diff --git a/spike/native/dump-ir.janet b/spike/native/dump-ir.janet
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6a751c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spike/native/dump-ir.janet
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Dump the analyzed IR (not emitted Janet) for count-point, so the C emitter can
+# be written against the real node shapes. jolt-ihdp.
+(import ../../src/jolt/api :as api)
+(import ../../src/jolt/backend :as backend)
+(import ../../src/jolt/reader :as reader)
+
+(def ctx (api/init-cached {:compile? true}))
+(put (ctx :env) :direct-linking? true)
+(put (ctx :env) :inline? true)
+(api/eval-string ctx "(ns mandelbrot)")
+
+(def src "(defn count-point [cr ci cap] (loop [i 0 zr 0.0 zi 0.0] (if (or (>= i cap) (> (+ (* zr zr) (* zi zi)) 4.0)) i (recur (inc i) (+ (- (* zr zr) (* zi zi)) cr) (+ (* 2.0 (* zr zi)) ci)))))")
+
+(def ir (backend/analyze-form ctx (reader/parse-string src)))
+(printf "%P" ir)
diff --git a/src/jolt/cgen.janet b/src/jolt/cgen.janet
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7efbd22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/jolt/cgen.janet
@@ -0,0 +1,243 @@
+# Native code generation: jolt IR -> C, for hot numeric-leaf fns (jolt-ihdp, the
+# lever-1 native-codegen tier of epic jolt-5vsp). The spike
+# (docs/foundational-runtime-lever1-native-codegen.md) showed native-C compute
+# beats the Janet-VM floor (~18-22x faster than bytecode, edges out JVM Clojure),
+# and that compiling a hot LEAF fn to C — called from a bytecode loop — captures
+# the win because the forward (bytecode -> C) crossing is nearly free.
+#
+# This module is the IR -> C translator + a cc/load driver. It is a standalone
+# library: nothing wires it into the default compile path yet (that — detecting
+# hot fns and installing the C version onto the var cell — is the next step). A
+# fn is a candidate only if its whole body is numeric (params/locals/return are
+# numbers, all calls are native-op arithmetic): then everything stays in C
+# `double`s, unboxed at entry and reboxed at return, with no Janet in the hot loop.
+(import ./core_types :as ct)
+(import ./phm :as phm)
+
+(defn- norm-node [n] (if (phm/phm? n) (phm/phm-to-struct n) n))
+
+# jolt core fn name -> {:c "<C operator>" :kind :infix|:incdec}. The subset of
+# backend/native-ops that maps to a C double operator with matching semantics.
+# (mod/rem/bit-ops/min/max deliberately omitted for now — they need helper calls
+# or differ from C operators; add them as the candidate grammar grows.)
+(def- c-ops
+  {"+" {:c "+" :kind :infix}   "-" {:c "-" :kind :infix}
+   "*" {:c "*" :kind :infix}   "/" {:c "/" :kind :infix}
+   "<" {:c "<" :kind :infix}   ">" {:c ">" :kind :infix}
+   "<=" {:c "<=" :kind :infix} ">=" {:c ">=" :kind :infix}
+   "=" {:c "==" :kind :infix}
+   "inc" {:c "+" :kind :incdec} "dec" {:c "-" :kind :incdec}})
+
+(defn- args-of [node] (ct/vview (node :args)))
+
+# A native-op invoke -> its c-ops entry, else nil (the head must be a clojure.core
+# ref to a supported primitive at the right arity).
+(defn- op-for [node]
+  (def n (norm-node node))
+  (def f (and (= :invoke (n :op)) (norm-node (n :fn))))
+  (and f (= :var (f :op)) (= "clojure.core" (f :ns))
+       (let [op (get c-ops (f :name))
+             nargs (length (args-of n))]
+         (and op
+              (if (= (op :kind) :incdec) (= 1 nargs) (= 2 nargs))
+              op))))
+
+# --- candidate check: every node in the body is C-translatable ---
+(var- numeric-ok? nil)
+(defn- bindings-ok? [node]
+  (all (fn [pair] (numeric-ok? (in (ct/vview pair) 1))) (ct/vview (node :bindings))))
+(set numeric-ok?
+  (fn numeric-ok? [raw]
+    (def node (norm-node raw))
+    (case (node :op)
+      :const (number? (node :val))
+      :local true
+      :if (and (numeric-ok? (node :test)) (numeric-ok? (node :then)) (numeric-ok? (node :else)))
+      :do (and (all numeric-ok? (ct/vview (node :statements))) (numeric-ok? (node :ret)))
+      :let (and (bindings-ok? node) (numeric-ok? (node :body)))
+      :loop (and (bindings-ok? node) (numeric-ok? (node :body)))
+      :recur (all numeric-ok? (args-of node))
+      :invoke (and (op-for node) (all numeric-ok? (args-of node)))
+      false)))
+
+(defn fn-ir-of
+  "Unwrap a :def-of-fn or a bare :fn IR node to the :fn node, or nil."
