diff --git a/basis/compiler/tests/low-level-ir.factor b/basis/compiler/tests/low-level-ir.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..313fd65dac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/compiler/tests/low-level-ir.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+USING: accessors assocs compiler compiler.cfg
+compiler.cfg.debugger compiler.cfg.instructions compiler.cfg.mr
+compiler.cfg.registers compiler.codegen compiler.units
+cpu.architecture hashtables kernel namespaces sequences
+tools.test vectors words layouts literals math arrays
+alien.syntax ;
+IN: compiler.tests
+
+: compile-cfg ( cfg -- word )
+    gensym
+    [ build-mr generate code>> ] dip
+    [ associate >alist modify-code-heap ] keep ;
+
+: compile-test-cfg ( -- word )
+    cfg new
+    0 get >>entry
+    compile-cfg ;
+
+: compile-test-bb ( insns -- result )
+    V{ T{ ##prologue } T{ ##branch } } 0 test-bb
+    V{
+        T{ ##inc-d f 1 }
+        T{ ##replace f V int-regs 0 D 0 }
+        T{ ##branch }
+    } append 1 test-bb
+    V{
+        T{ ##epilogue }
+        T{ ##return }
+    } 2 test-bb
+    0 get 1 get 1vector >>successors drop
+    1 get 2 get 1vector >>successors drop
+    compile-test-cfg
+    execute( -- result ) ;
+
+! loading immediates
+[ f ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 0 5 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ "hello" ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 "hello" }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+! make sure slot access works when the destination is
+! one of the sources
+[ t ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 1 $[ 2 cell log2 shift ] }
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 { t f t } }
+        T{ ##slot f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 $[ array tag-number ] V int-regs 2 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ t ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 { t f t } }
+        T{ ##slot-imm f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 2 $[ array tag-number ] V int-regs 2 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ t ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 1 $[ 2 cell log2 shift ] }
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 { t f t } }
+        T{ ##set-slot f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 $[ array tag-number ] V int-regs 2 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+    dup first eq?
+] unit-test
+
+[ t ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 { t f t } }
+        T{ ##set-slot-imm f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 2 $[ array tag-number ] }
+    } compile-test-bb
+    dup first eq?
+] unit-test
+
+[ 8 ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 0 4 }
+        T{ ##shl f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ 4 ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 0 4 }
+        T{ ##shl-imm f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 3 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ 31 ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 1 B{ 31 67 52 } }
+        T{ ##unbox-any-c-ptr f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 V int-regs 2 }
+        T{ ##alien-unsigned-1 f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 }
+        T{ ##shl-imm f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 3 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ CHAR: l ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 "hello world" }
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 1 3 }
+        T{ ##string-nth f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 V int-regs 2 }
+        T{ ##shl-imm f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 3 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+! These are def-is-use-insns
+USE: multiline
+
+/*
+
+[ 100 ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-immediate f V int-regs 0 100 }
+        T{ ##integer>bignum f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+[ 1 ] [
+    V{
+        T{ ##load-reference f V int-regs 0 ALIEN: 8 }
+        T{ ##unbox-any-c-ptr f V int-regs 0 V int-regs 0 V int-regs 1 }
+    } compile-test-bb
+] unit-test
+
+*/
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