diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index e17b24b428c1..1310b6ae3f9f 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ rounding guarantees (via the
 
 ## Standard library additions and changes
 
+[//]: # "Additions:"
+- `setutils.symmetricDifference` along with its operator version
+  `` setutils.`-+-` `` and in-place version `setutils.toggle` have been added
+  to more efficiently calculate the symmetric difference of bitsets.
+
 [//]: # "Changes:"
 - `std/math` The `^` symbol now supports floating-point as exponent in addition to the Natural type.
 
diff --git a/compiler/ast.nim b/compiler/ast.nim
index 9708252f0e95..5ff986776c3e 100644
--- a/compiler/ast.nim
+++ b/compiler/ast.nim
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ type
     mAnd, mOr,
     mImplies, mIff, mExists, mForall, mOld,
     mEqStr, mLeStr, mLtStr,
-    mEqSet, mLeSet, mLtSet, mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet,
+    mEqSet, mLeSet, mLtSet, mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet, mXorSet,
     mConStrStr, mSlice,
     mDotDot, # this one is only necessary to give nice compile time warnings
     mFields, mFieldPairs, mOmpParFor,
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ const
     mStrToStr, mEnumToStr,
     mAnd, mOr,
     mEqStr, mLeStr, mLtStr,
-    mEqSet, mLeSet, mLtSet, mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet,
+    mEqSet, mLeSet, mLtSet, mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet, mXorSet,
     mConStrStr, mAppendStrCh, mAppendStrStr, mAppendSeqElem,
     mInSet, mRepr, mOpenArrayToSeq}
 
diff --git a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
index 3f4e4ff763cd..c954e6057b04 100644
--- a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
@@ -2044,7 +2044,7 @@ proc genInOp(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc) =
 
