diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 56a98b984f56..46afb56a0a2d 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -475,6 +475,7 @@ TEST_XFAILS_RUSTC := $(filter-out \
                         linear-for-loop.rs \
                         multiline-comment.rs \
                         mutual-recursion-group.rs \
+                        native2.rs \
                         obj-drop.rs \
                         obj-recursion.rs \
                         obj-with-vec.rs \
diff --git a/src/comp/front/ast.rs b/src/comp/front/ast.rs
index 10bcd5c4562f..9c71bcd98a3b 100644
--- a/src/comp/front/ast.rs
+++ b/src/comp/front/ast.rs
@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@ type _mod = rec(vec[@view_item] view_items,
                 vec[@item] items,
                 mod_index index);
 
+type native_mod = rec(str native_name);
+
 type variant_arg = rec(@ty ty, def_id id);
 type variant = rec(str name, vec[variant_arg] args, def_id id, ann ann);
 
@@ -240,6 +242,7 @@ tag item_ {
     item_const(ident, @ty, @expr, def_id, ann);
     item_fn(ident, _fn, vec[ty_param], def_id, ann);
     item_mod(ident, _mod, def_id);
+    item_native_mod(ident, native_mod, def_id);
     item_ty(ident, @ty, vec[ty_param], def_id, ann);
     item_tag(ident, vec[variant], vec[ty_param], def_id);
     item_obj(ident, _obj, vec[ty_param], def_id, ann);
@@ -267,6 +270,9 @@ fn index_item(mod_index index, @item it) {
         case (ast.item_mod(?id, _, _)) {
             index.insert(id, ast.mie_item(it));
         }
+        case (ast.item_native_mod(?id, _, _)) {
+            index.insert(id, ast.mie_item(it));
+        }
         case (ast.item_ty(?id, _, _, _, _)) {
             index.insert(id, ast.mie_item(it));
         }
diff --git a/src/comp/front/parser.rs b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
index bef37a3cc7ea..fed71fda60b4 100644
--- a/src/comp/front/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/front/parser.rs
@@ -1555,6 +1555,20 @@ impure fn parse_item_mod(parser p) -> @ast.item {
     ret @spanned(lo, hi, item);
 }
 
+impure fn parse_item_native_mod(parser p) -> @ast.item {
+    auto lo = p.get_span();
+    expect(p, token.NATIVE);
+    auto native_name = parse_str_lit(p);
+    expect(p, token.MOD);
+    auto id = parse_ident(p);
+    expect(p, token.LBRACE);
+    auto m = rec(native_name = native_name);
+    auto hi = p.get_span();
+    expect(p, token.RBRACE);
+    auto item = ast.item_native_mod(id, m, p.next_def_id());
+    ret @spanned(lo, hi, item);
+}
+
 impure fn parse_item_type(parser p) -> @ast.item {
     auto lo = p.get_span();
     expect(p, token.TYPE);
@@ -1695,6 +1709,11 @@ impure fn parse_item(parser p) -> @ast.item {
             check (lyr == ast.layer_value);
             ret parse_item_mod(p);
         }
+        case (token.NATIVE) {
+            check (eff == ast.eff_pure);
+            check (lyr == ast.layer_value);
+            ret parse_item_native_mod(p);
+        }
         case (token.TYPE) {
             check (eff == ast.eff_pure);
             ret parse_item_type(p);
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/fold.rs b/src/comp/middle/fold.rs
index 67c260140b72..528518e7e03c 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/fold.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/fold.rs
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ type ast_fold[ENV] =
      (fn(&ENV e, &span sp, ident ident,
          &ast._mod m, def_id id) -> @item)        fold_item_mod,
 
+     (fn(&ENV e, &span sp, ident ident,
+         &ast.native_mod m, def_id id) -> @item)  fold_item_native_mod,
+
      (fn(&ENV e, &span sp, ident ident,
          @ty t, vec[ast.ty_param] ty_params,
          def_id id, ann a) -> @item)              fold_item_ty,
@@ -227,6 +230,8 @@ type ast_fold[ENV] =
 
      (fn(&ENV e, &ast._mod m) -> ast._mod)        fold_mod,
 
+     (fn(&ENV e, &ast.native_mod m) -> ast.native_mod) fold_native_mod,
+
      (fn(&ENV e, &span sp,
          &ast._mod m) -> @ast.crate)              fold_crate,
 
@@ -768,6 +773,11 @@ fn fold_item[ENV](&ENV env, ast_fold[ENV] fld, @item i) -> @item {
             ret fld.fold_item_mod(env_, i.span, ident, mm_, id);
         }
 
