diff --git a/src/libcore/str.rs b/src/libcore/str.rs
index b83ef1064fd..003f2a888c1 100644
--- a/src/libcore/str.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/str.rs
@@ -713,6 +713,7 @@ Section: Comparing strings
 */
 
 /// Bytewise slice equality
+#[lang="str_eq"]
 pure fn eq_slice(a: &str, b: &str) -> bool {
     do as_buf(a) |ap, alen| {
         do as_buf(b) |bp, blen| {
diff --git a/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs b/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
index 803c9967d0c..31f12a4b355 100644
--- a/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
@@ -542,6 +542,7 @@ fn encode_info_for_item(ecx: @encode_ctxt, ebml_w: ebml::Writer, item: @item,
         encode_type_param_bounds(ebml_w, ecx, tps);
         encode_type(ecx, ebml_w, node_id_to_type(tcx, item.id));
         encode_path(ecx, ebml_w, path, ast_map::path_name(item.ident));
+        encode_attributes(ebml_w, item.attrs);
         if tps.len() > 0u || should_inline(item.attrs) {
             ecx.encode_inlined_item(ecx, ebml_w, path, ii_item(item));
         } else {
diff --git a/src/rustc/middle/lang_items.rs b/src/rustc/middle/lang_items.rs
index 033a1c0f0a8..2cf26904b0d 100644
--- a/src/rustc/middle/lang_items.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/middle/lang_items.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ use driver::session::session;
 use metadata::csearch::{each_path, get_item_attrs};
 use metadata::cstore::{iter_crate_data};
 use metadata::decoder::{dl_def, dl_field, dl_impl};
-use syntax::ast::{crate, def_id, def_ty, lit_str, meta_item, meta_list};
-use syntax::ast::{meta_name_value, meta_word};
+use syntax::ast::{crate, def_fn, def_id, def_ty, lit_str, meta_item};
+use syntax::ast::{meta_list, meta_name_value, meta_word};
 use syntax::ast_util::{local_def};
 use syntax::visit::{default_simple_visitor, mk_simple_visitor};
 use syntax::visit::{visit_crate, visit_item};
@@ -23,26 +23,28 @@ use std::map::{hashmap, str_hash};
 use str_eq = str::eq;
 
 struct LanguageItems {
-    mut const_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut copy_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut send_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut owned_trait: Option<def_id>;
+    mut const_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut copy_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut send_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut owned_trait: Option<def_id>,
 
-    mut add_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut sub_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut mul_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut div_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut modulo_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut neg_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut bitxor_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut bitand_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut bitor_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut shl_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut shr_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut index_trait: Option<def_id>;
+    mut add_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut sub_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut mul_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut div_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut modulo_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut neg_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut bitxor_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut bitand_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut bitor_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut shl_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut shr_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut index_trait: Option<def_id>,
 
-    mut eq_trait: Option<def_id>;
-    mut ord_trait: Option<def_id>;
+    mut eq_trait: Option<def_id>,
+    mut ord_trait: Option<def_id>,
+
+    mut str_eq_fn: Option<def_id>
 }
 
 mod LanguageItems {
@@ -67,7 +69,9 @@ mod LanguageItems {
             index_trait: None,
 
             eq_trait: None,
-            ord_trait: None
+            ord_trait: None,
+
+            str_eq_fn: None
         }
     }
 }
@@ -99,6 +103,8 @@ fn LanguageItemCollector(crate: @crate, session: session,
     item_refs.insert(~"eq", &mut items.eq_trait);
     item_refs.insert(~"ord", &mut items.ord_trait);
 
+    item_refs.insert(~"str_eq", &mut items.str_eq_fn);
+
     LanguageItemCollector {
         crate: crate,
         session: session,
@@ -117,7 +123,6 @@ struct LanguageItemCollector {
 
     fn match_and_collect_meta_item(item_def_id: def_id,
                                    meta_item: meta_item) {
-
         match meta_item.node {
             meta_name_value(key, literal) => {
                 match literal.node {
@@ -183,7 +188,7 @@ struct LanguageItemCollector {
             for each_path(crate_store, crate_number) |path_entry| {
                 let def_id;
                 match path_entry.def_like {
-                    dl_def(def_ty(did)) => {
+                    dl_def(def_ty(did)) | dl_def(def_fn(did, _)) => {
                         def_id = did;
                     }
                     dl_def(_) | dl_impl(_) | dl_field => {