diff --git a/ir.c b/ir.c
index ee07a44..ec45a8f 100644
--- a/ir.c
+++ b/ir.c
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ static void ir_function_delete_quick(ir_function *self);
 ir_builder* ir_builder_new(const char *modulename)
 {
     ir_builder* self;
+    size_t      i;
 
     self = (ir_builder*)mem_a(sizeof(*self));
     if (!self)
@@ -344,6 +345,15 @@ ir_builder* ir_builder_new(const char *modulename)
     self->nil = ir_value_var("nil", store_value, TYPE_NIL);
     self->nil->cvq = CV_CONST;
 
+    for (i = 0; i != IR_MAX_VINSTR_TEMPS; ++i) {
+        /* we write to them, but they're not supposed to be used outside the IR, so
+         * let's not allow the generation of ir_instrs which use these.
+         * So it's a constant noexpr.
+         */
+        self->vinstr_temp[i] = ir_value_var("vinstr_temp", store_value, TYPE_NOEXPR);
+        self->vinstr_temp[i]->cvq = CV_CONST;
+    }
+
     self->reserved_va_count = NULL;
     self->code              = code_init();
 
@@ -374,6 +384,9 @@ void ir_builder_delete(ir_builder* self)
         ir_value_delete(self->fields[i]);
     }
     ir_value_delete(self->nil);
+    for (i = 0; i != IR_MAX_VINSTR_TEMPS; ++i) {
+        ir_value_delete(self->vinstr_temp[i]);
+    }
     vec_free(self->fields);
     vec_free(self->filenames);
     vec_free(self->filestrings);
@@ -3652,6 +3665,14 @@ bool ir_builder_generate(ir_builder *self, const char *filename)
     vec_push(self->code->globals, 0);
     vec_push(self->code->globals, 0);
 
+    /* generate virtual-instruction temps */
+    for (i = 0; i < IR_MAX_VINSTR_TEMPS; ++i) {
+        ir_value_code_setaddr(self->vinstr_temp[i], vec_size(self->code->globals));
+        vec_push(self->code->globals, 0);
+        vec_push(self->code->globals, 0);
+        vec_push(self->code->globals, 0);
+    }
+
     /* generate global temps */
     self->first_common_globaltemp = vec_size(self->code->globals);
     for (i = 0; i < self->max_globaltemps; ++i) {
diff --git a/ir.h b/ir.h
index b62b09d..46ac464 100644
--- a/ir.h
+++ b/ir.h
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ ir_block*       ir_function_create_block(lex_ctx_t ctx, ir_function*, const char
 
 /* builder */
 #define IR_HT_SIZE 1024
+#define IR_MAX_VINSTR_TEMPS 1
 typedef struct ir_builder_s
 {
     char *name;
@@ -261,12 +262,16 @@ typedef struct ir_builder_s
     uint32_t      first_common_globaltemp;
 
     const char **filenames;
-    qcint_t       *filestrings;
+    qcint_t     *filestrings;
     /* we cache the #IMMEDIATE string here */
-    qcint_t        str_immediate;
+    qcint_t      str_immediate;
     /* there should just be this one nil */
     ir_value    *nil;
     ir_value    *reserved_va_count;
+    /* some virtual instructions require temps, and their code is isolated
+     * so that we don't need to keep track of their liveness.
+     */
+    ir_value    *vinstr_temp[IR_MAX_VINSTR_TEMPS];
 
     /* code generator */
     code_t      *code;