 proc genSetOp(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc, op: TMagic) =
   const
-    lookupOpr: array[mLeSet..mMinusSet, string] = [
+    lookupOpr: array[mLeSet..mXorSet, string] = [
       "for ($1 = 0; $1 < $2; $1++) { $n" &
       "  $3 = (($4[$1] & ~ $5[$1]) == 0);$n" &
       "  if (!$3) break;}$n",
@@ -2054,7 +2054,8 @@ proc genSetOp(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc, op: TMagic) =
       "if ($3) $3 = (#nimCmpMem($4, $5, $2) != 0);$n",
       "&",
       "|",
-      "& ~"]
+      "& ~",
+      "^"]
   var a, b: TLoc
   var i: TLoc
   var setType = skipTypes(e[1].typ, abstractVar)
@@ -2085,6 +2086,7 @@ proc genSetOp(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc, op: TMagic) =
     of mMulSet: binaryExpr(p, e, d, "($1 & $2)")
     of mPlusSet: binaryExpr(p, e, d, "($1 | $2)")
     of mMinusSet: binaryExpr(p, e, d, "($1 & ~ $2)")
+    of mXorSet: binaryExpr(p, e, d, "($1 ^ $2)")
     of mInSet:
       genInOp(p, e, d)
     else: internalError(p.config, e.info, "genSetOp()")
@@ -2112,7 +2114,7 @@ proc genSetOp(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc, op: TMagic) =
       var a = initLocExpr(p, e[1])
       var b = initLocExpr(p, e[2])
       putIntoDest(p, d, e, ropecg(p.module, "(#nimCmpMem($1, $2, $3)==0)", [a.rdCharLoc, b.rdCharLoc, size]))
-    of mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet:
+    of mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet, mXorSet:
       # we inline the simple for loop for better code generation:
       i = getTemp(p, getSysType(p.module.g.graph, unknownLineInfo, tyInt)) # our counter
       a = initLocExpr(p, e[1])
@@ -2548,7 +2550,7 @@ proc genMagicExpr(p: BProc, e: PNode, d: var TLoc, op: TMagic) =
   of mSetLengthStr: genSetLengthStr(p, e, d)
   of mSetLengthSeq: genSetLengthSeq(p, e, d)
   of mIncl, mExcl, mCard, mLtSet, mLeSet, mEqSet, mMulSet, mPlusSet, mMinusSet,
-     mInSet:
+     mInSet, mXorSet:
     genSetOp(p, e, d, op)
   of mNewString, mNewStringOfCap, mExit, mParseBiggestFloat:
     var opr = e[0].sym
diff --git a/compiler/condsyms.nim b/compiler/condsyms.nim
index 4523081a6320..81cc40f3f67f 100644
--- a/compiler/condsyms.nim
+++ b/compiler/condsyms.nim
@@ -170,3 +170,4 @@ proc initDefines*(symbols: StringTableRef) =
   defineSymbol("nimHasGenericsOpenSym3")
   defineSymbol("nimHasJsNoLambdaLifting")
   defineSymbol("nimHasDefaultFloatRoundtrip")
+  defineSymbol("nimHasXorSet")
diff --git a/compiler/jsgen.nim b/compiler/jsgen.nim
index 6b882a472775..21781efde06a 100644
--- a/compiler/jsgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/jsgen.nim
@@ -2458,6 +2458,7 @@ proc genMagic(p: PProc, n: PNode, r: var TCompRes) =
   of mMulSet: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "SetMul", "SetMul($1, $2)")
   of mPlusSet: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "SetPlus", "SetPlus($1, $2)")
   of mMinusSet: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "SetMinus", "SetMinus($1, $2)")
+  of mXorSet: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "SetXor", "SetXor($1, $2)")
   of mIncl: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "", "$1[$2] = true")
   of mExcl: binaryExpr(p, n, r, "", "delete $1[$2]")
   of mInSet:
diff --git a/compiler/semfold.nim b/compiler/semfold.nim
index 8acb312c6363..eb5db88fc9fd 100644
--- a/compiler/semfold.nim
+++ b/compiler/semfold.nim
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@ proc evalOp(m: TMagic, n, a, b, c: PNode; idgen: IdGenerator; g: ModuleGraph): P
   of mMinusSet:
     result = nimsets.diffSets(g.config, a, b)
     result.info = n.info
+  of mXorSet:
+    result = nimsets.symdiffSets(g.config, a, b)
+    result.info = n.info
   of mConStrStr: result = newStrNodeT(getStrOrChar(a) & getStrOrChar(b), n, g)
   of mInSet: result = newIntNodeT(toInt128(ord(inSet(a, b))), n, idgen, g)
   of mRepr:
diff --git a/compiler/vm.nim b/compiler/vm.nim
index 1be04a922de3..f26d41324fa0 100644
--- a/compiler/vm.nim
+++ b/compiler/vm.nim
@@ -1276,6 +1276,11 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
       createSet(regs[ra])
       move(regs[ra].node.sons,
            nimsets.diffSets(c.config, regs[rb].node, regs[rc].node).sons)
+    of opcXorSet:
+      decodeBC(rkNode)
+      createSet(regs[ra])
+      move(regs[ra].node.sons,
+           nimsets.symdiffSets(c.config, regs[rb].node, regs[rc].node).sons)
     of opcConcatStr:
       decodeBC(rkNode)
       createStr regs[ra]
diff --git a/compiler/vmdef.nim b/compiler/vmdef.nim
index 42e58c63b86a..bfa589402ac3 100644
--- a/compiler/vmdef.nim
+++ b/compiler/vmdef.nim
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ type
     opcEqRef, opcEqNimNode, opcSameNodeType,
     opcXor, opcNot, opcUnaryMinusInt, opcUnaryMinusFloat, opcBitnotInt,
     opcEqStr, opcEqCString, opcLeStr, opcLtStr, opcEqSet, opcLeSet, opcLtSet,
-    opcMulSet, opcPlusSet, opcMinusSet, opcConcatStr,
+    opcMulSet, opcPlusSet, opcMinusSet, opcXorSet, opcConcatStr,
     opcContainsSet, opcRepr, opcSetLenStr, opcSetLenSeq,
     opcIsNil, opcOf, opcIs,
     opcParseFloat, opcConv, opcCast,
diff --git a/compiler/vmgen.nim b/compiler/vmgen.nim
index a40f0afe47b6..59b8bf17f7bb 100644
--- a/compiler/vmgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/vmgen.nim
@@ -1212,6 +1212,7 @@ proc genMagic(c: PCtx; n: PNode; dest: var TDest; flags: TGenFlags = {}, m: TMag
   of mMulSet: genBinarySet(c, n, dest, opcMulSet)
   of mPlusSet: genBinarySet(c, n, dest, opcPlusSet)
   of mMinusSet: genBinarySet(c, n, dest, opcMinusSet)
+  of mXorSet: genBinarySet(c, n, dest, opcXorSet)
   of mConStrStr: genVarargsABC(c, n, dest, opcConcatStr)
   of mInSet: genBinarySet(c, n, dest, opcContainsSet)
   of mRepr: genUnaryABC(c, n, dest, opcRepr)
diff --git a/lib/std/setutils.nim b/lib/std/setutils.nim
index 8e7bc6a92d30..32a2e88f2cd6 100644
--- a/lib/std/setutils.nim
+++ b/lib/std/setutils.nim
@@ -75,3 +75,31 @@ func `[]=`*[T](t: var set[T], key: T, val: bool) {.inline.} =
     s[a3] = true
     assert s == {a2, a3}
   if val: t.incl key else: t.excl key
+
+when defined(nimHasXorSet):
+  func symmetricDifference*[T](x, y: set[T]): set[T] {.magic: "XorSet".} =
+    ## This operator computes the symmetric difference of two sets,
+    ## equivalent to but more efficient than `x + y - x * y` or
+    ## `(x - y) + (y - x)`.
+    runnableExamples:
+      assert symmetricDifference({1, 2, 3}, {2, 3, 4}) == {1, 4}
+else:
+  func symmetricDifference*[T](x, y: set[T]): set[T] {.inline.} =
+    result = x + y - (x * y)
+
+proc `-+-`*[T](x, y: set[T]): set[T] {.inline.} =
+  ## Operator alias for `symmetricDifference`.
+  runnableExamples:
+    assert {1, 2, 3} -+- {2, 3, 4} == {1, 4}
+  result = symmetricDifference(x, y)
+
+proc toggle*[T](x: var set[T], y: set[T]) {.inline.} =
+  ## Toggles the existence of each value of `y` in `x`.
+  ## If any element in `y` is also in `x`, it is excluded from `x`;
+  ## otherwise it is included.
+  ## Equivalent to `x = symmetricDifference(x, y)`.
+  runnableExamples:
+    var x = {1, 2, 3}
+    x.toggle({2, 3, 4})
+    assert x == {1, 4}
+  x = symmetricDifference(x, y)
diff --git a/lib/system/jssys.nim b/lib/system/jssys.nim
index 5599240fdb87..ec1af2ea577e 100644
--- a/lib/system/jssys.nim
+++ b/lib/system/jssys.nim
@@ -337,6 +337,18 @@ proc SetMinus(a, b: int): int {.compilerproc, asmNoStackFrame.} =
     return result;
   """.}
 
