diff --git a/src/comp/middle/shape.rs b/src/comp/middle/shape.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c9abfac24487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/comp/middle/shape.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,538 @@
+// A "shape" is a compact encoding of a type that is used by interpreted glue.
+// This substitutes for the runtime tags used by e.g. MLs.
+
+import lib::llvm::True;
+import lib::llvm::llvm::ModuleRef;
+import lib::llvm::llvm::TypeRef;
+import lib::llvm::llvm::ValueRef;
+import middle::trans;
+import middle::trans_common::crate_ctxt;
+import middle::trans::llsize_of;
+import middle::trans_common::val_ty;
+import middle::trans_common;
+import middle::trans_common::C_bytes;
+import middle::trans_common::C_int;
+import middle::trans_common::C_named_struct;
+import middle::trans_common::C_struct;
+import middle::trans_common::C_uint;
+import middle::trans_common::T_i8;
+import middle::trans_common::T_ptr;
+import middle::ty;
+import middle::ty::field;
+import middle::ty::mt;
+import syntax::ast;
+import syntax::codemap::span;
+import syntax::util::interner;
+import util::common;
+
+import std::ivec;
+import std::map::hashmap;
+import std::option::none;
+import std::option::some;
+import std::str;
+
+import ty_ctxt = middle::ty::ctxt;
+
+type res_info = { did: ast::def_id, t: ty::t };
+
+type ctxt = {
+    mutable next_tag_id: u16,
+    pad: u16,
+    tag_id_to_index: hashmap[ast::def_id,u16],
+    mutable tag_order: ast::def_id[],
+    resources: interner::interner[res_info],
+    llshapetablesty: TypeRef,
+    llshapetables: ValueRef
+};
+
+const shape_u8 : u8 = 0u8;
+const shape_u16 : u8 = 1u8;
+const shape_u32 : u8 = 2u8;
+const shape_u64 : u8 = 3u8;
+const shape_i8 : u8 = 4u8;
+const shape_i16 : u8 = 5u8;
+const shape_i32 : u8 = 6u8;
+const shape_i64 : u8 = 7u8;
+const shape_f32 : u8 = 8u8;
+const shape_f64 : u8 = 9u8;
+const shape_evec : u8 = 10u8;
+const shape_ivec : u8 = 11u8;
+const shape_tag : u8 = 12u8;
+const shape_box : u8 = 13u8;
+const shape_port : u8 = 14u8;
+const shape_chan : u8 = 15u8;
+const shape_task : u8 = 16u8;
+const shape_struct : u8 = 17u8;
+const shape_fn : u8 = 18u8;
+const shape_obj : u8 = 19u8;
+const shape_res : u8 = 20u8;
+const shape_var : u8 = 21u8;
+
+// FIXME: This is a bad API in trans_common.
+fn C_u8(n : u8) -> ValueRef { ret trans_common::C_u8(n as uint); }
+
+fn fake_span() -> span { ret { lo: 0u, hi: 0u }; }
+
+fn hash_res_info(ri : &res_info) -> uint {
+    let h = 5381u;
+    h *= 33u; h += (ri.did.crate as uint);
+    h *= 33u; h += (ri.did.node as uint);
+    h *= 33u; h += (ri.t as uint);
+    ret h;
+}
+
+fn eq_res_info(a : &res_info, b : &res_info) -> bool {
+    ret a.did.crate == b.did.crate && a.did.node == b.did.node && a.t == b.t;
+}
+
+fn mk_global(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, name : &str, llval : ValueRef) -> ValueRef {
+    let llglobal = lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMAddGlobal(ccx.llmod, val_ty(llval),
+                                                   str::buf(name));
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetInitializer(llglobal, llval);
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetGlobalConstant(llglobal, True);
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetLinkage(llglobal, lib::llvm::LLVMInternalLinkage
+                                    as lib::llvm::llvm::Linkage);
+    ret llglobal;
+}
+
+
+// Computes a set of variants of a tag that are guaranteed to have size and
+// alignment at least as large as any other variant of the tag. This is an
+// important performance optimization.
+//
+// TODO: Use this in dynamic_size_of() as well.
