diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/BackendContext.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/BackendContext.kt
index 2aec18c30e8..6ed6e84c329 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/BackendContext.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/BackendContext.kt
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ package org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common
 
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.descriptors.DescriptorsFactory
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.descriptors.SharedVariablesManager
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.ir.Ir
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.builtins.KotlinBuiltIns
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.descriptors.IrBuiltIns
 
 interface BackendContext {
+    val ir: Ir<CommonBackendContext>
     val builtIns: KotlinBuiltIns
     val irBuiltIns: IrBuiltIns
     val sharedVariablesManager: SharedVariablesManager
diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/CommonBackendContext.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/CommonBackendContext.kt
index e83804a5d1d..ff019e893a4 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/CommonBackendContext.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/CommonBackendContext.kt
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
 
 interface CommonBackendContext : BackendContext {
 
-    val ir: Ir<CommonBackendContext>
+    override val ir: Ir<CommonBackendContext>
 
     //TODO move to builtins
     fun getInternalClass(name: String): ClassDescriptor
diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
index 8a115696f5e..27d2bcc44fe 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/ir/Ir.kt
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ abstract class Symbols<out T : CommonBackendContext>(val context: T, private val
         return initializer()
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Use this table to reference external dependencies.
+     */
+    open val externalSymbolTable: ReferenceSymbolTable
+        get() = symbolTable
+
 //    val refClass = calc { symbolTable.referenceClass(context.getInternalClass("Ref")) }
 
     //abstract val areEqualByValue: List<IrFunctionSymbol>