diff --git a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/backend.dart b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/backend.dart
index 6ac1c1565c3..5b843feaa59 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/backend.dart
+++ b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/backend.dart
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ import 'constant_handler_javascript.dart';
 import 'custom_elements_analysis.dart';
 import 'enqueuer.dart';
 import 'js_interop_analysis.dart' show JsInteropAnalysis;
-import 'kernel_task.dart';
+import '../kernel/task.dart';
 import 'lookup_map_analysis.dart' show LookupMapAnalysis;
 import 'namer.dart';
 import 'native_data.dart' show NativeData;
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ class JavaScriptBackend extends Backend {
     List<CompilerTask> result = functionCompiler.tasks;
     result.add(emitter);
     result.add(patchResolverTask);
+    result.add(kernelTask);
     return result;
   }
 
@@ -629,7 +630,7 @@ class JavaScriptBackend extends Backend {
     jsInteropAnalysis = new JsInteropAnalysis(this);
 
     noSuchMethodRegistry = new NoSuchMethodRegistry(this);
-    kernelTask = new KernelTask(this);
+    kernelTask = new KernelTask(compiler);
     constantCompilerTask = new JavaScriptConstantTask(compiler);
     impactTransformer = new JavaScriptImpactTransformer(this);
     patchResolverTask = new PatchResolverTask(compiler);
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/kernel_task.dart b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/kernel/task.dart
similarity index 77%
rename from pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/kernel_task.dart
rename to pkg/compiler/lib/src/kernel/task.dart
index 9f0c0d919b3..59cf0b4ea9e 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/js_backend/kernel_task.dart
+++ b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/kernel/task.dart
@@ -2,33 +2,35 @@
 // for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 // BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-import '../compiler.dart';
 import '../common/names.dart';
+import '../common/tasks.dart' show CompilerTask;
+import '../compiler.dart';
 import '../elements/elements.dart';
-import '../kernel/kernel.dart';
+import 'kernel.dart';
 import 'package:kernel/ast.dart' as ir;
 
-import 'backend.dart';
-
 /// Visits the compiler main function and builds the kernel representation.
 ///
 /// This creates a mapping from kernel nodes to AST nodes to be used later.
-class KernelTask {
+class KernelTask extends CompilerTask {
+  get name => "kernel";
+
   final Compiler _compiler;
   final Kernel kernel;
 
-  KernelTask(JavaScriptBackend backend)
-      : this._compiler = backend.compiler,
-        this.kernel = new Kernel(backend.compiler);
+  KernelTask(Compiler compiler)
+      : this._compiler = compiler,
+        this.kernel = new Kernel(compiler),
+        super(compiler.measurer);
 
   ir.Program program;
 
   /// Builds the kernel IR for the main function.
   ///
   /// May enqueue more elements to the resolution queue.
-  void buildKernelIr() {
+  void buildKernelIr() => measure(() {
     program = buildProgram(_compiler.mainApp);
-  }
+  });
 
   /// Builds the kernel IR program for the main function exported from
   /// [library].