diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/context.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/context.rs
index 31a1569d5f..ce1e8b50ff 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/context.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/context.rs
@@ -3,10 +3,18 @@
 //! When compiling many small functions, it is important to avoid repeatedly allocating and
 //! deallocating the data structures needed for compilation. The `Context` struct is used to hold
 //! on to memory allocations between function compilations.
+//!
+//! The context does not hold a `TargetIsa` instance which has to be provided as an argument
+//! instead. This is because an ISA instance is immutable and can be used by multiple compilation
+//! contexts concurrently. Typically, you would have one context per compilation thread and only a
+//! single ISA instance.
 
 use cfg::ControlFlowGraph;
 use dominator_tree::DominatorTree;
 use ir::Function;
+use isa::TargetIsa;
+use legalize_function;
+use regalloc;
 
 /// Persistent data structures and compilation pipeline.
 pub struct Context {
@@ -18,6 +26,9 @@ pub struct Context {
 
     /// Dominator tree for `func`.
     pub domtree: DominatorTree,
+
+    /// Register allocation context.
+    pub regalloc: regalloc::Context,
 }
 
 impl Context {
@@ -30,12 +41,23 @@ impl Context {
             func: Function::new(),
             cfg: ControlFlowGraph::new(),
             domtree: DominatorTree::new(),
+            regalloc: regalloc::Context::new(),
         }
     }
 
+    /// Run the legalizer for `isa` on the function.
+    pub fn legalize(&mut self, isa: &TargetIsa) {
+        legalize_function(&mut self.func, isa);
+    }
+
     /// Recompute the control flow graph and dominator tree.
     pub fn flowgraph(&mut self) {
         self.cfg.compute(&self.func);
         self.domtree.compute(&self.func, &self.cfg);
     }
+
+    /// Run the register allocator.
+    pub fn regalloc(&mut self, isa: &TargetIsa) {
+        self.regalloc.run(isa, &mut self.func, &self.cfg, &self.domtree);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/context.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/context.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75863fbc63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/context.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+//! Register allocator context.
+//!
+//! The `Context` struct contains data structures that should be preserved across invocations of
+//! the register allocator algorithm. This doesn't preserve any data between functions, but it
+//! avoids allocating data structures independently for each function begin compiled.
+
+use dominator_tree::DominatorTree;
+use ir::Function;
+use regalloc::coloring::Coloring;
+use regalloc::live_value_tracker::LiveValueTracker;
+use regalloc::liveness::Liveness;
+use isa::TargetIsa;
+use cfg::ControlFlowGraph;
+
+/// Persistent memory allocations for register allocation.
+pub struct Context {
+    liveness: Liveness,
+    tracker: LiveValueTracker,
+    coloring: Coloring,
+}
+
+impl Context {
+    /// Create a new context for register allocation.
+    ///
+    /// This context should be reused for multiple functions in order to avoid repeated memory
+    /// allocations.
+    pub fn new() -> Context {
+        Context {
+            liveness: Liveness::new(),
+            tracker: LiveValueTracker::new(),
+            coloring: Coloring::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Allocate registers in `func`.
+    ///
+    /// After register allocation, all values in `func` have been assigned to a register or stack
+    /// location that is consistent with instruction encoding constraints.
+    pub fn run(&mut self,
+               isa: &TargetIsa,
+               func: &mut Function,
+               cfg: &ControlFlowGraph,
+               domtree: &DominatorTree) {
+        // `Liveness` and `Coloring` are self-clearing.
+        // Tracker state (dominator live sets) is actually reused between the spilling and coloring
+        // phases.
+        self.tracker.clear();
+
+        // First pass: Liveness analysis.
+        self.liveness.compute(isa, func, cfg);
+
+        // TODO: Second pass: Spilling.
+
+        // Third pass: Reload and coloring.
+        self.coloring.run(isa, func, domtree, &mut self.liveness, &mut self.tracker);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/liveness.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/liveness.rs
index a8591e8597..524b50e8ea 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/liveness.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/liveness.rs
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ impl Liveness {
 
     /// Compute the live ranges of all SSA values used in `func`.
     /// This clears out any existing analysis stored in this data structure.
-    pub fn compute(&mut self, func: &Function, cfg: &ControlFlowGraph, isa: &TargetIsa) {
+    pub fn compute(&mut self, isa: &TargetIsa, func: &Function, cfg: &ControlFlowGraph) {
         self.ranges.clear();
 
         // Get ISA data structures used for computing live range affinities.
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/mod.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/mod.rs
index 19bb350499..fb19286670 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/regalloc/mod.rs
@@ -9,3 +9,6 @@ pub mod live_value_tracker;
 pub mod coloring;
 
 mod affinity;
+mod context;
+
+pub use self::context::Context;