diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6391a7a2d..b77fffb05 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules")
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 option(NPCOMP_ENABLE_IREE "Enables the IREE backend (must configure location via IREE_DIR)." OFF)
+option(NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT "Enables the reference JIT backend." ON)
 set(NPCOMP_IREE_SRCDIR "" CACHE STRING "If building IREE, then setting this elects to build from a source directory (versus installed package)")
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -62,6 +63,15 @@ link_directories(${LLVM_BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR})
 add_definitions(${LLVM_DEFINITIONS})
 set(NPCOMP_TABLEGEN_ARGS "")
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Optional feature selection
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+if(NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT)
+  add_compile_definitions(NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT)
+  message(STATUS "Reference JIT backend enabled")
+endif()
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # IREE configuration
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/include/npcomp/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.h b/include/npcomp/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b2e62737b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/npcomp/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+//===- PythonModule.h - IREE python bindings ------------------------------===//
+//
+// Part of the LLVM Project, under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+// See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+
+#ifndef NPCOMP_BACKEND_IREE_PYTHON_MODULE_H
+#define NPCOMP_BACKEND_IREE_PYTHON_MODULE_H
+
+#include "npcomp/Python/PybindUtils.h"
+
+namespace npcomp {
+namespace python {
+
+/// Defines an "refjit" module with backend support definitions.
+void defineBackendRefJitModule(py::module m);
+
+} // namespace python
+} // namespace npcomp
+
+#endif // NPCOMP_BACKEND_IREE_PYTHON_MODULE_H
diff --git a/lib/Backend/RefJIT/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/Backend/RefJIT/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..90512d4b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Backend/RefJIT/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+################################################################################
+# NPCOMPBackendRefJITPythonModule
+################################################################################
+
+include(NpcompPython)
+
+set(PYBIND_SOURCES
+  PythonModule.cpp
+)
+add_library(NPCOMPBackendRefJITPythonModule
+  ${PYBIND_SOURCES}
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(NPCOMPBackendRefJITPythonModule
+  MLIRExecutionEngine
+  MLIRTargetLLVMIR
+
+  NPCOMPPythonCommon
+  NPCOMPJITRuntime
+)
+
+npcomp_python_target_compile_options(NPCOMPBackendRefJITPythonModule)
diff --git a/lib/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.cpp b/lib/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb925ce1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+//===- PythonModule.cpp - RefJIT python bindings --------------------------===//
+//
+// Part of the LLVM Project, under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+// See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+
+#include "npcomp/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.h"
+
+#include "pybind11/numpy.h"
+
+#include "npcomp/JITRuntime/JITModule.h"
+#include "npcomp/Python/MlirIr.h"
+
+using llvm::SmallVector;
+using llvm::StringRef;
+
+// Make namespaces consistent.
+using mlir::PyModuleOp;
+using npcomp::JITModule;
+using npcomprt::Ref;
+using npcomprt::Tensor;
+
+template <typename T>
+static T checkError(llvm::Expected<T> expected, const char *messagePrefix) {
+  if (expected)
+    return std::move(*expected);
+  // TODO: FIXME: Figure out how these errors work. This crashes at runtime.
+  auto error = expected.takeError();
+  std::string errorMessage;
+  llvm::raw_string_ostream os(errorMessage);
+  os << messagePrefix << error;
+  os.flush();
+  throw py::raisePyError(PyExc_RuntimeError, errorMessage.c_str());
+}
+
+static npcomprt::ElementType
+mapBufferFormatToElementType(const std::string &format, py::ssize_t itemSize) {
+  if (format == "f")
+    return npcomprt::ElementType::F32;
+
+  std::string message("unsupported buffer format: ");
+  message.append(format);
+  throw py::raiseValueError(message);
+}
+
+static Ref<Tensor> copyBufferToTensor(py::buffer buffer) {
+  // Request a C contiguous view as that is what Tensor accepts now (no strides
+  // or non row-major layout).
+  int flags = PyBUF_C_CONTIGUOUS | PyBUF_FORMAT;
+  std::unique_ptr<Py_buffer> view(new Py_buffer());
+  if (PyObject_GetBuffer(buffer.ptr(), view.get(), flags) != 0) {
+    throw py::error_already_set();
+  }
+  py::buffer_info info(view.release());
+  auto elementType = mapBufferFormatToElementType(info.format, info.itemsize);
+
+  // TODO: Switch Tensor extents to ssize_t for efficiency.
