diff --git a/jolt-core/clojure/core.clj b/jolt-core/clojure/core.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b4c40c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jolt-core/clojure/core.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+;; The Clojure portion of clojure.core. Loaded into the clojure.core namespace at
+;; init (api/init), AFTER the Janet primitives are interned by core/init-core!,
+;; and compiled by the self-hosted pipeline (analyzer -> IR -> Janet back end).
+;;
+;; This is the Phase 4 kernel-shrink seam: fns expressible in plain Clojure on top
+;; of the remaining Janet primitives move here from core.janet, one at a time,
+;; each compiled by the prior stage. Anything here must depend only on core vars
+;; already interned by init-core! (and on other overlay fns defined above it).
+
+(defn ffirst [coll] (first (first coll)))
+(defn fnext  [coll] (first (next coll)))
+(defn nnext  [coll] (next (next coll)))
diff --git a/src/jolt/api.janet b/src/jolt/api.janet
index 15efc01..7171334 100644
--- a/src/jolt/api.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/api.janet
@@ -27,6 +27,21 @@
     x))
 
 
+(defn- load-core-overlay!
+  "Load the Clojure portion of clojure.core (embedded jolt-core/clojure/core.clj)
+  into the clojure.core namespace, routed through eval-toplevel like any other
+  source (compiled when :compile?, interpreted otherwise)."
+  [ctx]
+  (when-let [src (get stdlib-embed/sources "clojure.core")]
+    (def saved (ctx-current-ns ctx))
+    (ctx-set-current-ns ctx "clojure.core")
+    (var s src)
+    (while (> (length (string/trim s)) 0)
+      (def [form rest] (parse-next s))
+      (set s rest)
+      (when (not (nil? form)) (eval-toplevel ctx form)))
+    (ctx-set-current-ns ctx saved)))
+
 (defn init
   "Create a new Jolt evaluation context.
   opts may contain:
@@ -57,6 +72,11 @@
     (install-async! ctx)
     # Host contract (ns jolt.host): the seam the portable jolt-core compiler calls.
     (host/install! ctx)
+    # Clojure portion of clojure.core (jolt-core/clojure/core.clj): fns expressed
+    # in plain Clojure on top of the Janet primitives interned above. Loaded into
+    # clojure.core and compiled by the self-hosted pipeline (or interpreted when
+    # :compile? is off). Phase 4 kernel-shrink seam — see that file.
+    (load-core-overlay! ctx)
     ctx))
 
 (defn eval-one
diff --git a/src/jolt/core.janet b/src/jolt/core.janet
index 56f2bf5..2390533 100644
--- a/src/jolt/core.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/core.janet
@@ -940,10 +940,8 @@
       (if (jvec? coll) (make-vec dropped) dropped))))))
 
 (defn core-second [coll] (core-first (core-rest coll)))
-(defn core-ffirst [coll] (core-first (core-first coll)))
 (defn core-nfirst [coll] (core-next (core-first coll)))
-(defn core-fnext [coll] (core-first (core-next coll)))
-(defn core-nnext [coll] (core-next (core-next coll)))
+# ffirst / fnext / nnext now live in the Clojure overlay (jolt-core/clojure/core.clj).
 
 (defn core-last [coll]
   (let [c (realize-for-iteration coll)]
@@ -3809,10 +3807,7 @@
     "ex-cause" core-ex-cause
     "prefers" core-prefers
     "random-uuid" core-random-uuid
-    "ffirst" core-ffirst
     "nfirst" core-nfirst
-    "fnext" core-fnext
-    "nnext" core-nnext
     "last" core-last
     "drop-last" core-drop-last
     "take-last" core-take-last
diff --git a/test/integration/self-host-test.janet b/test/integration/self-host-test.janet
index 876fbe8..128a192 100644
--- a/test/integration/self-host-test.janet
+++ b/test/integration/self-host-test.janet
@@ -74,4 +74,14 @@
   (eval-one ctx (parse-string "(+ 1 2)"))
   (assert (zero? (length ((ctx-find-ns ctx "jolt.analyzer") :mappings))) "analyzer NOT loaded when interpreting"))
 
+# clojure.core overlay: fns moved from core.janet to jolt-core/clojure/core.clj
+# load into clojure.core at init and work the same compiled or interpreted.
+(print "clojure.core overlay (Clojure-defined core fns)...")
+(each opts [{:compile? true} {}]
+  (let [ctx (init opts)]
+    (defn ev [s] (normalize-pvecs (eval-one ctx (parse-string s))))
+    (assert (= 1 (ev "(ffirst [[1 2] [3 4]])")) "ffirst")
+    (assert (= 2 (ev "(fnext [1 2 3])")) "fnext")
+    (assert (= [3 4] (ev "(nnext [1 2 3 4])")) "nnext")))
+
 (print "self-host pipeline passed!")