diff --git a/builtin/builtin.lua b/builtin/builtin.lua
index 10acd0f52..13c1c09d4 100644
--- a/builtin/builtin.lua
+++ b/builtin/builtin.lua
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@ dofile(minetest.get_modpath("__builtin").."/misc.lua")
 dofile(minetest.get_modpath("__builtin").."/privileges.lua")
 dofile(minetest.get_modpath("__builtin").."/auth.lua")
 dofile(minetest.get_modpath("__builtin").."/chatcommands.lua")
+dofile(minetest.get_modpath("__builtin").."/static_spawn.lua")
 
diff --git a/builtin/chatcommands.lua b/builtin/chatcommands.lua
index 047cfc692..a7061e3a3 100644
--- a/builtin/chatcommands.lua
+++ b/builtin/chatcommands.lua
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ minetest.register_chatcommand("set", {
 	privs = {server=true},
 	func = function(name, param)
 		local arg, setname, setvalue = string.match(param, "(-[n]) ([^ ]+) (.+)")
-		if arg and arg == "n" and setname and setvalue then
+		if arg and arg == "-n" and setname and setvalue then
 			minetest.setting_set(setname, setvalue)
 			minetest.chat_send_player(name, setname.." = "..setvalue)
 			return
diff --git a/builtin/misc.lua b/builtin/misc.lua
index 89f90dfbd..b3b1ec6e8 100644
--- a/builtin/misc.lua
+++ b/builtin/misc.lua
@@ -67,3 +67,35 @@ function minetest.get_node_group(name, group)
 	return minetest.get_item_group(name, group)
 end
 
+function minetest.string_to_pos(value)
+	local p = {}
+	p.x, p.y, p.z = string.match(value, "^([%d.-]+)[, ] *([%d.-]+)[, ] *([%d.-]+)$")
+	if p.x and p.y and p.z then
+		p.x = tonumber(p.x)
+		p.y = tonumber(p.y)
+		p.z = tonumber(p.z)
+		return p
+	end
+	local p = {}
+	p.x, p.y, p.z = string.match(value, "^%( *([%d.-]+)[, ] *([%d.-]+)[, ] *([%d.-]+) *%)$")
+	if p.x and p.y and p.z then
+		p.x = tonumber(p.x)
+		p.y = tonumber(p.y)
+		p.z = tonumber(p.z)
+		return p
+	end
+	return nil
+end
+
+assert(minetest.string_to_pos("10.0, 5, -2").x == 10)
+assert(minetest.string_to_pos("( 10.0, 5, -2)").z == -2)
+assert(minetest.string_to_pos("asd, 5, -2)") == nil)
+
+function minetest.setting_get_pos(name)
+	local value = minetest.setting_get(name)
+	if not value then
+		return nil
+	end
+	return minetest.string_to_pos(value)
+end
+
diff --git a/builtin/static_spawn.lua b/builtin/static_spawn.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8c107d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builtin/static_spawn.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+-- Minetest: builtin/static_spawn.lua
+
+local function warn_invalid_static_spawnpoint()
+	if minetest.setting_get("static_spawnpoint") and
+			not minetest.setting_get_pos("static_spawnpoint") then
+		minetest.log('error', "The static_spawnpoint setting is invalid: \""..
+				minetest.setting_get("static_spawnpoint").."\"")
+	end
+end
+
+warn_invalid_static_spawnpoint()
+
+local function put_player_in_spawn(obj)
+	warn_invalid_static_spawnpoint()
+	local static_spawnpoint = minetest.setting_get_pos("static_spawnpoint")
+	if not static_spawnpoint then
+		return false
+	end
+	minetest.log('action', "Moving "..obj:get_player_name()..
+			" to static spawnpoint at "..
+			minetest.pos_to_string(static_spawnpoint))
+	obj:setpos(static_spawnpoint)
+	return true
+end
+
+minetest.register_on_newplayer(function(obj)
+	put_player_in_spawn(obj)
+end)
+
+minetest.register_on_respawnplayer(function(obj)
+	return put_player_in_spawn(obj)
+end)
+
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index aabc673f9..9bb0dfe98 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ string:trim()
 ^ eg. string.trim("\n \t\tfoo bar\t ") == "foo bar"
 minetest.pos_to_string({x=X,y=Y,z=Z}) -> "(X,Y,Z)"
 ^ Convert position to a printable string
+minetest.string_to_pos(string) -> position
 
 minetest namespace reference
 -----------------------------
@@ -576,6 +577,7 @@ Setting-related:
 minetest.setting_set(name, value)
 minetest.setting_get(name) -> string or nil
 minetest.setting_getbool(name) -> boolean value or nil
+minetest.setting_get_pos(name) -> position or nil
 minetest.add_to_creative_inventory(itemstring)
 
 Authentication: