diff --git a/src/compiler/compiler.cpp b/src/compiler/compiler.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..575e02e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/compiler.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+#include "compiler.h"
+#include "../main.h"
+#include <vector>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <llvm-c/TargetMachine.h>
+
+void error(std::string in) {
+    std::cout << "Compiler error:" << in << std::endl;
+    exit(1);
+}
+
+GroundCompiler::GroundCompiler(const std::string& moduleName) {
+    context = std::make_unique<llvm::LLVMContext>();
+    module = std::make_unique<llvm::Module>(moduleName, *context);
+    builder = std::make_unique<llvm::IRBuilder<>>(*context);
+
+    llvm::InitializeNativeTarget();
+    llvm::InitializeNativeTargetAsmPrinter();
+    llvm::InitializeNativeTargetAsmParser();
+}
+
+void GroundCompiler::createMainFunction() {
+    llvm::FunctionType* mainType = llvm::FunctionType::get(
+        llvm::Type::getInt32Ty(*context), false        
+    );
+
+    currentFunction = llvm::Function::Create(
+        mainType, llvm::Function::ExternalLinkage, "main", module.get()
+    );
+
+    llvm::BasicBlock* entry = llvm::BasicBlock::Create(
+        *context, "entry", currentFunction        
+    );
+    builder -> SetInsertPoint(entry);
+}
+
+llvm::Function* GroundCompiler::getPrintfFunction() {
+    llvm::Function* printfFunc = module->getFunction("printf");
+    if (!printfFunc) {
+        llvm::FunctionType* printfType = llvm::FunctionType::get(
+            llvm::Type::getInt32Ty(*context),        
+            //llvm::Type::getInt8PtrTy(*context),
+            true        
+        );
+        printfFunc = llvm::Function::Create(
+            printfType,
+            llvm::Function::ExternalLinkage,
+            "printf",
+            module.get()
+        );
+    }
+    return printfFunc;
+}
+
+llvm::AllocaInst* GroundCompiler::createVariable(const std::string& name, llvm::Type* type) {
+    if (namedVals.find(name) != namedVals.end()) {
+        return namedVals[name];
+    }
+
+    llvm::IRBuilder<> tmpBuilder(
+        &currentFunction -> getEntryBlock(),
+        currentFunction -> getEntryBlock().begin()
+    );
+    llvm::AllocaInst* alloca = tmpBuilder.CreateAlloca(type, nullptr, name);
+    namedVals[name] = alloca;
+    return alloca;
+}
+
+void GroundCompiler::compileInstruction(const Instruction& inst) {
+    switch (inst.inst) {
+        case Instructions::Set: 
+        {
+            if (inst.args.size() < 2) break;
+
+            const Direct& varRef = std::get<Direct>(inst.args[0]);
+            const Literal& value = std::get<Literal>(inst.args[1]);
+
+            llvm::Value* val = nullptr;
+            llvm::Type* type = nullptr;
+
+            if (std::holds_alternative<int>(value.val)) {
+                int intVal = std::get<int>(value.val);
+                val = llvm::ConstantInt::get(*context, llvm::APInt(32, intVal, true));
+                type = llvm::Type::getInt32Ty(*context);
+            } else {
+                error("Unsupported type at present");
+            }
+
+            llvm::AllocaInst* variable = createVariable(varRef.varName, type);
+            builder->CreateStore(val, variable);
+            break;
+        }
+        default:
+            error("For now, only set instruction is supported in compiler");
+    }
+}
+
+void GroundCompiler::createBasicBlocks(const std::vector<Instruction>& instructions) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < instructions.size(); i++) {
+        llvm::BasicBlock* bb = llvm::BasicBlock::Create(
+            *context, "line_" + std::to_string(i), currentFunction
+        );
+        lineBlocks[i] = bb;
+    }
+}
+
+void GroundCompiler::compile(const std::vector<Instruction>& instructions) {
+    createMainFunction();
+    createBasicBlocks(instructions);
+
+    for (const auto& inst : instructions) {
+        compileInstruction(inst);
+    }
+
+    std::string errorStr;
+    llvm::raw_string_ostream errorStream(errorStr);
+    if (llvm::verifyModule(*module, &errorStream)) {
+        error("Module verification error" + errorStr);
+    }
+}
+
+bool GroundCompiler::writeObjectFile(const std::string& filename) {
+    char* targetTripleCStr = LLVMGetDefaultTargetTriple();
+    std::string targetTriple(targetTripleCStr);
+    LLVMDisposeErrorMessage(targetTripleCStr);
+    module -> setTargetTriple(targetTriple);
+    std::string error;