+
+fn largest_variants(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, tag_id : &ast::def_id) -> uint[] {
+    // Compute the minimum and maximum size and alignment for each variant.
+    //
+    // TODO: We could do better here; e.g. we know that any variant that
+    // contains (T,T) must be as least as large as any variant that contains
+    // just T.
+    let ranges = ~[];
+    let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, tag_id);
+    for variant : ty::variant_info in variants {
+        let bounded = true;
+        let { a: min_size, b: min_align } = { a: 0u, b: 0u };
+        for elem_t : ty::t in variant.args {
+            if ty::type_contains_params(ccx.tcx, elem_t) {
+                // TODO: We could do better here; this causes us to
+                // conservatively assume that (int, T) has minimum size 0,
+                // when in fact it has minimum size sizeof(int).
+                bounded = false;
+            } else {
+                let llty = trans::type_of(ccx, fake_span(), elem_t);
+                min_size += trans::llsize_of_real(ccx, llty);
+                min_align += trans::llalign_of_real(ccx, llty);
+            }
+        }
+
+        ranges += ~[{ size:  { min: min_size,  bounded: bounded },
+                      align: { min: min_align, bounded: bounded } }];
+    }
+
+    // Initialize the candidate set to contain all variants.
+    let candidates = ~[mutable];
+    for variant in variants { candidates += ~[mutable true]; }
+
+    // Do a pairwise comparison among all variants still in the candidate set.
+    // Throw out any variant that we know has size and alignment at least as
+    // small as some other variant.
+    let i = 0u;
+    while i < ivec::len(ranges) - 1u {
+        if candidates.(i) {
+            let j = i + 1u;
+            while (j < ivec::len(ranges)) {
+                if candidates.(j) {
+                    if ranges.(i).size.bounded && ranges.(i).align.bounded &&
+                            ranges.(j).size.bounded &&
+                            ranges.(j).align.bounded {
+                        if ranges.(i).size >= ranges.(j).size &&
+                                ranges.(i).align >= ranges.(j).align {
+                            // Throw out j.
+                            candidates.(j) = false;
+                        } else if ranges.(j).size >= ranges.(i).size &&
+                                ranges.(j).align >= ranges.(j).align {
+                            // Throw out i.
+                            candidates.(i) = false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                j += 1u;
+            }
+        }
+        i += 1u;
+    }
+
+    // Return the resulting set.
+    let result = ~[];
+    i = 0u;
+    while i < ivec::len(candidates) {
+        if candidates.(i) { result += ~[i]; }
+        i += 1u;
+    }
+    ret result;
+}
+
+// Computes the static size of a tag, without using mk_imm_tup(), which is
+// bad for performance.
+//
+// TODO: Migrate trans over to use this.
+
+fn round_up(size : u16, align : u8) -> u16 {
+    assert align >= 1u8;
+    let alignment = align as u16;
+    ret ((size-1u16) + alignment) & !(alignment-1u16);
+}
+
+type size_align = { size: u16, align: u8 };
+
+fn compute_static_tag_size(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, largest_variants : &uint[],
+                           did : &ast::def_id) -> size_align {
+    let max_size = 0u16; let max_align = 1u8;
+    let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, did);
+    for vid : uint in largest_variants {
+        // We increment a "virtual data pointer" to compute the size.
+        let lltys = ~[];
+        for typ : ty::t in variants.(vid).args {
+            lltys += ~[trans::type_of(ccx, fake_span(), typ)];
+        }
+
+        let llty = trans_common::T_struct(lltys);
+        let dp = trans::llsize_of_real(ccx, llty) as u16;
+        let variant_align = trans::llalign_of_real(ccx, llty) as u8;
+
+        if max_size < dp { max_size = dp; }
+        if max_align < variant_align { max_align = variant_align; }
+    }
+
+    // Add space for the tag if applicable.
+    // FIXME (issue #792): This is wrong. If the tag starts with an 8 byte
+    // aligned quantity, we don't align it.
