diff --git a/src/comp/middle/cstrcache.rs b/src/comp/middle/cstrcache.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0b0cd320578e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/comp/middle/cstrcache.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// Provides a safe way to get C pointers to strings, because in many
+// places LLVM wants a string but doesn't take a copy.
+
+import std::str;
+
+export t;
+export mk;
+export get_cstr;
+
+type t_ = @{
+    // This string is boxed so that I remember that it has to be boxed
+    // after the ivec conversion.
+    mutable cache: [@str]
+};
+
+tag t {
+    private(t_);
+}
+
+fn mk() -> t {
+    ret private(@{mutable cache: []});
+}
+
+fn get_cstr(t: &t, s: &str) -> str::rustrt::sbuf {
+    let boxed = @s;
+    let buf = str::buf(*boxed);
+    (*t).cache += [boxed];
+    ret buf;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/comp/rustc.rc b/src/comp/rustc.rc
index c9f0d2f067b9..0dd9f004ad8f 100644
--- a/src/comp/rustc.rc
+++ b/src/comp/rustc.rc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ mod middle {
     mod freevars;
     mod shape;
     mod gc;
+    mod cstrcache;
 
     mod tstate {
         mod ck;