diff --git a/compiler/compiler_backend.h b/compiler/compiler_backend.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ebeef1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/compiler_backend.h
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ART_COMPILER_COMPILER_BACKEND_H_
+#define ART_COMPILER_COMPILER_BACKEND_H_
+
+#include "dex_file.h"
+#include "os.h"
+
+namespace art {
+
+class Backend;
+class CompilationUnit;
+class CompilerDriver;
+class CompiledMethod;
+class MIRGraph;
+class OatWriter;
+
+namespace mirror {
+  class ArtMethod;
+}
+
+class CompilerBackend {
+ public:
+  enum Kind {
+    kQuick,
+    kPortable
+  };
+
+  CompilerBackend(int warning)
+      : maximum_compilation_time_before_warning_(warning) {}
+
+  static CompilerBackend* Create(Kind kind);
+
+  virtual void Init(CompilerDriver& driver) const = 0;
+
+  virtual void UnInit(CompilerDriver& driver) const = 0;
+
+  virtual CompiledMethod* Compile(CompilerDriver& compiler,
+                                  const DexFile::CodeItem* code_item,
+                                  uint32_t access_flags,
+                                  InvokeType invoke_type,
+                                  uint16_t class_def_idx,
+                                  uint32_t method_idx,
+                                  jobject class_loader,
+                                  const DexFile& dex_file) const = 0;
+
+  virtual CompiledMethod* JniCompile(CompilerDriver& driver,
+                                     uint32_t access_flags,
+                                     uint32_t method_idx,
+                                     const DexFile& dex_file) const = 0;
+
+  virtual uintptr_t GetEntryPointOf(mirror::ArtMethod* method) const = 0;
+
+  virtual bool WriteElf(art::File* file,
+                        OatWriter& oat_writer,
+                        const std::vector<const art::DexFile*>& dex_files,
+                        const std::string& android_root,
+                        bool is_host, const CompilerDriver& driver) const
+    SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(Locks::mutator_lock_) = 0;
+
+  virtual Backend* GetCodeGenerator(CompilationUnit* cu,
+                                    void* compilation_unit) const = 0;
+
+  uint64_t GetMaximumCompilationTimeBeforeWarning() const {
+    return maximum_compilation_time_before_warning_;
+  }
+
+  virtual bool IsPortable() const { return false; }
+
+  virtual void InitCompilationUnit(CompilationUnit& cu) const = 0;
+
+  virtual ~CompilerBackend() {}
+
+ private:
+  uint64_t maximum_compilation_time_before_warning_;
+
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(CompilerBackend);
+};
+
+}  // namespace art
+
+#endif  // ART_COMPILER_DRIVER_COMPILER_BACKEND_H_