+    if ivec::len(variants) > 1u {
+        max_size += 4u16;
+        max_align = 4u8;
+    }
+
+    ret { size: max_size, align: max_align };
+}
+
+tag tag_kind {
+    tk_unit;
+    tk_enum;
+    tk_complex;
+}
+
+fn tag_kind(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, did : &ast::def_id) -> tag_kind {
+    let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, did);
+    if ivec::len(variants) == 0u { ret tk_complex; }
+    for v : ty::variant_info in variants {
+        if ivec::len(v.args) > 0u { ret tk_complex; }
+    }
+    if ivec::len(variants) == 1u { ret tk_unit; }
+    ret tk_enum;
+}
+
+
+// Returns the code corresponding to the pointer size on this architecture.
+fn s_int(tcx : &ty_ctxt) -> u8 {
+    ret shape_i32;      // TODO: x86-64
+}
+
+fn s_uint(tcx : &ty_ctxt) -> u8 {
+    ret shape_u32;      // TODO: x86-64
+}
+
+fn s_float(tcx : &ty_ctxt) -> u8 {
+    ret shape_f32;      // TODO: x86-64
+}
+
+fn mk_ctxt(llmod : ModuleRef) -> ctxt {
+    let llshapetablesty = trans_common::T_named_struct("shapes");
+    let llshapetables =
+        lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMAddGlobal(llmod, llshapetablesty,
+                                       str::buf("shapes"));
+
+    ret {
+        mutable next_tag_id: 0u16,
+        pad: 0u16,
+        tag_id_to_index: common::new_def_hash(),
+        mutable tag_order: ~[],
+        resources: interner::mk(hash_res_info, eq_res_info),
+        llshapetablesty: llshapetablesty,
+        llshapetables: llshapetables
+    };
+}
+
+fn add_bool(dest : &mutable u8[], val : bool) {
+    dest += ~[if val { 1u8 } else { 0u8 }];
+}
+
+fn add_u16(dest : &mutable u8[], val : u16) {
+    dest += ~[(val & 0xffu16) as u8, (val >> 8u16) as u8];
+}
+
+fn add_substr(dest : &mutable u8[], src : &u8[]) {
+    add_u16(dest, ivec::len(src) as u16);
+    dest += src;
+}
+
+fn shape_of(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, t : ty::t) -> u8[] {
+    let s = ~[];
+
+    alt ty::struct(ccx.tcx, t) {
+      ty::ty_nil. | ty::ty_bool. | ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_u8.) {
+        s += ~[shape_u8];
+      }
+
+      ty::ty_bot. { fail "bot ty in shape_of"; }
+
+      ty::ty_int. { s += ~[s_int(ccx.tcx)]; }
+      ty::ty_float. { s += ~[s_float(ccx.tcx)]; }
+
+      ty::ty_uint. | ty::ty_ptr(_) | ty::ty_type. | ty::ty_native(_) {
+        s += ~[s_uint(ccx.tcx)];
+      }
+
+      ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_i8.) { s += ~[shape_i8]; }
+      ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_u16.) { s += ~[shape_u16]; }
+      ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_i16.) { s += ~[shape_i16]; }
+      ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_u32.) | ty::ty_char. { s += ~[shape_u32]; }
+      ty::ty_machine(ast::ty_i32.) { s += ~[shape_i32]; }
+
+      ty::ty_str. { s += ~[shape_evec, 1u8, 1u8, 0u8, shape_u8]; }
+      ty::ty_istr. { s += ~[shape_ivec, 1u8, 1u8, 0u8, shape_u8]; }
+
+      ty::ty_tag(did, tps) {
+        alt tag_kind(ccx, did) {
+          tk_unit. {
+            // FIXME: For now we do this.
