diff --git a/src/llvm/backend.c b/src/llvm/backend.c
index 3621338..204e06a 100644
--- a/src/llvm/backend.c
+++ b/src/llvm/backend.c
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ static BackendError llvm_backend_codegen(const AST_NODE_PTR module_node, void**)
                     GemstoneDeclRef decl = ((GemstoneDeclRef*) decls->data)[i];
                     type_scope_add_variable(global_scope, decl);
                 }
+                // TODO: create LLVMValueRef of global/static variables
+
                 break;
             default:
                 PANIC("NOT IMPLEMENTED");
diff --git a/src/llvm/decl/variable.c b/src/llvm/decl/variable.c
index 15e902b..878dc2d 100644
--- a/src/llvm/decl/variable.c
+++ b/src/llvm/decl/variable.c
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+#include "llvm/types/scope.h"
 #include "llvm/types/structs.h"
+#include <llvm-c/Types.h>
 #include <llvm/types/type.h>
 #include <ast/ast.h>
 #include <llvm/decl/variable.h>
 #include <sys/log.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <llvm-c/Core.h>
 
 static StorageQualifier get_storage_qualifier_from_ast(AST_NODE_PTR storageQualifierNode) {
     if (storageQualifierNode->kind != AST_Storage) {
@@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ GArray* declaration_from_ast(TypeScopeRef scope, const AST_NODE_PTR node) {
 
     AST_NODE_PTR first_child = AST_get_node(node, 0);
     
-    StorageQualifier qualifier = StorageQualifierLocal;
+    StorageQualifier qualifier = StorageQualifierStatic;
     GemstoneTypeRef type = NULL;
     AST_NODE_PTR list = NULL;
 
@@ -63,3 +66,27 @@ GArray* declaration_from_ast(TypeScopeRef scope, const AST_NODE_PTR node) {
 
     return decls;
 }
+
+LLVMValueRef create_declaration_reference(LLVMModuleRef module, LLVMBuilderRef builder, GemstoneDeclRef decl) {
+    LLVMContextRef context = LLVMGetModuleContext(module);
+    LLVMTypeRef llvmTypeRef = llvm_type_from_gemstone_type(context, decl->type);
+    LLVMValueRef defaultValue = llvm_default_value_of_type(context, decl->type);
+    LLVMValueRef variable = NULL;
+
+    switch(decl->storageQualifier) {
+        case StorageQualifierLocal:
+            variable = LLVMBuildAlloca(builder, llvmTypeRef, decl->name);
+            LLVMBuildStore(builder, defaultValue, variable);
+            break;
+        case StorageQualifierStatic:
+            // add global
+            variable = LLVMAddGlobal(module, llvmTypeRef, decl->name);
+            LLVMSetInitializer(variable, defaultValue);
+            break;
+        case StorageQualifierGlobal:
+            PANIC("Global not implemented");
+            break;
+    }
+
+    return variable;
+}
diff --git a/src/llvm/types/type.c b/src/llvm/types/type.c
index f39c053..5bcfd97 100644
--- a/src/llvm/types/type.c
+++ b/src/llvm/types/type.c
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 
+#include "llvm/types/composite-types.h"
 #include "llvm/types/structs.h"
+#include <llvm-c/Core.h>
+#include <llvm-c/Types.h>
 #include <llvm/types/scope.h>
 #include <llvm/types/composite.h>
 #include <ast/ast.h>
@@ -85,3 +88,33 @@ LLVMTypeRef llvm_type_from_gemstone_type(LLVMContextRef context, GemstoneTypeRef
 
     return llvmTypeRef;
 }
+
+LLVMValueRef llvm_default_value_of_composite(LLVMContextRef context, CompositeRef composite) {
+    LLVMTypeRef type = llvm_type_from_composite(context, composite);
+    LLVMValueRef value;
+
+    if (composite->prim == Int) {
+        value = LLVMConstInt(type, 0, 0);
+    } else if (composite->prim == Float) {
+        value = LLVMConstReal(type, 0.0);
+    } else {
+        PANIC("Invalid composite type: %d", composite->prim);
+    }
+
+    return value;
+}
+
+LLVMValueRef llvm_default_value_of_type(LLVMContextRef context, GemstoneTypeRef ref) {
+    LLVMValueRef value = NULL;
+
+    switch (ref->kind) {
+        case TypeComposite:
+            value = llvm_default_value_of_composite(context, &ref->specs.composite);
+            break;
+        default:
+            PANIC("type not implemented");
+            break;
+    }
+
+    return value;
+}
diff --git a/src/llvm/types/type.h b/src/llvm/types/type.h
index 135319a..3b55050 100644
--- a/src/llvm/types/type.h
+++ b/src/llvm/types/type.h
@@ -49,4 +49,6 @@ LLVMTypeRef llvm_type_from_gemstone_type(LLVMContextRef context, GemstoneTypeRef
  */
 void delete_typedefref(GemstoneTypedefRef ref);
 
+LLVMValueRef llvm_default_value_of_type(LLVMContextRef context, GemstoneTypeRef ref);
+
 #endif // GEMSTONE_TYPE_H_