+    const llvm::Target* target = llvm::TargetRegistry::lookupTarget(targetTriple, error);
+
+    if (!target) {
+        llvm::errs() << "Target Error: " << error;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    llvm::TargetOptions opt;
+    llvm::TargetMachine* targetMachine = target -> createTargetMachine(
+        targetTriple, "generic", "", opt, llvm::Reloc::PIC_    
+    );
+
+    module -> setDataLayout(targetMachine -> createDataLayout());
+
+    std::error_code ec;
+    llvm::raw_fd_ostream dest(filename, ec, llvm::sys::fs::OF_None);
+
+    if (ec) {
+        llvm::errs() << "Couldn't open file, error: " << ec.message();
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    llvm::legacy::PassManager pass;
+    if (targetMachine -> addPassesToEmitFile(pass, dest, nullptr, llvm::CodeGenFileType::ObjectFile)) {
+        llvm::errs() << "Target machine cannot emit object file";
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    pass.run(*module);
+    dest.flush();
+    return true;
+}
+
+void GroundCompiler::printIR() {
+    module->print(llvm::outs(), nullptr);
+}
+
+void compile(std::vector<Instruction> instructions) {
+    std::cout << "gonna compile some crap" << std::endl;
+    GroundCompiler compiler("cool_program");
+    compiler.compile(instructions);
+    compiler.printIR();
+}
diff --git a/src/compiler/compiler.h b/src/compiler/compiler.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d88e46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/compiler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <vector>
+#include <memory>
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <llvm/IR/LLVMContext.h>
+#include <llvm/IR/Module.h>
+#include <llvm/IR/IRBuilder.h>
+#include <llvm/IR/Verifier.h>
+#include <llvm/Support/TargetSelect.h>
+#include <llvm/Target/TargetMachine.h>
+#include <llvm/Target/TargetOptions.h>
+#include <llvm/MC/TargetRegistry.h>
+#include <llvm/Support/FileSystem.h>
+#include <llvm/Support/raw_ostream.h>
+#include <llvm/IR/LegacyPassManager.h>
+//#include <llvm/Support/Host.h>
+#include "../main.h"
+
+void error(std::string in);
+
+// class to make llvming around easier
+class GroundCompiler {
+private:
+    std::unique_ptr<llvm::LLVMContext> context;
+    std::unique_ptr<llvm::Module> module;
+    std::unique_ptr<llvm::IRBuilder<>> builder;
+
+    std::map<std::string, llvm::AllocaInst*> namedVals;
+
+    llvm::Function* currentFunction;
+
+    std::map<int, llvm::BasicBlock*> lineBlocks;
+public:
+    GroundCompiler(const std::string& moduleName);
+    void createMainFunction();
+    llvm::Function* getPrintfFunction();
+    llvm::AllocaInst* createVariable(const std::string& name, llvm::Type* type);
+    void compileInstruction(const Instruction& inst);
+    void createBasicBlocks(const std::vector<Instruction>& instructions);
+    void compile(const std::vector<Instruction>& instructions);
+    bool writeObjectFile(const std::string& filename);
+    void printIR();
+};
+
+void compile(std::vector<Instruction> instructions);
+
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 2209ff6..cbd909b 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <fstream>
+#include <cstring>
 
 #include "main.h"
 #include "data/data.h"
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "lexer/lexer.h"
 #include "parser/parser.h"
 #include "interpreter/interpreter.h"
+#include "compiler/compiler.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -58,9 +60,15 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         cout << "Usage: ground <file>" << endl;
         return 1;
     }
-    ifstream f(argv[1]);
+    int fileArg = 1;
+    bool compiling = false;
+    if (strcmp(argv[1], "-c") == 0 || strcmp(argv[1], "--compile") == 0) {
+        fileArg++;
+        compiling = true;
+    }
+    ifstream f(argv[fileArg]);
     if (!f) {
-        cout << "Could not open file " << argv[1] << endl;
+        cout << "Could not open file " << argv[fileArg] << endl;
         return 1;
     }
     string file_contents((istreambuf_iterator<char>(f)), istreambuf_iterator<char>());
@@ -68,8 +76,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
     vector<vector<string>> lexed = lexer(file_contents);
     vector<Instruction> parsed = parser(lexed);
-    preProcessLabels(parsed);
-    exec(parsed);
+    if (compiling) {
+        compile(parsed);
+    } else {
+        preProcessLabels(parsed);
+        exec(parsed);
+    }
 
     return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}