diff --git a/compiler/backend.lisp b/compiler/backend.lisp
index ad437ca4c8f23006209c421e1d03eff0037f8144..e27f9056fb18d0115ea76eaa51fb4e1af2579635 100644
--- a/compiler/backend.lisp
+++ b/compiler/backend.lisp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 	   backend-name backend-version backend-fasl-file-type
 	   backend-fasl-file-implementation backend-fasl-file-version
 	   backend-register-save-penalty backend-byte-order
-	   backend-any-primitive-type
+	   backend-any-primitive-type backend-info-environment
 
 	   ;; The various backends need to call these support routines
 	   make-stack-pointer-tn primitive-type primitive-type-of))
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@
   ;; structures.  This information is only used at meta-compile time.
   (parsed-vops (make-hash-table :test #'eq) :type hash-table)
 
+  ;; The backend specific aspects of the info environment.
+  (info-environment (make-info-environment :name "Backend Info"))
+
   . #.(mapcar #'(lambda (slot)
 		  `(,(intern slot) nil :type (or null function)))
 	      (sort (copy-list *vm-support-routines*) #'string<)))