+            s += ~[shape_u32];
+          }
+          tk_enum. { s += ~[shape_u32]; }
+          tk_complex. {
+            s += ~[shape_tag];
+
+            let sub = ~[];
+
+            let id;
+            alt ccx.shape_cx.tag_id_to_index.find(did) {
+              none. {
+                id = ccx.shape_cx.next_tag_id;
+                ccx.shape_cx.tag_id_to_index.insert(did, id);
+                ccx.shape_cx.tag_order += ~[did];
+                ccx.shape_cx.next_tag_id += 1u16;
+              }
+              some(existing_id) { id = existing_id; }
+            }
+            add_u16(sub, id as u16);
+
+            add_u16(sub, ivec::len(tps) as u16);
+            for tp : ty::t in tps {
+                let subshape = shape_of(ccx, tp);
+                add_u16(sub, ivec::len(subshape) as u16);
+                sub += subshape;
+            }
+
+            s += sub;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
+      ty::ty_box(mt) {
+        s += ~[shape_box];
+        add_substr(s, shape_of(ccx, mt.ty));
+      }
+      ty::ty_vec(mt) {
+        s += ~[shape_evec];
+        add_bool(s, ty::type_is_pod(ccx.tcx, mt.ty));
+        add_substr(s, shape_of(ccx, mt.ty));
+      }
+      ty::ty_ivec(mt) {
+        s += ~[shape_ivec];
+        add_bool(s, ty::type_is_pod(ccx.tcx, mt.ty));
+        add_size_hint(ccx, s, mt.ty);
+        add_substr(s, shape_of(ccx, mt.ty));
+      }
+      ty::ty_port(t) {
+        s += ~[shape_port];
+        add_substr(s, shape_of(ccx, t));
+      }
+      ty::ty_chan(t) { s += ~[shape_chan]; }
+      ty::ty_task. { s += ~[shape_task]; }
+
+      ty::ty_rec(fields) {
+        s += ~[shape_struct];
+        let sub = ~[];
+        for f : field in fields { sub += shape_of(ccx, f.mt.ty); }
+        add_substr(s, sub);
+      }
+
+      ty::ty_fn(_,_,_,_,_) { s += ~[shape_fn]; }
+      ty::ty_native_fn(_,_,_) { s += ~[shape_u32]; }
+      ty::ty_obj(_) { s += ~[shape_obj]; }
+
+      ty::ty_res(did, raw_subt, tps) {
+        let subt = ty::substitute_type_params(ccx.tcx, tps, raw_subt);
+        let ri = { did: did, t: subt };
+        let id = interner::intern(ccx.shape_cx.resources, ri);
+
+        s += ~[shape_res];
+        add_u16(s, id as u16);
+        add_u16(s, ivec::len(tps) as u16);
+
+        let sub = ~[];
+        for tp : ty::t in tps { add_substr(s, sub); }
+        add_substr(s, sub);
+
+        add_substr(s, shape_of(ccx, subt));
+
+      }
+
+      ty::ty_var(n) { fail "shape_of ty_var"; }
+      ty::ty_param(n,_) { s += ~[shape_var, n as u8]; }
+    }
+
+    ret s;
+}
+
+fn add_size_hint(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, s : &mutable u8[], typ : ty::t) {
+    if (ty::type_has_dynamic_size(ccx.tcx, typ)) {
+        s += ~[ 0u8, 0u8, 0u8 ];
+        ret;
+    }
+
+    let llty = trans::type_of(ccx, fake_span(), typ);
+    add_u16(s, trans::llsize_of_real(ccx, llty) as u16);
+    s += ~[ trans::llalign_of_real(ccx, llty) as u8 ];
+}
+
+// FIXME: We might discover other variants as we traverse these. Handle this.
+fn shape_of_variant(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, v : &ty::variant_info) -> u8[] {
+    let s = ~[];
+    for t : ty::t in v.args { s += shape_of(ccx, t); }
+    ret s;
+}
+
+fn gen_tag_shapes(ccx : &@crate_ctxt) -> ValueRef {
+    // Loop over all the tag variants and write their shapes into a data
+    // buffer. As we do this, it's possible for us to discover new tags, so we
+    // must do this first.
+    let i = 0u;
+    let data = ~[]; let offsets = ~[];
+    while (i < ivec::len(ccx.shape_cx.tag_order)) {
+        let did = ccx.shape_cx.tag_order.(i);
+        let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, did);
+
+        for v : ty::variant_info in variants {
+            offsets += ~[ivec::len(data) as u16];
+
+            let variant_shape = shape_of_variant(ccx, v);
+            add_substr(data, variant_shape);
+        }
+
+        i += 1u;
+    }
+
+    // Now calculate the sizes of the header space (which contains offsets to
+    // info records for each tag) and the info space (which contains offsets
+    // to each variant shape). As we do so, build up the header.
