diff --git a/include/QF/set.h b/include/QF/set.h
index 52b1fae85..61bd865aa 100644
--- a/include/QF/set.h
+++ b/include/QF/set.h
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ typedef uint32_t set_bits_t;
 #define SET_ONE ((set_bits_t) 1)
 #define SET_TEST_MEMBER(s, x) \
 	((s)->map[(x) / SET_BITS] & (SET_ONE << ((x) % SET_BITS)))
+#define SET_STATIC_INIT(x, alloc) { \
+	.size = SET_SIZE (x), \
+	.map = alloc (SET_SIZE (x) / 8), \
+}
 
 /** Represent a set using a bitmap.
 
@@ -129,9 +133,11 @@ set_t *set_new_r (set_pool_t *set_pool);
 
 	\param size		The number of elements for which space is to be allocated.
 	\return			The newly created, empty set.
+	\note \a size is the actual amount of elements, not the number of the
+	highest element (ie, for values 0..n, size is n + 1).
 */
-set_t *set_new_size (int size);
-set_t *set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, int size);
+set_t *set_new_size (unsigned size);
+set_t *set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, unsigned size);
 
 /** Delete a set that is no longer needed.
 
@@ -140,6 +146,18 @@ set_t *set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, int size);
 void set_delete (set_t *set);
 void set_delete_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, set_t *set);
 
+/** Pre-expand a set with space for the specified element
+
+	Has no effect if the set is already large enough to hold the specified
+	element.
+
+	\param set      The set to be expanded
+	\param size		The minimum number of elements representable by the set
+	\note \a size is the actual amount of elements, not the number of the
+	highest element (ie, for values 0..n, size is n + 1).
+*/
+void set_expand (set_t *set, unsigned size);
+
 /** Add an element to a set.
 
 	It is not an error to add an element that is already a member of the set.
diff --git a/libs/util/set.c b/libs/util/set.c
index 6b15154e8..869fcc74e 100644
--- a/libs/util/set.c
+++ b/libs/util/set.c
@@ -111,16 +111,15 @@ set_delete (set_t *set)
 	set_delete_r (&static_set_pool, set);
 }
 
-static void
-set_expand (set_t *set, unsigned x)
+void
+set_expand (set_t *set, unsigned size)
 {
 	set_bits_t *map = set->map;
-	size_t      size;
 
-	if (x <= set->size)
+	if (size <= set->size)
 		return;
 
-	size = SET_SIZE (x);
+	size = SET_SIZE (size - 1);
 	set->map = malloc (size / 8);
 	memcpy (set->map, map, set->size / 8);
 	memset (set->map + SET_WORDS (set), 0, (size - set->size) / 8);
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ set_expand (set_t *set, unsigned x)
 }
 
 inline set_t *
-set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, int size)
+set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, unsigned size)
 {
 	set_t      *set;
 
@@ -141,7 +140,7 @@ set_new_size_r (set_pool_t *set_pool, int size)
 }
 
 set_t *
-set_new_size (int size)
+set_new_size (unsigned size)
 {
 	return set_new_size_r (&static_set_pool, size);
 }
diff --git a/libs/util/test/test-set.c b/libs/util/test/test-set.c
index 3d2b5e6d6..e1b93d137 100644
--- a/libs/util/test/test-set.c
+++ b/libs/util/test/test-set.c
@@ -109,6 +109,27 @@ make_not_55 (void)
 	return set_invert (make_55 ());
 }
 
+static set_t *
+expand_3xSIZEm1 (set_t *set, const set_t *x)
+{
+	set_expand (set, 3 * SIZE - 1);
+	return set;
+}
+
+static set_t *
+expand_3xSIZEp1 (set_t *set, const set_t *x)
+{
+	set_expand (set, 3 * SIZE + 1);
+	return set;
+}
+
+static set_t *
+expand_3xSIZE (set_t *set, const set_t *x)
+{
+	set_expand (set, 3 * SIZE);
+	return set;
+}
+
 struct {
 	setup_func  set1;
 	setup_func  set2;
@@ -135,6 +156,11 @@ struct {
 	{make_0_to_SIZEm1,        make_everything, set_reverse_difference,
 		check_size, SIZE, "{64 ...}"
 	},
+	{make_SIZE,              0, expand_3xSIZEm1, check_size, 3 * SIZE,
+		"{64}"},
+	{make_SIZE,              0, expand_3xSIZE, check_size, 3 * SIZE, "{64}"},
+	{make_SIZE,              0, expand_3xSIZEp1, check_size,
+		3 * SIZE + SET_BITS, "{64}"},
 	{make_everything, make_empty, 0, set_is_subset,      1, 0},
 	{make_everything, make_empty, 0, set_is_equivalent,   0, 0},
 	{make_everything, make_empty, 0, set_is_intersecting, 0, 0},