diff --git a/src/ir/lower.zig b/src/ir/lower.zig
index 6f7e42a..589bcef 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower.zig
@@ -8966,6 +8966,28 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
             }
             return self.builder.constBool(false);
         }
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "compile_error")) {
+            // compile_error(msg) — raise a build-time diagnostic at
+            // the call site. The argument must be a string literal so
+            // the message text is available at lower time. Returns a
+            // void-typed const (the call site is consumed for its
+            // side effect, not its value).
+            if (self.diagnostics) |diags| {
+                if (c.args.len < 1) {
+                    diags.addFmt(.err, c.callee.span, "compile_error requires a string argument", .{});
+                } else if (c.args[0].data == .string_literal) {
+                    const lit = c.args[0].data.string_literal;
+                    const msg = if (lit.is_raw)
+                        lit.raw
+                    else
+                        unescape.unescapeString(self.alloc, lit.raw) catch lit.raw;
+                    diags.addFmt(.err, c.callee.span, "{s}", .{msg});
+                } else {
+                    diags.addFmt(.err, c.callee.span, "compile_error argument must be a string literal", .{});
+                }
+            }
+            return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+        }
         if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "field_name")) {
             // field_name(T, i) → field_name_get instruction
             if (c.args.len < 2) return self.builder.constString(self.module.types.internString(""));