diff --git a/backend_test/iree/Sample/simple_invoke.py b/backend_test/iree/Sample/simple_invoke.py
index 020a85890..d1a097d77 100644
--- a/backend_test/iree/Sample/simple_invoke.py
+++ b/backend_test/iree/Sample/simple_invoke.py
@@ -1,52 +1,29 @@
 # RUN: %PYTHON %s
 
+from npcomp.compiler.backend import iree
 from npcomp.compiler.frontend import *
+from npcomp.compiler import logging
 from npcomp.compiler.target import *
 
 # TODO: This should all exist in a high level API somewhere.
 from _npcomp import mlir
-from _npcomp.backend import iree as ireec
 
-from pyiree import rt
+
+logging.enable()
 
 
 def compile_function(f):
   fe = ImportFrontend(target_factory=GenericTarget32)
-  ir_f = fe.import_global_function(f)
-
-  input_m = fe.ir_module
-  # For easier debugging, split into to pass manager invocations.
-  pm = mlir.passes.PassManager(input_m.context)
-  # TOOD: Have an API for this
-  pm.addPassPipelines(
-    "basicpy-type-inference", "convert-basicpy-to-std", "canonicalize")
-  pm.run(input_m)
-  print("INPUT MODULE:")
-  print(input_m.to_asm())
-
-  # Main IREE compiler.
-  pm = mlir.passes.PassManager(input_m.context)
-  ireec.build_flow_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
-  ireec.build_hal_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
-  ireec.build_vm_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
-  pm.run(input_m)
-  print("VM MODULE:")
-  print(input_m.to_asm())
-
-  # Translate to VM bytecode flatbuffer.
-  vm_blob = ireec.translate_to_vm_bytecode(input_m)
-  print("VM BLOB: len =", len(vm_blob))
-  return vm_blob
+  fe.import_global_function(f)
+  compiler = iree.CompilerBackend()
+  vm_blob = compiler.compile(fe.ir_module)
+  loaded_m = compiler.load(vm_blob)
+  return loaded_m[f.__name__]
 
 
+@compile_function
 def int_add(a: int, b: int):
   return a + b
 
-vm_blob = compile_function(int_add)
-m = rt.VmModule.from_flatbuffer(vm_blob)
-config = rt.Config("vmla")
-ctx = rt.SystemContext(config=config)
-ctx.add_module(m)
-
-f = ctx.modules.module.int_add
-print(f(5, 6))
+result = int_add(5, 6)
+assert result == 11
diff --git a/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/__init__.py b/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/iree.py b/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/iree.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b022043e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/npcomp/compiler/backend/iree.py
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+#  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",
+]
+
+_ireec = None
+_ireert = None
+_cached_config = None
+
+
+def _get_iree():
+  """Dynamically resolves the iree backend module."""
+  global _ireec
+  global _ireert
+  if _ireec is not None:
+    return _ireec, _ireert
+  try:
+    from _npcomp.backend import iree as imported_ireec
+  except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError(
+        "The npcomp native module was not compiled with IREE support")
+  try:
+    from pyiree import rt as imported_rt
+  except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError("IREE runtime library not found (pyiree.rt)")
+
+  _ireec = imported_ireec
+  _ireert = imported_rt
+  return _ireec, _ireert
+
+
+def is_enabled() -> bool:
+  """Returns whether the backend is enabled for the current build."""
+  try:
+    _get_iree()
+    return True
+  except ImportError:
+    return False
+
+
+class CompilerBackend:
+  """Main entry-point for the backend."""
+
+  def __init__(self):
+    super().__init__()
+    self._ireec, self._ireert = _get_iree()
+    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.
+    """
+    ireec = self._ireec
+    # For easier debugging, split into to pass manager invocations.
+    # Frontend.
+    pm = mlir.passes.PassManager(imported_ir_module.context)
+    self.add_frontend_passes(pm)
+    pm.run(imported_ir_module)
+    if self._debug:
+      logging.debug("Frontend IR:{}", imported_ir_module.to_asm())
+    # Backend.
+    pm = mlir.passes.PassManager(imported_ir_module.context)
+    self.add_backend_passes(pm)
+    pm.run(imported_ir_module)
+    if self._debug:
+      logging.debug("Backend IR:{}", imported_ir_module.to_asm())
+    # Translation/serialization.
+    vm_blob = ireec.translate_to_vm_bytecode(imported_ir_module)
+    if self._debug:
+      logging.debug("Compiled VM BLOB size={}", len(vm_blob))
+    return vm_blob
+
+  def load(self, vm_blob):
+    """Loads a compiled artifact into the runtime.
+
+    This is meant as a simple mechanism for testing and is not optimized or
+    highly parameterized. It loads a compiled result into a new runtime
+    instance and returns an object that exposes a python function for each
+    public function compiled in the imported_ir_module that was compiled.
+    """
+    ireert = self._ireert
+    m = ireert.VmModule.from_flatbuffer(vm_blob)
+    global _cached_config
+    if not _cached_config:
+      # TODO: Need to make the configuration more flexible.
+      _cached_config = ireert.Config(driver_name="vmla")
+    ctx = ireert.SystemContext(config=_cached_config)
+    ctx.add_module(m)
+    # TODO: The implicit tying of the 'module' name has got to go.
+    return ctx.modules.module
+
+  def add_frontend_passes(self, pm: mlir.passes.PassManager):
+    """Adds passes needed for legalizing from an imported form.
+
+    While an arbitrary distinction, the passes added here are more about
+    legalizing the basicpy and numpy dialects in preparation for performing
+    backend compilation. They are separated to aid debugging.
+    """
+    # TOOD: Have an API for this
+    pm.addPassPipelines("basicpy-type-inference", "convert-basicpy-to-std",
+                        "canonicalize")
+
+  def add_backend_passes(self, pm: mlir.passes.PassManager):
+    """Adds passes for full backend compilation.
+
+    These passes are added after the frontend passes.
+    """
+    ireec = self._ireec
+    ireec.build_flow_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
+    ireec.build_hal_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
+    ireec.build_vm_transform_pass_pipeline(pm)
diff --git a/python/npcomp/compiler/logging.py b/python/npcomp/compiler/logging.py
index 282ca7337..307027110 100644
--- a/python/npcomp/compiler/logging.py
+++ b/python/npcomp/compiler/logging.py
@@ -6,12 +6,21 @@ import os
 import string
 import sys
 
-__all__ = ["debug"]
+__all__ = ["debug", "debug_enabled", "enable"]
 
 _ENABLED = "NPCOMP_DEBUG" in os.environ
 _formatter = string.Formatter()
 
 
+def enable():
+  global _ENABLED
+  _ENABLED = True
+
+
+def debug_enabled():
+  return _ENABLED
+
+
 def debug(format_string, *args, **kwargs):
   if not _ENABLED:
     return