diff --git a/cli/src/build.rs b/cli/src/build.rs
index e5c44aceee..b9ae821652 100644
--- a/cli/src/build.rs
+++ b/cli/src/build.rs
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ pub fn build_file<'a>(
         Architecture::X86_64 => false,
         Architecture::Aarch64(_) => false,
         Architecture::Wasm32 => true,
+        Architecture::X86_32(_) => false,
         _ => panic!(
             "TODO gracefully handle unsupported architecture: {:?}",
             target.architecture
diff --git a/cli/src/lib.rs b/cli/src/lib.rs
index d7f1774c37..8c6be1921c 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process;
 use std::process::Command;
 use target_lexicon::BinaryFormat;
-use target_lexicon::{Architecture, Triple};
+use target_lexicon::{Architecture, Triple, X86_32Architecture};
 
 pub mod build;
 pub mod repl;
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ pub fn build_app<'a>() -> App<'a> {
                     .long(FLAG_BACKEND)
                     .help("Choose a different backend")
                     // .requires(BACKEND)
-                    .default_value("llvm")
-                    .possible_values(&["llvm", "wasm", "asm"])
+                .default_value(Backend::default().as_str())
+                    .possible_values(Backend::OPTIONS)
                     .required(false),
             )
             .arg(
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ pub fn build_app<'a>() -> App<'a> {
                 .long(FLAG_BACKEND)
                 .help("Choose a different backend")
                 // .requires(BACKEND)
-                .default_value("llvm")
-                .possible_values(&["llvm", "wasm", "asm"])
+                .default_value(Backend::default().as_str())
+                .possible_values(Backend::OPTIONS)
                 .required(false),
         )
         .arg(
@@ -180,25 +180,19 @@ pub enum BuildConfig {
     BuildAndRun { roc_file_arg_index: usize },
 }
 
-fn wasm32_target_tripple() -> Triple {
-    let mut triple = Triple::unknown();
-
-    triple.architecture = Architecture::Wasm32;
-    triple.binary_format = BinaryFormat::Wasm;
-
-    triple
-}
-
 #[cfg(feature = "llvm")]
 pub fn build(matches: &ArgMatches, config: BuildConfig) -> io::Result<i32> {
     use build::build_file;
+    use std::str::FromStr;
     use BuildConfig::*;
 
-    let target = match matches.value_of(FLAG_BACKEND) {
-        Some("wasm") => wasm32_target_tripple(),
-        _ => Triple::host(),
+    let backend = match matches.value_of(FLAG_BACKEND) {
+        Some(name) => Backend::from_str(name).unwrap(),
+        None => Backend::default(),
     };
 
+    let target = backend.to_triple();
+
     let arena = Bump::new();
     let filename = matches.value_of(ROC_FILE).unwrap();
 
@@ -387,3 +381,90 @@ fn run_with_wasmer(wasm_path: &std::path::Path, args: &[String]) {
 
     start.call(&[]).unwrap();
 }
+
+enum Backend {
+    Host,
+    X86_32,
+    X86_64,
+    Dev,
+    Wasm32,
+    Wasm32Dev,
+}
+
+impl Default for Backend {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Backend::Host
+    }
+}
+
+impl Backend {
+    const fn as_str(&self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            Backend::Host => "host",
+            Backend::X86_32 => "x86_32",
+            Backend::X86_64 => "x86_64",
+            Backend::Dev => "dev",
+            Backend::Wasm32 => "wasm32",
+            Backend::Wasm32Dev => "wasm32_dev",
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// NOTE keep up to date!
+    const OPTIONS: &'static [&'static str] = &[
+        Backend::Host.as_str(),
+        Backend::X86_32.as_str(),
+        Backend::X86_64.as_str(),
+        Backend::Dev.as_str(),
+        Backend::Wasm32.as_str(),
+        Backend::Wasm32Dev.as_str(),
+    ];
+
+    fn to_triple(&self) -> Triple {
+        let mut triple = Triple::unknown();
+
+        match self {
+            Backend::Host => Triple::host(),
+            Backend::X86_32 => {
+                triple.architecture = Architecture::X86_32(X86_32Architecture::I386);
+                triple.binary_format = BinaryFormat::Elf;
+
+                triple
+            }
+            Backend::X86_64 => {
+                triple.architecture = Architecture::X86_64;
+                triple.binary_format = BinaryFormat::Elf;
+
+                triple
+            }
+            Backend::Dev => todo!(),
+            Backend::Wasm32 | Backend::Wasm32Dev => {
+                triple.architecture = Architecture::Wasm32;
+                triple.binary_format = BinaryFormat::Wasm;
+
+                triple
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for Backend {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.as_str())
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::str::FromStr for Backend {
+    type Err = ();
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        match s {
+            "host" => Ok(Backend::Host),
+            "x86_32" => Ok(Backend::X86_32),
+            "x86_64" => Ok(Backend::X86_64),
+            "dev" => Ok(Backend::Dev),
+            "wasm32" => Ok(Backend::Wasm32),
+            "wasm32_dev" => Ok(Backend::Wasm32Dev),
+            _ => Err(()),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/compiler/build/src/link.rs b/compiler/build/src/link.rs
index 7d55f7e6c6..d83174d015 100644
--- a/compiler/build/src/link.rs
+++ b/compiler/build/src/link.rs
@@ -248,6 +248,16 @@ pub fn rebuild_host(target: &Triple, host_input_path: &Path) {
                     zig_str_path.to_str().unwrap(),
                 )
             }
+            Architecture::X86_32(_) => {
+                let emit_bin = format!("-femit-bin={}", host_dest_native.to_str().unwrap());
+                build_zig_host_native(
+                    &env_path,
+                    &env_home,
+                    &emit_bin,
+                    zig_host_src.to_str().unwrap(),
+                    zig_str_path.to_str().unwrap(),
+                )
+            }
             _ => panic!("Unsupported architecture {:?}", target.architecture),
         };
 
@@ -396,6 +406,8 @@ fn link_linux(
     let ld_linux = match target.architecture {
         Architecture::X86_64 => library_path(["/lib64", "ld-linux-x86-64.so.2"])
             .or_else(|| library_path([&nixos_path(), "ld-linux-x86-64.so.2"])),
+        Architecture::X86_32(_) => library_path(["/lib32", "ld-linux.so.2"])
+            .or_else(|| library_path([&nixos_path(), "ld-linux.so.2"])),
         Architecture::Aarch64(_) => library_path(["/lib", "ld-linux-aarch64.so.1"]),
         _ => panic!(
             "TODO gracefully handle unsupported linux architecture: {:?}",
diff --git a/compiler/build/src/program.rs b/compiler/build/src/program.rs
index 9bb9f5464e..b3a6ec2d7a 100644
--- a/compiler/build/src/program.rs
+++ b/compiler/build/src/program.rs
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ pub fn gen_from_mono_module(
 
         use target_lexicon::Architecture;
         match target.architecture {
-            Architecture::X86_64 | Architecture::Aarch64(_) => {
+            Architecture::X86_64 | Architecture::X86_32(_) | Architecture::Aarch64(_) => {
                 // assemble the .ll into a .bc
                 let _ = Command::new("llvm-as")
                     .args(&[