diff --git a/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs b/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
index bf62ce37d09..697e6c509ca 100644
--- a/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
+++ b/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ fn compile_input(session::session sess, ast::crate_cfg cfg, str input,
     }
     auto ast_map = time(time_passes, "ast indexing",
                         bind middle::ast_map::map_crate(*crate));
+    time(time_passes, "external crate/lib resolution",
+         bind creader::read_crates(sess, *crate));
     auto d =
         time(time_passes, "resolution",
              bind resolve::resolve_crate(sess, ast_map, crate));
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs b/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
index c01cf90ed93..668ef7596bd 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/resolve.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import ast::def_id;
 import ast::node_id;
 import ast::local_def;
 
-import metadata::creader;
 import metadata::decoder;
 import metadata::cstore;
 import driver::session::session;
@@ -125,7 +124,6 @@ tag namespace { ns_value; ns_type; ns_module; }
 
 fn resolve_crate(session sess, &ast_map::map amap, @ast::crate crate) ->
    tup(def_map, constr_table) {
-    creader::read_crates(sess, *crate);
     auto e =
         @rec(crate_map=sess.get_cstore().use_crate_map,
              def_map=new_int_hash[def](),