+
+    let header = ~[]; let info = ~[];
+    let header_sz = 2u16 * ccx.shape_cx.next_tag_id;
+    let data_sz = ivec::len(data) as u16;
+
+    let info_sz = 0u16;
+    for did_ : ast::def_id in ccx.shape_cx.tag_order {
+        let did = did_;    // Satisfy alias checker.
+        let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, did);
+        add_u16(header, header_sz + info_sz);
+        info_sz += 2u16 * ((ivec::len(variants) as u16) + 2u16) + 3u16;
+    }
+
+    // Construct the info tables, which contain offsets to the shape of each
+    // variant. Also construct the largest-variant table for each tag, which
+    // contains the variants that the size-of operation needs to look at.
+
+    let lv_table = ~[];
+    i = 0u;
+    for did_ : ast::def_id in ccx.shape_cx.tag_order {
+        let did = did_;    // Satisfy alias checker.
+        let variants = ty::tag_variants(ccx.tcx, did);
+        add_u16(info, ivec::len(variants) as u16);
+
+        // Construct the largest-variants table.
+        add_u16(info, header_sz + info_sz + data_sz +
+                (ivec::len(lv_table) as u16));
+
+        let lv = largest_variants(ccx, did);
+        add_u16(lv_table, ivec::len(lv) as u16);
+        for v : uint in lv { add_u16(lv_table, v as u16); }
+
+        // Determine whether the tag has dynamic size.
+        let dynamic = false;
+        for variant : ty::variant_info in variants {
+            for typ : ty::t in variant.args {
+                if ty::type_has_dynamic_size(ccx.tcx, typ) { dynamic = true; }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // If we can, write in the static size and alignment of the tag.
+        // Otherwise, write a placeholder.
+        let size_align;
+        if dynamic {
+            size_align = { size: 0u16, align: 0u8 };
+        } else {
+            size_align = compute_static_tag_size(ccx, lv, did);
+        }
+        add_u16(info, size_align.size);
+        info += ~[size_align.align];
+
+        // Now write in the offset of each variant.
+        for v : ty::variant_info in variants {
+            add_u16(info, header_sz + info_sz + offsets.(i));
+            i += 1u;
+        }
+    }
+
+    assert (i == ivec::len(offsets));
+    assert (header_sz == (ivec::len(header) as u16));
+    assert (info_sz == (ivec::len(info) as u16));
+    assert (data_sz == (ivec::len(data) as u16));
+
+    header += info;
+    header += data;
+    header += lv_table;
+
+    ret mk_global(ccx, "tag_shapes", C_bytes(header));
+}
+
+fn gen_resource_shapes(ccx : &@crate_ctxt) -> ValueRef {
+    let dtors = ~[];
+    let i = 0u;
+    let len = interner::len(ccx.shape_cx.resources);
+    while i < len {
+        let ri = interner::get(ccx.shape_cx.resources, i);
+        dtors += ~[trans_common::get_res_dtor(ccx, fake_span(), ri.did,
+                                              ri.t)];
+        i += 1u;
+    }
+
+    ret mk_global(ccx, "resource_shapes", C_struct(dtors));
+}
+
+fn gen_shape_tables(ccx : &@crate_ctxt) {
+    let lltagstable = gen_tag_shapes(ccx);
+    let llresourcestable = gen_resource_shapes(ccx);
+    trans_common::set_struct_body(ccx.shape_cx.llshapetablesty,
+                                  ~[val_ty(lltagstable),
+                                    val_ty(llresourcestable)]);
+
+    let lltables = C_named_struct(ccx.shape_cx.llshapetablesty,
+                                  ~[lltagstable, llresourcestable]);
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetInitializer(ccx.shape_cx.llshapetables, lltables);
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetGlobalConstant(ccx.shape_cx.llshapetables, True);
+    lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSetLinkage(ccx.shape_cx.llshapetables,
+                                    lib::llvm::LLVMInternalLinkage as
+                                    lib::llvm::llvm::Linkage);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
index 72535c0d0d32..817e82718ecc 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
@@ -426,6 +426,11 @@ fn llsize_of_real(cx: &@crate_ctxt, t: TypeRef) -> uint {
     ret llvm::LLVMStoreSizeOfType(cx.td.lltd, t);
 }
 
+// Returns the real alignment of the given type for the current target.