+proc SetXor(a, b: int): int {.compilerproc, asmNoStackFrame.} =
+  {.emit: """
+    var result = {};
+    for (var elem in `a`) {
+      if (!`b`[elem]) { result[elem] = true; }
+    }
+    for (var elem in `b`) {
+      if (!`a`[elem]) { result[elem] = true; }
+    }
+    return result;
+  """.}
+
 proc cmpStrings(a, b: string): int {.asmNoStackFrame, compilerproc.} =
   {.emit: """
     if (`a` == `b`) return 0;
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/tsetutils.nim b/tests/stdlib/tsetutils.nim
index c8498f23e028..c3338a3a2729 100644
--- a/tests/stdlib/tsetutils.nim
+++ b/tests/stdlib/tsetutils.nim
@@ -44,6 +44,26 @@ template main =
     s[a2] = true
     s[a3] = true
     doAssert s == {a2, a3}
+  
+  block: # set symmetric difference (xor), https://github.com/nim-lang/RFCs/issues/554
+    type T = set[range[0..15]]
+    let x: T = {1, 4, 5, 8, 9}
+    let y: T = {0, 2..6, 9}
+    let res = symmetricDifference(x, y)
+    doAssert res == {0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8}
+    doAssert res == (x + y - x * y)
+    doAssert res == ((x - y) + (y - x))
+    var z = x
+    doAssert z == {1, 4, 5, 8, 9}
+    doAssert z == x
+    z.toggle(y)
+    doAssert z == res
+    z.toggle(y)
+    doAssert z == x
+    z.toggle({1, 5})
+    doAssert z == {4, 8, 9}
+    z.toggle({3, 8})
+    doAssert z == {3, 4, 9}
 
 main()
 static: main()