+  [ir]
+  (def n (norm-node ir))
+  (def init (norm-node (get n :init n)))
+  (and (= :fn (init :op)) init))
+
+(defn numeric-leaf?
+  "True when ir is a single-fixed-arity fn whose entire body is C-translatable
+  (numeric in, numeric out, only native-op arithmetic)."
+  [ir]
+  (def fnode (fn-ir-of ir))
+  (and fnode
+       (let [ars (ct/vview (fnode :arities))]
+         (and (= 1 (length ars))
+              (not ((first ars) :rest))
+              (numeric-ok? ((first ars) :body))))))
+
+# --- C generation ---
+# scope: jolt-local-name (string) -> C var name. Fresh C names sidestep charset
+# and keyword collisions. rctx (recur target): {:vars [c-names] :flag flag-name}.
+
+(defn- new-namer []
+  (def counter @[0])
+  (fn [] (def n (in counter 0)) (put counter 0 (+ n 1)) (string "v" n)))
+
+(defn- fmtnum [x]
+  (def s (string/format "%.17g" (* 1.0 x)))
+  (if (or (string/find "." s) (string/find "e" s) (string/find "n" s)) s (string s ".0")))
+
+(var- c-expr nil)
+(set c-expr
+  (fn c-expr [raw scope]
+    (def node (norm-node raw))
+    (case (node :op)
+      :const (fmtnum (node :val))
+      :local (or (get scope (node :name)) (error (string "cgen: unbound local " (node :name))))
+      :invoke (let [op (op-for node) as (args-of node)]
+                (if (= (op :kind) :incdec)
+                  (string "(" (c-expr (in as 0) scope) " " (op :c) " 1)")
+                  (string "(" (c-expr (in as 0) scope) " " (op :c) " " (c-expr (in as 1) scope) ")")))
+      (error (string "cgen: non-pure op in expr position: " (node :op))))))
+
+(defn- pure? [node]
+  (case (node :op) :const true :local true :invoke (truthy? (op-for node)) false))
+
+# emit-to: append C statements that compute node's (double) value into dest.
+# Control-flow forms (if/do/let/loop/recur) lower to statements; pure nodes to a
+# single assignment. A comparison yields C int 0/1, which is a fine double here.
+(var- emit-to nil)
+(set emit-to
+  (fn emit-to [raw dest scope rctx out namer]
+    (def node (norm-node raw))
+    (case (node :op)
+      :if (let [t (namer)]
+            (buffer/push out "double " t ";\n")
+            (emit-to (node :test) t scope rctx out namer)
+            (buffer/push out "if (" t " != 0.0) {\n")
+            (emit-to (node :then) dest scope rctx out namer)
+            (buffer/push out "} else {\n")
+            (emit-to (node :else) dest scope rctx out namer)
+            (buffer/push out "}\n"))
+      :do (do (each s (ct/vview (node :statements))
+                (def junk (namer)) (buffer/push out "double " junk ";\n")
+                (emit-to s junk scope rctx out namer))
+              (emit-to (node :ret) dest scope rctx out namer))
+      :let (let [scope2 (table/clone scope)]
+             (each pair (ct/vview (node :bindings))
+               (def p (ct/vview pair))
+               (def cv (namer))
+               (buffer/push out "double " cv ";\n")
+               (emit-to (in p 1) cv scope2 rctx out namer)
+               (put scope2 (string (in p 0)) cv))
+             (emit-to (node :body) dest scope2 rctx out namer))
+      :loop (let [scope2 (table/clone scope) cvars @[] flag (namer)]
+              (each pair (ct/vview (node :bindings))
+                (def p (ct/vview pair))
+                (def cv (namer))
+                (buffer/push out "double " cv ";\n")
+                (emit-to (in p 1) cv scope2 rctx out namer)
+                (put scope2 (string (in p 0)) cv)
+                (array/push cvars cv))
+              (buffer/push out "int " flag " = 1;\n")
+              (buffer/push out "while (" flag ") {\n" flag " = 0;\n")
+              (emit-to (node :body) dest scope2 {:vars cvars :flag flag} out namer)
+              (buffer/push out "}\n"))
+      # recur: compute new values into temps first (avoid clobbering loop vars
+      # mid-update), then assign and set the continue flag. Produces no value —
+      # the enclosing while re-runs.