+        case (ast.item_native_mod(?ident, ?mm, ?id)) {
+            let ast.native_mod mm_ = fold_native_mod[ENV](env_, fld, mm);
+            ret fld.fold_item_native_mod(env_, i.span, ident, mm_, id);
+        }
+
         case (ast.item_ty(?ident, ?ty, ?params, ?id, ?ann)) {
             let @ast.ty ty_ = fold_ty[ENV](env_, fld, ty);
             ret fld.fold_item_ty(env_, i.span, ident, ty_, params, id, ann);
@@ -798,7 +808,6 @@ fn fold_item[ENV](&ENV env, ast_fold[ENV] fld, @item i) -> @item {
     fail;
 }
 
-
 fn fold_mod[ENV](&ENV e, ast_fold[ENV] fld, &ast._mod m) -> ast._mod {
 
     let vec[@view_item] view_items = vec();
@@ -818,7 +827,12 @@ fn fold_mod[ENV](&ENV e, ast_fold[ENV] fld, &ast._mod m) -> ast._mod {
     }
 
     ret fld.fold_mod(e, rec(view_items=view_items, items=items, index=index));
- }
+}
+
+fn fold_native_mod[ENV](&ENV e, ast_fold[ENV] fld,
+                        &ast.native_mod m) -> ast.native_mod {
+    ret fld.fold_native_mod(e, rec(native_name = m.native_name));
+}
 
 fn fold_crate[ENV](&ENV env, ast_fold[ENV] fld, @ast.crate c) -> @ast.crate {
     let ENV env_ = fld.update_env_for_crate(env, c);
@@ -1092,6 +1106,11 @@ fn identity_fold_item_mod[ENV](&ENV e, &span sp, ident i,
     ret @respan(sp, ast.item_mod(i, m, id));
 }
 
+fn identity_fold_item_native_mod[ENV](&ENV e, &span sp, ident i,
+                                      &ast.native_mod m, def_id id) -> @item {
+    ret @respan(sp, ast.item_native_mod(i, m, id));
+}
+
 fn identity_fold_item_ty[ENV](&ENV e, &span sp, ident i,
                               @ty t, vec[ast.ty_param] ty_params,
                               def_id id, ann a) -> @item {
@@ -1146,6 +1165,11 @@ fn identity_fold_mod[ENV](&ENV e, &ast._mod m) -> ast._mod {
     ret m;
 }
 
+fn identity_fold_native_mod[ENV](&ENV e,
+                                 &ast.native_mod m) -> ast.native_mod {
+    ret m;
+}
+
 fn identity_fold_crate[ENV](&ENV e, &span sp, &ast._mod m) -> @ast.crate {
     ret @respan(sp, rec(module=m));
 }
@@ -1268,6 +1292,8 @@ fn new_identity_fold[ENV]() -> ast_fold[ENV] {
          fold_item_const= bind identity_fold_item_const[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_item_fn   = bind identity_fold_item_fn[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_item_mod  = bind identity_fold_item_mod[ENV](_,_,_,_,_),
+         fold_item_native_mod =
+             bind identity_fold_item_native_mod[ENV](_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_item_ty   = bind identity_fold_item_ty[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_item_tag  = bind identity_fold_item_tag[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_item_obj  = bind identity_fold_item_obj[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_,_),
@@ -1280,6 +1306,7 @@ fn new_identity_fold[ENV]() -> ast_fold[ENV] {
          fold_block = bind identity_fold_block[ENV](_,_,_),
          fold_fn = bind identity_fold_fn[ENV](_,_,_,_,_,_),
          fold_mod = bind identity_fold_mod[ENV](_,_),
+         fold_native_mod = bind identity_fold_native_mod[ENV](_,_),
          fold_crate = bind identity_fold_crate[ENV](_,_,_),
          fold_obj = bind identity_fold_obj[ENV](_,_,_),
 
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
index ea9002aeccbe..76dc3fb4fccf 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/typeck.rs
@@ -376,6 +376,7 @@ fn collect_item_types(session.session sess, @ast.crate crate)
             }
 
             case (ast.item_mod(_, _, _)) { fail; }
+            case (ast.item_native_mod(_, _, _)) { fail; }
         }
     }
 
@@ -455,6 +456,9 @@ fn collect_item_types(session.session sess, @ast.crate crate)
             case (ast.item_mod(_, _, _)) {
                 // ignore item_mod, it has no type.
             }
+            case (ast.item_native_mod(_, _, _)) {
+                // ignore item_native_mod, it has no type.
+            }
             case (_) {
                 // This call populates the ty_table with the converted type of
                 // the item in passing; we don't need to do anything else.
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/native2.rs b/src/test/run-pass/native2.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..abb6335249a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/native2.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+native "rust" mod rustrt {
+}
+
+fn main(vec[str] args) {
+}