diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index c7e93635d4c7..b224ccba114b 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -3477,7 +3477,12 @@ pub impl Parser {
     fn parse_item_foreign_const(&self, vis: ast::visibility,
                                 +attrs: ~[attribute]) -> @foreign_item {
         let lo = self.span.lo;
-        self.expect_keyword(&~"const");
+
+        // XXX: Obsolete; remove after snap.
+        if !self.eat_keyword(&~"const") {
+            self.expect_keyword(&~"static");
+        }
+
         let ident = self.parse_ident();
         self.expect(&token::COLON);
         let ty = self.parse_ty(false);
@@ -3506,7 +3511,7 @@ pub impl Parser {
 
     fn parse_foreign_item(&self, +attrs: ~[attribute]) -> @foreign_item {
         let vis = self.parse_visibility();
-        if self.is_keyword(&~"const") {
+        if self.is_keyword(&~"const") || self.is_keyword(&~"static") {
             self.parse_item_foreign_const(vis, attrs)
         } else {
             self.parse_item_foreign_fn(attrs)
@@ -3864,13 +3869,18 @@ pub impl Parser {
             visibility = inherited;
         }
 
-        if items_allowed && self.eat_keyword(&~"const") {
+        if items_allowed &&
+                (self.is_keyword(&~"const") ||
+                (self.is_keyword(&~"static") &&
+                    !self.token_is_keyword(&~"fn", &self.look_ahead(1)))) {
             // CONST ITEM
+            self.bump();
             let (ident, item_, extra_attrs) = self.parse_item_const();
             return iovi_item(self.mk_item(lo, self.last_span.hi, ident, item_,
                                           visibility,
                                           maybe_append(attrs, extra_attrs)));
-        } else if foreign_items_allowed && self.is_keyword(&~"const") {
+        } else if foreign_items_allowed &&
+                (self.is_keyword(&~"const") || self.is_keyword(&~"static")) {
             // FOREIGN CONST ITEM
             let item = self.parse_item_foreign_const(visibility, attrs);
             return iovi_foreign_item(item);
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs b/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
index 93583a1487a8..36c9e36ed5d3 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/print/pprust.rs
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ pub fn print_foreign_item(s: @ps, item: @ast::foreign_item) {
         end(s); // end the outer fn box
       }
       ast::foreign_item_const(t) => {
-        head(s, ~"const");
+        head(s, ~"static");
         print_ident(s, item.ident);
         word_space(s, ~":");
         print_type(s, t);
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ pub fn print_item(s: @ps, &&item: @ast::item) {
     (s.ann.pre)(ann_node);
     match /*bad*/ copy item.node {
       ast::item_const(ty, expr) => {
-        head(s, visibility_qualified(item.vis, ~"const"));
+        head(s, visibility_qualified(item.vis, ~"static"));
         print_ident(s, item.ident);
         word_space(s, ~":");
         print_type(s, ty);
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/new-style-constants.rs b/src/test/run-pass/new-style-constants.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f5c691d512e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/new-style-constants.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+use core::io::println;
+
+static FOO: int = 3;
+
+fn main() {
+    println(fmt!("%d", FOO));
+}
+