+      :recur (let [as (args-of node) tmps @[]]
+               (each a as
+                 (def tv (namer))
+                 (buffer/push out "double " tv ";\n")
+                 (emit-to a tv scope rctx out namer)
+                 (array/push tmps tv))
+               (for i 0 (length tmps)
+                 (buffer/push out (in (rctx :vars) i) " = " (in tmps i) ";\n"))
+               (buffer/push out (rctx :flag) " = 1;\n"))
+      (if (pure? node)
+        (buffer/push out dest " = " (c-expr node scope) ";\n")
+        (error (string "cgen: unsupported op " (node :op)))))))
+
+(defn- sanitize [name]
+  (def b @"")
+  (each c name
+    (buffer/push b (if (or (and (>= c 97) (<= c 122)) (and (>= c 65) (<= c 90))
+                           (and (>= c 48) (<= c 57)) (= c 95)) c 95)))
+  (string b))
+
+(defn gen-c-fn
+  "ir (a numeric-leaf :def-of-fn or :fn node), c-name -> a C source string for a
+  Janet native module exporting `c-name` as a cfunction. Assumes (numeric-leaf? ir)."
+  [ir c-name]
+  (def fnode (fn-ir-of ir))
+  (def ar (first (ct/vview (fnode :arities))))
+  (def params (map string (ct/vview (ar :params))))
+  (def namer (new-namer))
+  (def scope @{})
+  (def pre @"")
+  (buffer/push pre "#include <janet.h>\n")
+  (buffer/push pre "static Janet cfun_" c-name "(int32_t argc, Janet *argv) {\n")
+  (buffer/push pre "janet_fixarity(argc, " (string (length params)) ");\n")
+  (eachp [i pn] params
+    (def cv (namer))
+    (buffer/push pre "double " cv " = janet_getnumber(argv, " (string i) ");\n")
+    (put scope pn cv))
+  (def out @"")
+  (def ret (namer))
+  (buffer/push out "double " ret ";\n")
+  (emit-to (ar :body) ret scope nil out namer)
+  (string pre out
+          "return janet_wrap_number(" ret ");\n}\n"
+          "static const JanetReg cfuns[] = {{\"" c-name "\", cfun_" c-name
+          ", NULL}, {NULL, NULL, NULL}};\n"
+          "JANET_MODULE_ENTRY(JanetTable *env) { janet_cfuns(env, \"cg\", cfuns); }\n"))
+
+# --- toolchain ---
+(defn header-dir
+  "Directory containing janet.h, probed from syspath + common prefixes, or nil."
+  []
+  (def sp (dyn :syspath))
+  (def cands @[(string sp "/../../include") "/opt/homebrew/include"
+               "/usr/local/include" "/usr/include"])
+  (var found nil)
+  (each c cands (when (and (not found) (os/stat (string c "/janet.h"))) (set found c)))
+  found)
+
+(defn toolchain-available?
+  "True when a C compiler and janet.h are present (so compile-fn can work)."
+  []
+  (and (header-dir)
+       (= 0 (os/execute ["cc" "--version"] :px
+                        {:out (file/open "/dev/null" :w) :err (file/open "/dev/null" :w)}))))
+
+(defn compile-fn
+  "Compile a numeric-leaf fn IR to a native Janet cfunction. Returns the
+  cfunction, or nil if ir isn't a candidate or the toolchain is unavailable.
+  opts: :dir (build dir, default \"build/cgen\"), :name (C identifier base).
+  cc errors propagate (a compiler crash is a cgen bug, not a punt)."
+  [ir &opt opts]
+  (default opts {})
+  (when (and (numeric-leaf? ir) (header-dir))
+    (def dir (get opts :dir "build/cgen"))
+    (def c-name (sanitize (get opts :name "jolt_cfn")))
+    (os/mkdir dir)
+    (def src (gen-c-fn ir c-name))
+    (def cpath (string dir "/" c-name ".c"))
+    (def sopath (string dir "/" c-name ".so"))
+    (spit cpath src)
+    # macOS needs -undefined dynamic_lookup so the module's janet_* refs resolve
+    # against the host at load time; ELF (Linux/BSD) resolves them then anyway.
