diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 8268fb7..b8e9bf8 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 Changelog
 ~~~~~~~~~
 
+0.31.0 (unreleased)
+-------------------
+
+* add pyquil.gates.XY to the native gateset
+
 0.30.0 (October 2023)
 ---------------------
 
diff --git a/pytket/extensions/pyquil/backends/forest.py b/pytket/extensions/pyquil/backends/forest.py
index 884f87c..76b5eb5 100644
--- a/pytket/extensions/pyquil/backends/forest.py
+++ b/pytket/extensions/pyquil/backends/forest.py
@@ -108,7 +108,14 @@ class ForestBackend(Backend):
     _supports_counts = True
     _supports_contextual_optimisation = True
     _persistent_handles = True
-    _GATE_SET = {OpType.CZ, OpType.Rx, OpType.Rz, OpType.Measure, OpType.Barrier}
+    _GATE_SET = {
+        OpType.CZ,
+        OpType.Rx,
+        OpType.Rz,
+        OpType.Measure,
+        OpType.Barrier,
+        OpType.ISWAP,
+    }
 
     def __init__(self, qc: QuantumComputer):
         """Backend for running circuits with the Rigetti QVM.
diff --git a/tests/pyquil_convert_test.py b/tests/pyquil_convert_test.py
index dd8ac6e..1870b6e 100644
--- a/tests/pyquil_convert_test.py
+++ b/tests/pyquil_convert_test.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     CPHASE,
     SWAP,
     MEASURE,
+    XY,
 )
 from pyquil.quilbase import Measurement
 from sympy import pi, Symbol
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ def get_test_program(measure: bool = False) -> Program:
     p += CCNOT(0, 1, 2)
     p += CPHASE(PI / 4, 2, 1)
     p += SWAP(0, 3)
+    p += XY(PI / 3, 2, 1)
     if measure:
         ro = p.declare("ro", "BIT", 4)
         p += MEASURE(0, ro[0])
diff --git a/tests/qvm_backend_test.py b/tests/qvm_backend_test.py
index 6b80f4b..f487b4c 100644
--- a/tests/qvm_backend_test.py
+++ b/tests/qvm_backend_test.py
@@ -390,6 +390,60 @@ def test_shots_bits_edgecases(qvm: None, quilc: None) -> None:
             assert res.get_counts() == correct_counts
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    skip_qvm_tests, reason="Can only run Rigetti QVM if docker is installed"
+)
+def test_gateset(qvm: None, quilc: None) -> None:
+    qc = get_qc("9q-square", as_qvm=True)
+    forest_backend = ForestBackend(qc)
+    a = [Qubit("node", i) for i in range(6)]
+
+    c = Circuit(0, 6)
+    for q in a:
+        c.add_qubit(q)
+    c.ISWAP(1, a[5], a[4])
+    c.ISWAP(2, a[5], a[4])
+    c.ISWAP(3, a[5], a[4])
+
+    c.measure_all()
+
+    h = forest_backend.process_circuit(c, 10)
+    res = forest_backend.get_result(h)
+
+    correct_shots = np.zeros((10, 6), dtype=int)  # type: ignore
+    correct_counts = Counter({(0,) * 6: 10})
+
+    assert np.array_equal(res.get_shots(), correct_shots)
+    assert res.get_shots().shape == (10, 6)
+    assert res.get_counts() == correct_counts
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    skip_qvm_tests, reason="Can only run Rigetti QVM if docker is installed"
+)
+def test_gateset_ii(qvm: None, quilc: None) -> None:
+    qc = get_qc("9q-square", as_qvm=True)
+    forest_backend = ForestBackend(qc)
+
+    a = [Qubit("node", i) for i in range(6)]
+    c = Circuit(0, 6)
+    for q in a:
+        c.add_qubit(q)
+    c.Rx(1.0, a[5])
+    c.ISWAP(0.5, a[5], a[4])
+    c.Rx(1.0, a[4])
+    c.ISWAP(0.5, a[5], a[4])
+    c.measure_all()
+
+    h = forest_backend.process_circuit(c, 10)
+    res = forest_backend.get_result(h)
+
+    assert res.get_shots().shape == (10, 6)
+    assert (
+        res.get_counts()[(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)] + res.get_counts()[(0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1)]
+    ) == 10
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     skip_qvm_tests, reason="Can only run Rigetti QVM if docker is installed"
 )