+fn llalign_of_real(cx: &@crate_ctxt, t: TypeRef) -> uint {
+    ret llvm::LLVMPreferredAlignmentOfType(cx.td.lltd, t);
+}
+
 fn llsize_of(t: TypeRef) -> ValueRef {
     ret llvm::LLVMConstIntCast(lib::llvm::llvm::LLVMSizeOf(t), T_int(),
                                False);
@@ -1424,23 +1429,7 @@ fn trans_res_drop(cx: @block_ctxt, rs: ValueRef, did: &ast::def_id,
     let val = GEP_tup_like(cx, tup_ty, rs, ~[0, 1]);
     cx = val.bcx;
     // Find and call the actual destructor.
-    let dtor_pair =
-        if did.crate == ast::local_crate {
-            alt ccx.fn_pairs.find(did.node) {
-              some(x) { x }
-              _ { ccx.tcx.sess.bug("internal error in trans_res_drop") }
-            }
-        } else {
-            let params =
-                csearch::get_type_param_count(ccx.sess.get_cstore(), did);
-            let f_t =
-                type_of_fn(ccx, cx.sp, ast::proto_fn,
-                           ~[{mode: ty::mo_alias(false), ty: inner_t}],
-                           ty::mk_nil(ccx.tcx), params);
-            get_extern_const(ccx.externs, ccx.llmod,
-                             csearch::get_symbol(ccx.sess.get_cstore(), did),
-                             T_fn_pair(*ccx, f_t))
-        };
+    let dtor_pair = trans_common::get_res_dtor(ccx, cx.sp, did, inner_t);
     let dtor_addr =
         cx.build.Load(cx.build.GEP(dtor_pair,
                                    ~[C_int(0), C_int(abi::fn_field_code)]));
@@ -8002,7 +7991,8 @@ fn trans_crate(sess: &session::session, crate: &@ast::crate, tcx: &ty::ctxt,
               upcall::declare_upcalls(tn, tydesc_type, taskptr_type, llmod),
           rust_object_type: T_rust_object(),
           tydesc_type: tydesc_type,
-          task_type: task_type};
+          task_type: task_type,
+          shape_cx: shape::mk_ctxt(llmod)};
     let cx = new_local_ctxt(ccx);
     collect_items(ccx, crate);
     collect_tag_ctors(ccx, crate);
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans_common.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans_common.rs
index 097be3357fcb..32b25a8a062c 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans_common.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans_common.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 */
 
 import std::int;
+import std::ivec;
 import std::str;
 import std::uint;
 import std::str::rustrt::sbuf;
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import std::option;
 import std::option::some;
 import std::option::none;
 import std::fs;
+import std::unsafe;
 import syntax::ast;
 import driver::session;
 import middle::ty;
@@ -139,7 +141,8 @@ type crate_ctxt = {
     upcalls: @upcall::upcalls,
     rust_object_type: TypeRef,
     tydesc_type: TypeRef,
-    task_type: TypeRef
+    task_type: TypeRef,
+    shape_cx: shape::ctxt
 };
 
 type local_ctxt =
@@ -314,6 +317,25 @@ fn revoke_clean(cx: &@block_ctxt, val: ValueRef) {
                              std::ivec::len(sc_cx.cleanups));
 }
 
+fn get_res_dtor(ccx : &@crate_ctxt, sp : &span, did : &ast::def_id,
+                inner_t : ty::t) -> ValueRef {
+    if did.crate == ast::local_crate {
+        alt ccx.fn_pairs.find(did.node) {
+            some(x) { ret x; }
+            _ { ccx.tcx.sess.bug("get_res_dtor: can't find resource dtor!"); }
+        }
+    }
+
+    let params = csearch::get_type_param_count(ccx.sess.get_cstore(), did);
+    let f_t = trans::type_of_fn(ccx, sp, ast::proto_fn,
+                                ~[{ mode: ty::mo_alias(false), ty: inner_t }],
+                                ty::mk_nil(ccx.tcx), params);
+    ret trans::get_extern_const(ccx.externs, ccx.llmod,
+                                csearch::get_symbol(ccx.sess.get_cstore(),
+                                                    did),
+                                T_fn_pair(*ccx, f_t));
+}
+
 tag block_kind {
 
 
@@ -846,3 +868,9 @@ fn C_array(ty: TypeRef, elts: &ValueRef[]) -> ValueRef {
     ret llvm::LLVMConstArray(ty, std::ivec::to_ptr(elts),
                              std::ivec::len(elts));
 }
+
+fn C_bytes(bytes : &u8[]) -> ValueRef {
+    ret llvm::LLVMConstString(unsafe::reinterpret_cast(ivec::to_ptr(bytes)),
+                              ivec::len(bytes), False);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
index 1c14a0be2c09..556c9e36bea4 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/ty.rs
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ export type_is_fp;
 export type_is_integral;
 export type_is_native;
 export type_is_nil;
+export type_is_pod;
 export type_is_scalar;
 export type_is_sequence;
 export type_is_signed;
@@ -1340,6 +1341,50 @@ fn type_owns_heap_mem(cx: &ctxt, ty: &t) -> bool {
     ret result;
 }
 
+// Whether a type is Plain Old Data (i.e. can be safely memmoved).
