diff --git a/guppylang/std/_internal/compiler/prelude.py b/guppylang/std/_internal/compiler/prelude.py
index e5dcfbba..b78d5ea9 100644
--- a/guppylang/std/_internal/compiler/prelude.py
+++ b/guppylang/std/_internal/compiler/prelude.py
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 from hugr import tys as ht
 from hugr import val as hv
 
+from guppylang.definition.custom import CustomCallCompiler
+from guppylang.definition.value import CallReturnWires
+from guppylang.error import InternalGuppyError
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from hugr.build.dfg import DfBase
 
@@ -123,3 +127,14 @@ def build_unwrap(
     result is an error.
     """
     return build_unwrap_right(builder, result, error_msg, error_signal)
+
+
+class MemSwapCompiler(CustomCallCompiler):
+    """Compiler for the `mem_swap` function."""
+
+    def compile_with_inouts(self, args: list[Wire]) -> CallReturnWires:
+        [x, y] = args
+        return CallReturnWires(regular_returns=[], inout_returns=[y, x])
+
+    def compile(self, args: list[Wire]) -> list[Wire]:
+        raise InternalGuppyError("Call compile_with_inouts instead")
diff --git a/guppylang/std/builtins.py b/guppylang/std/builtins.py
index 250a04e2..4f943e73 100644
--- a/guppylang/std/builtins.py
+++ b/guppylang/std/builtins.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     ListPushCompiler,
     ListSetitemCompiler,
 )
+from guppylang.std._internal.compiler.prelude import MemSwapCompiler
 from guppylang.std._internal.util import (
     float_op,
     int_op,
@@ -880,3 +881,8 @@ def zip(x): ...
 
 @guppy.custom(checker=UnsupportedChecker(), higher_order_value=False)
 def __import__(x): ...
+
+
+@guppy.custom(MemSwapCompiler())
+def mem_swap(x: L, y: L) -> None:
+    """Swaps the values of two variables."""
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_array.py b/tests/integration/test_array.py
index 24cfa5d3..664925bb 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_array.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_array.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 from guppylang.decorator import guppy
 from guppylang.module import GuppyModule
-from guppylang.std.builtins import array, owned
+from guppylang.std.builtins import array, owned, mem_swap
 from tests.util import compile_guppy
 
 from guppylang.std.quantum import qubit
@@ -258,3 +258,21 @@ def main() -> int:
     package = module.compile()
     validate(package)
     run_int_fn(package, expected=6)
+
+
+def test_mem_swap(validate):
+    module = GuppyModule("test")
+
+    module.load(qubit)
+    @guppy(module)
+    def foo(x: qubit, y: qubit) -> None:
+        mem_swap(x, y)
+
+    @guppy(module)
+    def main() -> array[qubit, 2]:
+        a = array(qubit(), qubit())
+        foo(a[0], a[1])
+        return a
+
+    package = module.compile()
+    validate(package)