+  SmallVector<std::int32_t, 4> extents(info.shape.begin(), info.shape.end());
+  return Tensor::create(
+      npcomprt::ArrayRef<std::int32_t>(extents.data(), extents.size()),
+      elementType, info.ptr);
+}
+
+py::array wrapTensorAsArray(Ref<Tensor> tensor) {
+  auto pyTensor = py::cast(tensor);
+  auto extents = tensor->getExtents();
+  // TODO: Switch Tensor extents to ssize_t for efficiency.
+  std::vector<ssize_t> shape(extents.data(), extents.data() + extents.size());
+
+  const char *format;
+  switch (tensor->getElementType()) {
+  case npcomprt::ElementType::F32:
+    format = "f";
+    break;
+  default:
+    throw py::raiseValueError("unsupported tensor element type");
+  }
+
+  return py::array(py::dtype(format), shape, tensor->getData(),
+                   /*base=*/std::move(pyTensor));
+}
+
+void npcomp::python::defineBackendRefJitModule(py::module m) {
+  py::class_<JITModule>(m, "JITModule")
+      .def_static("from_mlir",
+                  [](PyModuleOp module, std::vector<std::string> pySharedLibs)
+                      -> std::unique_ptr<JITModule> {
+                    SmallVector<StringRef, 4> sharedLibs(pySharedLibs.begin(),
+                                                         pySharedLibs.end());
+                    auto jitModule = checkError(
+                        JITModule::fromMLIR(module.moduleOp, sharedLibs),
+                        "error creating JITModule");
+                    return jitModule;
+                  },
+                  py::arg("module"), py::arg("shared_libs"))
+      .def("invoke",
+           [](JITModule &self, std::string functionName,
+              std::vector<py::buffer> inputs) {
+             // Prepare inputs.
+             llvm::SmallVector<Ref<Tensor>, 4> inputTensors;
+             inputTensors.reserve(inputs.size());
+             for (py::buffer &inputBuffer : inputs) {
+               inputTensors.push_back(copyBufferToTensor(inputBuffer));
+             }
+
+             auto outputs = checkError(self.invoke(functionName, inputTensors),
+                                       "error invoking JIT function: ");
+             std::vector<py::array> outputArrays;
+             outputArrays.reserve(outputs.size());
+             for (Ref<Tensor> &outputTensor : outputs) {
+               outputArrays.push_back(wrapTensorAsArray(outputTensor));
+             }
+             return outputArrays;
+           },
+           py::arg("function_name"), py::arg("inputs"));
+
+  // A Ref<Tensor> needs to be bound because we use it as a base for the
+  // ndarray (the array retains a reference to it). Users should not encounter
+  // this unless if they go mucking through the array internals.
+  py::class_<Ref<Tensor>>(m, "TensorRef");
+}
diff --git a/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index da3ffe120..65de4312f 100644
--- a/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ add_subdirectory(Python)
 add_subdirectory(Typing)
 add_subdirectory(runtime)
 
+if(NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT)
+  add_subdirectory(Backend/RefJIT)
+endif()
 if(NPCOMP_ENABLE_IREE)
   add_subdirectory(Backend/IREE)
 endif()
diff --git a/pytest/Backend/RefJIT/simple_invoke.py b/pytest/Backend/RefJIT/simple_invoke.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e536d4b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pytest/Backend/RefJIT/simple_invoke.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# RUN: %PYTHON %s
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from npcomp.compiler.backend import refjit
+from npcomp.compiler.frontend import *
+from npcomp.compiler import logging
+from npcomp.compiler import test_config
+from npcomp.compiler.target import *
+
+# TODO: This should all exist in a high level API somewhere.
