diff --git a/project.gyp b/project.gyp
index 79e9aa27..5751ec8d 100644
--- a/project.gyp
+++ b/project.gyp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
         'src/compiler/build_tables/parse_item.cc',
         'src/compiler/build_tables/parse_conflict_manager.cc',
         'src/compiler/build_tables/rule_can_be_blank.cc',
+        'src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.cc',
         'src/compiler/compile.cc',
         'src/compiler/generate_code/c_code.cc',
         'src/compiler/lex_table.cc',
diff --git a/spec/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol_spec.cc b/spec/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol_spec.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19508063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol_spec.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#include "spec_helper.h"
+#include "helpers/stream_methods.h"
+#include "compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.h"
+#include "compiler/syntax_grammar.h"
+
+using namespace rules;
+using build_tables::symbols_by_first_symbol;
+
+START_TEST
+
+describe("symbols_by_first_symbol", [&]() {
+  SyntaxGrammar grammar{{
+
+    // starts with token-11 and token-13
+    SyntaxVariable("rule-0", VariableTypeNamed, vector<Production>({
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(11, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(12, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(13, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(14, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+    })),
+
+    // starts with rule-0, which implies token-11 and token-13
+    SyntaxVariable("rule-1", VariableTypeNamed, vector<Production>({
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(0), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(12, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+    })),
+
+    // starts with token-15 and rule-1, which implies token-11 and token-13
+    SyntaxVariable("rule-2", VariableTypeNamed, vector<Production>({
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(1), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(15, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+    })),
+
+    // starts with token-15
+    SyntaxVariable("rule-3", VariableTypeNamed, vector<Production>({
+      Production({
+        ProductionStep(Symbol(15, true), 0, rules::AssociativityNone),
+      }),
+    }))
+  }, {}, {}};
+
+  it("gives the set of non-terminals that can start with any given terminal", [&]() {
+    auto result = symbols_by_first_symbol(grammar);
+
+    AssertThat(result, Equals(map<Symbol, set<Symbol>>({
+      {
+        Symbol(11, true), {
+          Symbol(11, true),
+          Symbol(0),
+          Symbol(1),
+          Symbol(2),
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        Symbol(13, true), {
+          Symbol(13, true),
+          Symbol(0),
+          Symbol(1),
+          Symbol(2),
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        Symbol(15, true), {
+          Symbol(15, true),
+          Symbol(2),
+          Symbol(3)
+        }
+      },
+    })));
+  });
+});
+
+END_TEST
diff --git a/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.cc b/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1da78b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#include "compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.h"
+#include "compiler/syntax_grammar.h"
+#include "compiler/rules/symbol.h"
+
+namespace tree_sitter {
+namespace build_tables {
+
+using std::map;
+using std::set;
+using rules::Symbol;
+
+map<Symbol, set<Symbol>> symbols_by_first_symbol(const SyntaxGrammar &grammar) {
+  map<Symbol, set<Symbol>> result;
+
+  size_t variable_index = -1;
+  for (const SyntaxVariable &variable : grammar.variables) {
+    variable_index++;
+    Symbol symbol(variable_index);
+    result[symbol].insert(symbol);
+    for (const Production &production : variable.productions)
+      if (!production.empty()) {
+        Symbol first_symbol = production[0].symbol;
+        result[first_symbol].insert(symbol);
+        result[first_symbol].insert(first_symbol);
+      }
+  }
+
+  bool done = false;
+  while (!done) {
+    done = true;
+    for (auto &entry : result) {
+      set<Symbol> new_symbols;
+      for (const Symbol &symbol : entry.second)
+        for (const Symbol &other_symbol : result[symbol])
+          new_symbols.insert(other_symbol);
+
+      for (const Symbol &new_symbol : new_symbols)
+        if (entry.second.insert(new_symbol).second)
+          done = false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (auto iter = result.begin(), end = result.end(); iter != end;) {
+    if (!iter->first.is_token) {
+      result.erase(iter++);
+    } else {
+      iter++;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+}  // namespace build_tables
+}  // namespace tree_sitter
diff --git a/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.h b/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cd15178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/build_tables/symbols_by_first_symbol.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#ifndef COMPILER_BUILD_TABLES_SYMBOLS_BY_FIRST_SYMBOL_H_
+#define COMPILER_BUILD_TABLES_SYMBOLS_BY_FIRST_SYMBOL_H_
+
+#include <map>
+#include <set>
+#include "compiler/rules/symbol.h"
+
+namespace tree_sitter {
+
+struct SyntaxGrammar;
+
+namespace build_tables {
+
+std::map<rules::Symbol, std::set<rules::Symbol>> symbols_by_first_symbol(const SyntaxGrammar &);
+
+}  // namespace build_tables
+}  // namespace tree_sitter
+
+#endif  // COMPILER_BUILD_TABLES_SYMBOLS_BY_FIRST_SYMBOL_H_