diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c49aab16cc..617169cb8d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ New modules
 * `Data.Bool.ListAction.Properties` for properties of conjunction and
   disjunction of lists.
 
+* `Data.Nat.Sqrt.Base` defines the square root of `n` as the greatest
+  natural number whose square is less than or equal to `n`, using a
+  primtive recursive definition originally due to Goodstein (1957).
+
 * A new type of lists that grow on the right.
   This is typically useful to model contexts of typing rules
   or type accumulators that need to be reversed in the base case.
diff --git a/src/Data/Nat/Sqrt/Base.agda b/src/Data/Nat/Sqrt/Base.agda
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3475886bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Data/Nat/Sqrt/Base.agda
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- The Agda standard library
+--
+-- Natural number square root
+--
+-- Goodstein's (1957) primitive recursive definition, taken from
+-- Troelstra and van Dalen, Constructivity in Mathematics, Vol. I
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+{-# OPTIONS --without-K --safe #-}
+
+module Data.Nat.Sqrt.Base where
+
+open import Data.Bool.Base using (if_then_else_)
+open import Data.Nat.Base using (ℕ; zero; suc; 2+; _+_; _∸_; _<ᵇ_)
+
+sqrt : ℕ → ℕ
+sqrt zero    = zero
+sqrt (suc n) = if (0 <ᵇ d) then √n else suc √n
+  module Sqrt where
+  -- helper functions to compute d
+  2*_ : ℕ → ℕ
+  2* zero  = zero
+  2* suc m = 2+ (2* m)
+  _^2+2*_∸_ : ℕ → ℕ → ℕ → ℕ
+  zero    ^2+2* n ∸ o = (2* n) ∸ o
+  (suc m) ^2+2* n ∸ o = m ^2+2* (suc (m + n)) ∸ (suc o)
+  -- then recur on n
+  √n = sqrt n
+  d = √n ^2+2* √n ∸ n
+
+private
+  open import Agda.Builtin.Equality using (_≡_; refl)
+
+  test : sqrt 16 ≡ 4
+  test = refl