diff --git a/mie/dialect/select/graph-only.c b/mie/dialect/select/graph-only.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c045900
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/dialect/select/graph-only.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <mie/dialect/dialect.h>
+#include <mie/macros.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait-definition.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait.h>
+
+static enum mie_status validate(
+	const struct mie_trait_definition *trait_def,
+	const struct mie_trait *trait, const struct mie_trait_target *target)
+{
+	return MIE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/* select.graph-only trait:
+ * this is a graph-only op. references to it by name must be prefixed with +
+ * and the op can only be used within graph regions.
+ * a graph op can have the same name as a regular or non-graph op. */
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_BEGIN(mie_select_graph_only, "graph-only")
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_TARGETS(MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_OP | MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_TYPE);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_STRUCT(struct mie_trait);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_VALIDATE(validate);
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_END()
diff --git a/mie/dialect/select/graph-op.c b/mie/dialect/select/graph-op.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59e2852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/dialect/select/graph-op.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <mie/dialect/dialect.h>
+#include <mie/macros.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait-definition.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait.h>
+
+static enum mie_status validate(
+	const struct mie_trait_definition *trait_def,
+	const struct mie_trait *trait, const struct mie_trait_target *target)
+{
+	return MIE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/* select.graph-op trait:
+ * ops with this trait can be used within graph regions. by default, ops cannot
+ * be used in graph regions unless they have the graph-op or graph-only traits.
+ */
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_BEGIN(mie_select_graph_op, "graph-op")
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_TARGETS(MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_OP | MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_TYPE);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_STRUCT(struct mie_trait);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_VALIDATE(validate);
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_END()
diff --git a/mie/dialect/select/graph-scope.c b/mie/dialect/select/graph-scope.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3232ce7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/dialect/select/graph-scope.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <mie/dialect/dialect.h>
+#include <mie/macros.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait-definition.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait.h>
+
+static enum mie_status validate(
+	const struct mie_trait_definition *trait_def,
+	const struct mie_trait *trait, const struct mie_trait_target *target)
+{
+	return MIE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/* select.graph-scope trait:
+ * regions of an op that has this trait are graph regions. graph regions
+ * cannot have more than one block, and the entry block must be unnamed
+ * with no parameters. However, graph ops can be used. */
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_BEGIN(mie_select_graph_scope, "graph-scope")
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_TARGETS(MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_OP | MIE_TRAIT_TARGET_TYPE);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_STRUCT(struct mie_trait);
+	MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_VALIDATE(validate);
+MIE_TRAIT_DEFINITION_END()
diff --git a/mie/dialect/select/graph.c b/mie/dialect/select/graph.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0767a5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/dialect/select/graph.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <mie/ctx.h>
+#include <mie/dialect/dialect.h>
+#include <mie/ir/op-definition.h>
+#include <mie/macros.h>
+#include <mie/trait/trait.h>
+
+static enum mie_status print(const struct mie_op *op, b_stream *out)
+{
+	return MIE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+static enum mie_status parse(struct mie_parser *parser, struct mie_op *out)
+{
+	return MIE_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+MIE_OP_DEFINITION_BEGIN(mie_select_graph, "graph")
+	MIE_OP_DEFINITION_PRINT(print);
+	MIE_OP_DEFINITION_PARSE(parse);
+	MIE_OP_DEFINITION_TRAIT("select", "graph-scope");
+MIE_OP_DEFINITION_END()
diff --git a/mie/dialect/select/select.c b/mie/dialect/select/select.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90a4266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/dialect/select/select.c
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#include <mie/dialect/dialect.h>
+#include <mie/macros.h>
+
+MIE_DIALECT_BEGIN(mie_select, "select")
+	MIE_DIALECT_ADD_TRAIT(mie_select_graph_only);
+	MIE_DIALECT_ADD_TRAIT(mie_select_graph_op);
+	MIE_DIALECT_ADD_TRAIT(mie_select_graph_scope);
+	MIE_DIALECT_ADD_OP(mie_select_graph);
+MIE_DIALECT_END()
diff --git a/mie/include/mie/dialect/select.h b/mie/include/mie/dialect/select.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0ac752
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mie/include/mie/dialect/select.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef MIE_DIALECT_SELECT_H_
+#define MIE_DIALECT_SELECT_H_
+
+#include <mie/misc.h>
+
+struct mie_ctx;
+struct mie_dialect;
+
+MIE_API struct mie_dialect *mie_select_dialect_create(struct mie_ctx *ctx);
+
+#endif