diff --git a/cranelift/docs/langref.rst b/cranelift/docs/langref.rst
index fb9f35fd94..b5471d2a0c 100644
--- a/cranelift/docs/langref.rst
+++ b/cranelift/docs/langref.rst
@@ -563,6 +563,16 @@ runtime data structures.
                  variable.
     :result GV: Global variable.
 
+.. inst:: GV = globalsym name
+
+    Declare a global variable at a symbolic address.
+
+    The address of GV is symbolic and will be assigned a relocation, so that
+    it can be resolved by a later linking phase.
+
+    :arg name: External name.
+    :result GV: Global variable.
+
 .. autoinst:: global_addr
 
 
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/parser/memory.cton b/cranelift/filetests/parser/memory.cton
index fc26169961..6fa594c4c1 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/parser/memory.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/parser/memory.cton
@@ -36,6 +36,20 @@ ebb0:
     return v1
 }
 
+function %sym() -> i32 {
+    gv0 = globalsym %something
+    ; check: $gv0 = globalsym %something
+    gv1 = globalsym #d0bad180d0b5d182d0bed0bd
+    ; check: $gv1 = globalsym #d0bad180d0b5d182d0bed0bd
+ebb0:
+    v0 = global_addr.i32 gv0
+    ; check: $v0 = global_addr.i32 $gv0
+    v1 = global_addr.i32 gv1
+    ; check: $v1 = global_addr.i32 $gv1
+    v2 = bxor v0, v1
+    return v2
+}
+
 ; Declare static heaps.
 function %sheap(i32) -> i64 {
     heap1 = static reserved_reg, min 0x1_0000, bound 0x1_0000_0000, guard 0x8000_0000
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/ir/globalvar.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/ir/globalvar.rs
index 110cf687ce..1e7fa2efe0 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/ir/globalvar.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/ir/globalvar.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! Global variables.
 
-use ir::GlobalVar;
+use ir::{ExternalName, GlobalVar};
 use ir::immediates::Offset32;
 use std::fmt;
 
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ pub enum GlobalVarData {
         /// Byte offset to be added to the pointer loaded from `base`.
         offset: Offset32,
     },
+
+    /// Variable is at an address identified by a symbolic name. Cretonne itself
+    /// does not interpret this name; it's used by embedders to link with other
+    /// data structures.
+    Sym {
+        /// The symbolic name.
+        name: ExternalName,
+    },
 }
 
 impl fmt::Display for GlobalVarData {
@@ -32,6 +40,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for GlobalVarData {
         match *self {
             GlobalVarData::VmCtx { offset } => write!(f, "vmctx{}", offset),
             GlobalVarData::Deref { base, offset } => write!(f, "deref({}){}", base, offset),
+            GlobalVarData::Sym { ref name } => write!(f, "globalsym {}", name),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/legalizer/globalvar.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/legalizer/globalvar.rs
index c51a8b8cfc..73855f4410 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/legalizer/globalvar.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/legalizer/globalvar.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub fn expand_global_addr(inst: ir::Inst, func: &mut ir::Function, _cfg: &mut Co
     match func.global_vars[gv] {
         ir::GlobalVarData::VmCtx { offset } => vmctx_addr(inst, func, offset.into()),
         ir::GlobalVarData::Deref { base, offset } => deref_addr(inst, func, base, offset.into()),
+        ir::GlobalVarData::Sym { .. } => (),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/reader/src/parser.rs b/lib/reader/src/parser.rs
index 2162b167c5..dd08b0ddcb 100644
--- a/lib/reader/src/parser.rs
+++ b/lib/reader/src/parser.rs
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
         let location = self.loc;
 
         // function-spec ::= "function" * name signature
-        let name = self.parse_function_name()?;
+        let name = self.parse_external_name()?;
 
         // function-spec ::= "function" name * signature
         let sig = self.parse_signature(unique_isa)?;
@@ -885,11 +885,13 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
         Ok((location, name, sig))
     }
 
-    // Parse a function name.
+    // Parse an external name.
+    //
+    // For example, in a function spec, the parser would be in this state:
     //
     // function ::= "function" * name signature { ... }
     //
-    fn parse_function_name(&mut self) -> Result<ExternalName> {
+    fn parse_external_name(&mut self) -> Result<ExternalName> {
         match self.token() {
             Some(Token::Name(s)) => {
                 self.consume();
@@ -899,7 +901,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
                 if s.len() % 2 != 0 {
                     return err!(
                         self.loc,
-                        "expected binary function name to have length multiple of two"
+                        "expected binary external name to have length multiple of two"
                     );
                 }
                 let mut bin_name = Vec::with_capacity(s.len() / 2);
@@ -912,7 +914,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
                 self.consume();
                 Ok(ExternalName::new(bin_name))
             }
-            _ => err!(self.loc, "expected function name"),
+            _ => err!(self.loc, "expected external name"),
         }
     }
 
@@ -1142,6 +1144,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
     // global-var-decl ::= * GlobalVar(gv) "=" global-var-desc
     // global-var-desc ::= "vmctx" offset32
     //                   | "deref" "(" GlobalVar(base) ")" offset32
+    //                   | "globalsym" name
     //
     fn parse_global_var_decl(&mut self) -> Result<(u32, GlobalVarData)> {
         let number = self.match_gv("expected global variable number: gv«n»")?;
@@ -1168,6 +1171,10 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
                 let offset = self.optional_offset32()?;
                 GlobalVarData::Deref { base, offset }
             }
+            "globalsym" => {
+                let name = self.parse_external_name()?;
+                GlobalVarData::Sym { name }
+            }
             other => return err!(self.loc, "Unknown global variable kind '{}'", other),
         };
 
@@ -1292,7 +1299,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
             Some(Token::SigRef(sig_src)) => {
                 let sig = ctx.get_sig(sig_src, &self.loc)?;
                 self.consume();
-                let name = self.parse_function_name()?;
+                let name = self.parse_external_name()?;
                 ExtFuncData {
                     name,
                     signature: sig,