+fn type_is_pod(cx : &ctxt, ty : &t) -> bool {
+    let result = true;
+    alt struct(cx, ty) {
+        // Scalar types
+        ty_nil. | ty_bot. | ty_bool. | ty_int. | ty_float. | ty_uint. |
+        ty_machine(_) | ty_char. | ty_type. | ty_native(_) | ty_ptr(_) {
+            result = true;
+        }
+
+        // Boxed types
+        ty_str. | ty_istr. | ty_box(_) | ty_vec(_) | ty_ivec(_) |
+        ty_fn(_,_,_,_,_) | ty_native_fn(_,_,_) | ty_obj(_) | ty_port(_) |
+        ty_chan(_) | ty_task. { result = false; }
+
+        // Structural types
+        ty_tag(did, tps) {
+            let variants = tag_variants(cx, did);
+            for variant : variant_info in variants {
+                let tup_ty = mk_imm_tup(cx, variant.args);
+
+                // Perform any type parameter substitutions.
+                tup_ty = substitute_type_params(cx, tps, tup_ty);
+                if !type_is_pod(cx, tup_ty) { result = false; }
+            }
+        }
+        ty_rec(flds) {
+            for f : field in flds {
+                if !type_is_pod(cx, f.mt.ty) { result = false; }
+            }
+        }
+        ty_res(_, inner, tps) {
+            result = type_is_pod(cx,
+                substitute_type_params(cx, tps, inner));
+        }
+        ty_constr(subt, _) { result = type_is_pod(cx, subt); }
+
+        ty_var(_) { fail "ty_var in type_is_pod"; }
+        ty_param(_,_) { result = false; }
+    }
+
+    ret result;
+}
+
 fn type_param(cx: &ctxt, ty: &t) -> option::t[uint] {
     alt struct(cx, ty) {
       ty_param(id,_) { ret some(id); }
diff --git a/src/comp/rustc.rc b/src/comp/rustc.rc
index ce1cb27eb646..3181d3480718 100644
--- a/src/comp/rustc.rc
+++ b/src/comp/rustc.rc
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ mod middle {
     mod alias;
     mod kind;
     mod freevars;
+    mod shape;
 
     mod tstate {
         mod ck;
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/util/interner.rs b/src/comp/syntax/util/interner.rs
index 9474ddd16d2c..7e7a9ca71073 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/util/interner.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/util/interner.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ fn mk[@T](hasher: hashfn[T], eqer: eqfn[T]) -> interner[T] {
     let m = map::mk_hashmap[T, uint](hasher, eqer);
     ret {map: m, mutable vect: ~[], hasher: hasher, eqer: eqer};
 }
+
 fn intern[@T](itr: &interner[T], val: &T) -> uint {
     alt itr.map.find(val) {
       some(idx) { ret idx; }
@@ -31,5 +32,8 @@ fn intern[@T](itr: &interner[T], val: &T) -> uint {
       }
     }
 }
+
 fn get[T](itr: &interner[T], idx: uint) -> T { ret itr.vect.(idx); }
 
+fn len[T](itr : &interner[T]) -> uint { ret ivec::len(itr.vect); }
+