diff --git a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/CodeGenerator.kt b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/CodeGenerator.kt
index 2f585dd0bb2..e4385de9246 100644
--- a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/CodeGenerator.kt
+++ b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/CodeGenerator.kt
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ internal class CodeGenerator(override val context:Context) : ContextUtils {
     var currentFunction:FunctionDescriptor? = null
 
     fun function(declaration: IrFunction) {
+        if (declaration.descriptor.isExternal) {
+            return
+        }
+
         index = 0
         currentFunction = declaration.descriptor
         val fn = LLVMAddFunction(context.llvmModule, declaration.descriptor.symbolName, getLlvmFunctionType(declaration.descriptor))
diff --git a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/IrToBitcode.kt b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/IrToBitcode.kt
index ae0fa296d11..24d3331d231 100644
--- a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/IrToBitcode.kt
+++ b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/IrToBitcode.kt
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ internal class RTTIGeneratorVisitor(context: Context) : IrElementVisitorVoid {
 
     override fun visitClass(declaration: IrClass) {
         super.visitClass(declaration)
+
+        if (declaration.descriptor.kind == ClassKind.ANNOTATION_CLASS) {
+            // do not generate any RTTI for annotation classes as a workaround for link errors
+            return
+        }
+
         generator.generate(declaration.descriptor)
     }
 
@@ -50,6 +56,15 @@ internal class CodeGeneratorVisitor(val context: Context) : IrElementVisitorVoid
         element.acceptChildrenVoid(this)
     }
 
+    override fun visitClass(declaration: IrClass) {
+        if (declaration.descriptor.kind == ClassKind.ANNOTATION_CLASS) {
+            // do not generate any code for annotation classes as a workaround for NotImplementedError
+            return
+        }
+
+        super.visitClass(declaration)
+    }
+
     override fun visitSetVariable(expression: IrSetVariable) {
         val value = evaluateExpression(generator.tmpVariable(), expression.value)
         generator.store(value!!, generator.variable(expression.descriptor.name.asString())!!)
diff --git a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/NameUtils.kt b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/NameUtils.kt
index 754d64790df..a5646d4dead 100644
--- a/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/NameUtils.kt
+++ b/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/native/llvm/NameUtils.kt
@@ -2,10 +2,24 @@ package org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.native.llvm
 
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.ClassDescriptor
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.FunctionDescriptor
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.name.FqName
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.constants.StringValue
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.descriptorUtil.fqNameSafe
 
+private val symbolNameAnnotation = FqName("kotlin_native.SymbolName")
+
 internal val FunctionDescriptor.symbolName: String
-    get() = "kfun:" + this.fqNameSafe.toString() // FIXME: add signature
+    get() {
+        this.annotations.findAnnotation(symbolNameAnnotation)?.let {
+            if (this.isExternal) {
+                val nameValue = it.allValueArguments.values.single() as StringValue
+                return nameValue.value
+            } else {
+                // ignore; TODO: report compile error
+            }
+        }
+        return "kfun:" + this.fqNameSafe.toString() // FIXME: add signature
+    }
 
 internal val ClassDescriptor.typeInfoSymbolName: String
     get() = "ktype:" + this.fqNameSafe.toString()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/kotlin/kotlin_native/annotations.kt b/runtime/src/main/kotlin/kotlin_native/annotations.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..de835209772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/main/kotlin/kotlin_native/annotations.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package kotlin_native
+
+/**
+ * Forces the compiler to use specified symbol name for the target `external` function.
+ *
+ * TODO: changing symbol name breaks the binary compatibility,
+ * so it should probably be allowed on `internal` and `private` functions only.
+ */
+@Target(AnnotationTarget.FUNCTION)
+@Retention(AnnotationRetention.BINARY)
+annotation class SymbolName(val name: String)