diff --git a/lang/codegen/global.c b/lang/codegen/global.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8703152
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/codegen/global.c
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+#include "../debug.h"
+#include "codegen.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+struct global_codegen_state {
+	struct code_generator_state s_base;
+	unsigned int s_prev_node;
+	/* TODO support multiple idents (for tuples) */
+	struct ivy_ast_ident_node *s_var_ident;
+	struct mie_value *s_var_ptr;
+	struct mie_value *s_value;
+};
+
+static struct code_generator_result gen_global(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	struct ivy_ast_node *node, size_t depth)
+{
+	struct global_codegen_state *global = (struct global_codegen_state *)state;
+	if (global->s_prev_node != 0) {
+		return CODEGEN_RESULT_ERR(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX);
+	}
+
+	global->s_prev_node = IVY_AST_GLOBAL;
+	return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(0);
+}
+
+static struct code_generator_result gen_value_expr(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	struct ivy_ast_node *node, size_t depth)
+{
+	struct global_codegen_state *global = (struct global_codegen_state *)state;
+	if (global->s_prev_node != IVY_AST_IDENT
+	    && global->s_prev_node != IVY_AST_TUPLE) {
+		return CODEGEN_RESULT_ERR(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX);
+	}
+
+	codegen_push_generator(gen, CODE_GENERATOR_EXPR, 0, NULL);
+
+	return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(CODEGEN_R_REPEAT_NODE);
+}
+
+static struct code_generator_result gen_ident(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	struct ivy_ast_node *node, size_t depth)
+{
+	struct global_codegen_state *global = (struct global_codegen_state *)state;
+	if (global->s_prev_node != IVY_AST_GLOBAL) {
+		return gen_value_expr(gen, state, node, depth);
+	}
+
+	struct ivy_ast_ident_node *ident = (struct ivy_ast_ident_node *)node;
+	const char *var_name = ident->n_content->t_str;
+
+	/* TODO get type from expression */
+	struct mie_type *id = mie_ctx_get_type(gen->c_ctx, MIE_TYPE_ID);
+	struct mie_value *var_ptr
+		= mie_builder_alloca(gen->c_builder, id, var_name);
+
+	global->s_var_ident = (struct ivy_ast_ident_node *)node;
+	global->s_var_ptr = var_ptr;
+	global->s_prev_node = IVY_AST_IDENT;
+
+	return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(0);
+}
+
+#if 0
+static struct code_generator_result gen_var_ref(
+		struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+		struct ivy_ast_node *node)
+{
+	struct ivy_ast_ident_node *ident = (struct ivy_ast_ident_node *)node;
+	struct codegen_var *var
+		= codegen_resolve_variable(gen, ident->n_content->t_str);
+
+	if (var) {
+		/* this variable has been defined previously, and we have a
+		 * mie_value representing its location on the stack */
+		struct codegen_value *var_value
+			= codegen_value_create(node, var->v_ptr);
+		codegen_push_value(gen, var_value);
+		return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(0);
+	}
+
+	/* this variable either doesn't exist, or is a global variable */
+	struct codegen_value *var_value = codegen_value_create(node, NULL);
+	codegen_push_value(gen, var_value);
+
+	return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(0);
+}
+#endif
+
+static enum ivy_status state_init(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	uintptr_t argv, void *argp)
+{
+	debug_printf("codegen: start of global decl\n");
+	return IVY_OK;
+}
+
+static enum ivy_status state_fini(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	struct code_generator_value *result)
+{
+	debug_printf("codegen: end of global decl\n");
+	struct global_codegen_state *global = (struct global_codegen_state *)state;
+
+	const char *ident = global->s_var_ident->n_content->t_str;
+	struct mie_type *type = NULL;
+	if (global->s_value) {
+		type = mie_value_get_type(global->s_value, gen->c_ctx);
+	} else {
+		type = mie_ctx_get_type(gen->c_ctx, MIE_TYPE_ID);
+	}
+
+	struct codegen_var var_info = {
+		.v_node = (struct ivy_ast_node *)global->s_var_ident,
+		.v_type = type,
+		.v_flags = CODEGEN_VAR_F_PTR,
+		.v_value = global->s_var_ptr,
+	};
+
+	codegen_define_variable(gen, ident, &var_info);
+
+	// struct code_generator_scope *scope = codegen_get_current_scope(gen);
+	// code_generator_scope_put_variable(scope, var->s_var_ident, var->s_var_ptr);
+
+	if (global->s_value) {
+		mie_builder_store(
+			gen->c_builder, global->s_value, global->s_var_ptr);
+	}
+
+	return IVY_OK;
+}
+
+static struct code_generator_result value_received(
+	struct ivy_codegen *gen, struct code_generator_state *state,
+	struct code_generator_value *value)
+{
+	debug_printf("codegen: global decl value received\n");
+
+	struct global_codegen_state *global = (struct global_codegen_state *)state;
+	if (!global->s_var_ptr) {
+		return CODEGEN_RESULT_ERR(IVY_ERR_BAD_SYNTAX);
+	}
+
+	global->s_value = value->v_value.mie_value;
+
+	return CODEGEN_RESULT_OK(CODEGEN_R_POP_GENERATOR);
+}
+
+struct code_generator global_generator = {
+	.g_type = CODE_GENERATOR_GLOBAL,
+	.g_state_size = sizeof(struct global_codegen_state),
+	.g_state_init = state_init,
+	.g_state_fini = state_fini,
+	.g_value_received = value_received,
+	.g_expr_generator = gen_value_expr,
+	.g_node_generators = {
+		[IVY_AST_GLOBAL] = gen_global,
+		[IVY_AST_IDENT] = gen_ident,
+	},
+};