$ = gen_not($2);
-} |
-
 Exp "//" Exp {
   $$ = gen_definedor($1, $3);
 } |
diff --git a/c/testdata b/c/testdata
index c83ef9c5..72367bbf 100644
--- a/c/testdata
+++ b/c/testdata
@@ -331,6 +331,6 @@ def inc(x): x |= .+1; inc(.[].a)
 [false,true]
 [false,false]
 
-[.[] | not .]
+[.[] | not]
 [1,0,false,null,true,"hello"]
 [false,false,true,true,false,false]