diff --git a/compiler/fmodule.pas b/compiler/fmodule.pas
index 2404f478ed..8117c80fc4 100644
--- a/compiler/fmodule.pas
+++ b/compiler/fmodule.pas
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ interface
     uses
        cutils,cclasses,cfileutl,
        globtype,finput,ogbase,
-       symbase,symsym,
+       symbase,symconst,symsym,symcpu,
        wpobase,
        aasmbase,aasmtai,aasmdata;
 
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ interface
         deflist,
         symlist       : TFPObjectList;
         ptrdefs       : THashSet; { list of pointerdefs created in this module so we can reuse them (not saved/restored) }
+{$ifdef x86}
+        x86ptrdefs    : array [tx86pointertyp] of THashSet;
+{$endif x86}
         arraydefs     : THashSet; { list of single-element-arraydefs created in this module so we can reuse them (not saved/restored) }
         ansistrdef    : tobject; { an ansistring def redefined for the current module }
         wpoinfo       : tunitwpoinfobase; { whole program optimization-related information that is generated during the current run for this unit }
@@ -514,6 +517,9 @@ implementation
       var
         n:string;
         fn:TPathStr;
+{$ifdef x86}
+        ptrtyp:tx86pointertyp;
+{$endif x86}
       begin
         if amodulename='' then
           n:=ChangeFileExt(ExtractFileName(afilename),'')
@@ -567,7 +573,13 @@ implementation
         derefdataintflen:=0;
         deflist:=TFPObjectList.Create(false);
         symlist:=TFPObjectList.Create(false);
+{$ifdef x86}
+        for ptrtyp in tx86pointertyp do
+          x86ptrdefs[ptrtyp]:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
+        ptrdefs:=x86ptrdefs[tcpupointerdefclass(cpointerdef).default_x86_data_pointer_type];
+{$else x86}
         ptrdefs:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
+{$endif x86}
         arraydefs:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
         ansistrdef:=nil;
         wpoinfo:=nil;
@@ -610,6 +622,9 @@ implementation
       var
         i : longint;
         current_debuginfo_reset : boolean;
+{$ifdef x86}
+        ptrtyp : tx86pointertyp;
+{$endif x86}
       begin
         if assigned(unitmap) then
           freemem(unitmap);
@@ -681,7 +696,13 @@ implementation
         derefdata.free;
         deflist.free;
         symlist.free;
+{$ifdef x86}
+        for ptrtyp in tx86pointertyp do
+          x86ptrdefs[ptrtyp].free;
+        ptrdefs:=nil;
+{$else x86}
         ptrdefs.free;
+{$endif x86}
         arraydefs.free;
         ansistrdef:=nil;
         wpoinfo.free;
@@ -701,6 +722,9 @@ implementation
       var
         i   : longint;
         current_debuginfo_reset : boolean;
+{$ifdef x86}
+        ptrtyp : tx86pointertyp;
+{$endif x86}
       begin
         if assigned(scanner) then
           begin
@@ -743,8 +767,17 @@ implementation
         deflist:=TFPObjectList.Create(false);
         symlist.free;
         symlist:=TFPObjectList.Create(false);
+{$ifdef x86}
+        for ptrtyp in tx86pointertyp do
+          begin
+            x86ptrdefs[ptrtyp].free;
+            x86ptrdefs[ptrtyp]:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
+          end;
+        ptrdefs:=x86ptrdefs[tcpupointerdefclass(cpointerdef).default_x86_data_pointer_type];
+{$else x86}
         ptrdefs.free;
         ptrdefs:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
+{$endif x86}
         arraydefs.free;
         arraydefs:=THashSet.Create(64,true,false);
         wpoinfo.free;
diff --git a/compiler/x86/symx86.pas b/compiler/x86/symx86.pas
index 45c93a8cd3..6f6484fbeb 100644
--- a/compiler/x86/symx86.pas
+++ b/compiler/x86/symx86.pas
@@ -45,10 +45,41 @@ type
   end;
   tx86pointerdefclass = class of tx86pointerdef;
 
+  { returns a pointerdef for def, reusing an existing one in case it exists
+    in the current module }
+  function getx86pointerdef(def: tdef;x86typ:tx86pointertyp): tpointerdef;
+
 implementation
 
   uses
-    globals, verbose;
+    globals, verbose, cclasses,
+    symbase, fmodule;
+
+  function getx86pointerdef(def: tdef;x86typ:tx86pointertyp): tpointerdef;
+    var
+      res: PHashSetItem;
+      oldsymtablestack: tsymtablestack;
+    begin
+      if not assigned(current_module) then
+        internalerror(2011071101);
+      res:=current_module.x86ptrdefs[x86typ].FindOrAdd(@def,sizeof(def));
+      if not assigned(res^.Data) then
+        begin
+          { since these pointerdefs can be reused anywhere in the current
+            unit, add them to the global/staticsymtable }
+          oldsymtablestack:=symtablestack;
+          { do not simply push/pop current_module.localsymtable, because
+            that can have side-effects (e.g., it removes helpers) }
+          symtablestack:=nil;
+          res^.Data:=tx86pointerdefclass(cpointerdef).createx86(def,x86typ);
+          if assigned(current_module.localsymtable) then
+            current_module.localsymtable.insertdef(tdef(res^.Data))
+          else
+            current_module.globalsymtable.insertdef(tdef(res^.Data));
+          symtablestack:=oldsymtablestack;
+        end;
+      result:=tpointerdef(res^.Data);
+    end;
 
 {****************************************************************************
                              tx86pointerdef