+    (def mac? (= :macos (os/which)))
+    (def cmd @["cc" "-shared" "-fPIC" "-O2" (string "-I" (header-dir))])
+    (when mac? (array/push cmd "-undefined") (array/push cmd "dynamic_lookup"))
+    (array/push cmd cpath "-o" sopath)
+    (def r (os/execute cmd :p))
+    (unless (= 0 r) (error (string "cgen: cc failed (" r ") for " cpath)))
+    (def abs (if (= (in sopath 0) (chr "/")) sopath (string (os/cwd) "/" sopath)))
+    (def env @{})
+    (native abs env)
+    ((get env (symbol c-name)) :value)))
diff --git a/test/integration/cgen-test.janet b/test/integration/cgen-test.janet
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cb027e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/cgen-test.janet
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# Native codegen (jolt-ihdp): IR -> C for numeric-leaf fns. Pins that the C
+# translator (1) classifies candidates correctly and (2) produces a native fn
+# whose results match the bytecode/interpreted fn over the mandelbrot grid.
+# Skips cleanly where the C toolchain (cc + janet.h) is absent — the rest of the
+# gate still runs.
+(import ../../src/jolt/api :as api)
+(import ../../src/jolt/backend :as backend)
+(import ../../src/jolt/reader :as reader)
+(import ../../src/jolt/cgen :as cgen)
+
+(print "Native codegen IR->C (jolt-ihdp)...")
+
+(def ctx (api/init-cached {:compile? true}))
+(put (ctx :env) :direct-linking? true)
+(put (ctx :env) :inline? true)
+(api/eval-string ctx "(ns cgentest)")
+
+(defn ir-of [src] (backend/analyze-form ctx (reader/parse-string src)))
+
+(def count-point-src
+  "(defn count-point [cr ci cap] (loop [i 0 zr 0.0 zi 0.0] (if (or (>= i cap) (> (+ (* zr zr) (* zi zi)) 4.0)) i (recur (inc i) (+ (- (* zr zr) (* zi zi)) cr) (+ (* 2.0 (* zr zi)) ci)))))")
+
+(var failures 0)
+(defn check [label ok] (unless ok (++ failures) (eprintf "  FAIL: %s" label)))
+
+# --- classification ---
+(check "count-point is a numeric leaf" (cgen/numeric-leaf? (ir-of count-point-src)))
+(check "fn calling a non-native fn is NOT a leaf"
+       (not (cgen/numeric-leaf? (ir-of "(defn f [x] (str x))"))))
+(check "fn building a collection is NOT a leaf"
+       (not (cgen/numeric-leaf? (ir-of "(defn f [x] [x x])"))))
+(check "plain numeric expr fn IS a leaf"
+       (cgen/numeric-leaf? (ir-of "(defn sq [x] (* x x))")))
+
+# --- C generation is well-formed (smoke: contains the wrapper + a loop) ---
+(def c-src (cgen/gen-c-fn (ir-of count-point-src) "count_point"))
+(check "emits a cfunction wrapper" (string/find "cfun_count_point" c-src))
+(check "lowers the loop to a C while" (string/find "while (" c-src))
+(check "unboxes params with janet_getnumber" (string/find "janet_getnumber" c-src))
+
+# --- behavioral equivalence (only where the toolchain is present) ---
+(if (cgen/toolchain-available?)
+  (do
+    (api/eval-string ctx count-point-src)
+    (def bc-cp (api/eval-string ctx "count-point"))   # the compiled/interpreted fn
+    (def c-cp (cgen/compile-fn (ir-of count-point-src)
+                               {:dir "build/cgen-test" :name "count_point_test"}))
+    (defn callable? [x] (or (function? x) (cfunction? x)))
+    (check "compile-fn returns a callable" (callable? c-cp))
+    (when (callable? c-cp)
+      # spot points spanning escape-fast .. in-set
+      (var ptmatch true)
+      (each [cr ci] [[2.0 2.0] [0.5 0.5] [-0.5 0.6] [0.28 0.0] [-0.74 0.1] [-0.5 0.0] [0.0 0.0]]
+        (unless (= (c-cp cr ci 200) (bc-cp cr ci 200)) (set ptmatch false)))
+      (check "C count-point matches bytecode on sample points" ptmatch)
+      # full mandelbrot grid total
+      (defn grid-total [cp n]
+        (def cap 200) (def nd (* 1.0 n)) (var acc 0) (var y 0)
+        (while (< y n)
+          (def ci (- (/ (* 2.0 y) nd) 1.0)) (var x 0) (var a 0)
+          (while (< x n)
+            (def cr (- (/ (* 2.0 x) nd) 1.5)) (set a (+ a (cp cr ci cap))) (++ x))
+          (set acc (+ acc a)) (++ y))
+        acc)
+      (check "C and bytecode agree on the full n=80 grid total"
+             (= (grid-total c-cp 80) (grid-total bc-cp 80)))))
+  (print "  (toolchain absent — skipping behavioral equivalence)"))
+
+(if (= 0 failures)
+  (print "All tests passed.")
+  (do (eprintf "%d cgen check(s) failed" failures) (os/exit 1)))