+from _npcomp import mlir
+
+logging.enable()
+
+
+def compile_function(f):
+  fe = ImportFrontend(config=test_config.create_test_config(
+      target_factory=GenericTarget32))
+  fe.import_global_function(f)
+  compiler = refjit.CompilerBackend()
+  vm_blob = compiler.compile(fe.ir_module)
+  loaded_m = compiler.load(vm_blob)
+  return loaded_m[f.__name__]
+
+
+global_data = (np.zeros((2, 3)) + [1.0, 2.0, 3.0] * np.reshape([1.0, 2.0],
+                                                               (2, 1)))
+
+a = np.asarray([1.0, 2.0], dtype=np.float32)
+b = np.asarray([3.0, 4.0], dtype=np.float32)
+
+
+@compile_function
+def global_add():
+  return np.add(a, np.add(b, a))
diff --git a/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/refjit.py b/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/refjit.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..220371d59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/refjit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#  Part of the LLVM Project, under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+#  See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+#  SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+
+from _npcomp import mlir
+from npcomp.compiler import logging
+
+__all__ = [
+    "is_enabled",
+    "CompilerBackend",
+]
+
+FRONTEND_PASSES = (
+    "npcomp-cpa-type-inference",
+    "numpy-public-functions-to-tensor",
+    "convert-numpy-to-tcf",
+    "canonicalize",
+    "convert-scf-to-std",
+)
+
+_refjit = None
+
+
+def _get_refjit():
+  """Dynamically resolves the refjit backend native module."""
+  global _refjit
+  if _refjit is not None:
+    return _refjit
+  try:
+    from _npcomp.backend import refjit as imported_refjit
+  except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError(
+        "The npcomp native module was not compiled with refjit support")
+  _refjit = imported_refjit
+  return _refjit
+
+
+def is_enabled() -> bool:
+  """Returns whether the backend is enabled for the current build."""
+  try:
+    _get_refjit()
+    return True
+  except ImportError:
+    return False
+
+
+class CompilerBackend:
+  """Main entry-point for the backend."""
+
+  def __init__(self):
+    super().__init__()
+    self._refjit = _get_refjit()
+    self._debug = logging.debug_enabled()
+
+  def compile(self, imported_ir_module: mlir.ir.ModuleOp):
+    """Compiles an imported module.
+
+    Args:
+      imported_ir_module: The MLIR module as imported from the ImportFrontend.
+    Returns:
+      An opaque, backend specific module object that can be passed to load.
+      The object may actually be something more specific to the backend (i.e.
+      for IREE, it is a serialized VM flatbuffer) but the contract is that
+      it is operated on by methods on this class.
+    """
+    pm = mlir.passes.PassManager(imported_ir_module.context)
+    pm.addPassPipelines(*FRONTEND_PASSES)
+    pm.run(imported_ir_module)
+    if self._debug:
+      logging.debug("Frontend IR:{}", imported_ir_module.to_asm())
+
+    jit_module = self._refjit.JITModule.from_mlir(imported_ir_module, [])
+    return jit_module
+
+  def load(self, jit_module):
+    """Loads a compiled artifact into the runtime.
+
+    Since this is a JIT instead of an AOT compiler,
+    """
diff --git a/python_native/CMakeLists.txt b/python_native/CMakeLists.txt
index fe4eba725..5b53c1a69 100644
--- a/python_native/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python_native/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ if(NPCOMP_ENABLE_IREE)
   list(APPEND NPCOMP_PYEXT_LIBADD NPCOMPBackendIREEPythonModule)
 endif()
 
+if(NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT)
+  list(APPEND NPCOMP_PYEXT_LIBADD NPCOMPBackendRefJITPythonModule)
+endif()
+
 # TODO(laurenzo): Add a config setting to control this.
 # set(NPCOMP_PYEXT_LINK_MODE MODULE)
 # set(NPCOMP_PYEXT_LIBADD "")
diff --git a/python_native/NpcompModule.cpp b/python_native/NpcompModule.cpp
index 21612bfed..c460c9154 100644
--- a/python_native/NpcompModule.cpp
+++ b/python_native/NpcompModule.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 #include "npcomp/Python/PybindUtils.h"
 #include "llvm/Support/CommandLine.h"
 
+#ifdef NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT
+#include "npcomp/Backend/RefJIT/PythonModule.h"
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NPCOMP_ENABLE_IREE
 #include "npcomp/Backend/IREE/PythonModule.h"
 #endif
@@ -81,6 +85,12 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_npcomp, m) {
   auto backend_m = m.def_submodule("backend", "Backend support");
   (void)backend_m;
 
+#ifdef NPCOMP_ENABLE_REFJIT
+  auto refjit_m =
+      backend_m.def_submodule("refjit", "Reference CPU Jit Backend");
+  ::npcomp::python::defineBackendRefJitModule(refjit_m);
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NPCOMP_ENABLE_IREE
   auto iree_m = backend_m.def_submodule("iree", "IREE backend support");
   defineBackendIREEModule(iree_m);