diff --git a/taskflow/engines/action_engine/compiler.py b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/compiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..446ded95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/compiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+#    Copyright (C) 2014 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import collections
+
+from taskflow import exceptions as exc
+from taskflow.utils import flow_utils
+
+# The result of a compilers compile() is this tuple (for now it is just a
+# execution graph but in the future it may grow to include more attributes
+# that help the runtime units execute in a more optimal/featureful manner).
+Compilation = collections.namedtuple("Compilation", ["execution_graph"])
+
+
+class PatternCompiler(object):
+    """Compiles patterns & atoms (potentially nested) into an compilation
+    unit with a *logically* equivalent directed acyclic graph representation.
+
+    NOTE(harlowja): during this pattern translation process any nested flows
+    will be converted into there equivalent subgraphs. This currently implies
+    that contained atoms in those nested flows, post-translation will no longer
+    be associated with there previously containing flow but instead will lose
+    this identity and what will remain is the logical constraints that there
+    contained flow mandated. In the future this may be changed so that this
+    association is not lost via the compilation process (since it is sometime
+    useful to retain part of this relationship).
+    """
+    def compile(self, root):
+        graph = flow_utils.flatten(root)
+        if graph.number_of_nodes() == 0:
+            # Try to get a name attribute, otherwise just use the object
+            # string representation directly if that attribute does not exist.
+            name = getattr(root, 'name', root)
+            raise exc.Empty("Root container '%s' (%s) is empty."
+                            % (name, type(root)))
+        return Compilation(graph)
diff --git a/taskflow/engines/action_engine/engine.py b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/engine.py
index eecba801..ae69aac2 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/action_engine/engine.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/engine.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import threading
 
+from taskflow.engines.action_engine import compiler
 from taskflow.engines.action_engine import executor
 from taskflow.engines.action_engine import graph_action
 from taskflow.engines.action_engine import graph_analyzer
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ from taskflow import retry
 from taskflow import states
 from taskflow import storage as t_storage
 
-from taskflow.utils import flow_utils
 from taskflow.utils import lock_utils
 from taskflow.utils import misc
 from taskflow.utils import reflection
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ class ActionEngine(base.EngineBase):
     _task_action_factory = task_action.TaskAction
     _task_executor_factory = executor.SerialTaskExecutor
     _retry_action_factory = retry_action.RetryAction
+    _compiler_factory = compiler.PatternCompiler
 
     def __init__(self, flow, flow_detail, backend, conf):
         super(ActionEngine, self).__init__(flow, flow_detail, backend, conf)
@@ -208,15 +209,18 @@ class ActionEngine(base.EngineBase):
         return self._task_action_factory(self.storage, self._task_executor,
                                          self.task_notifier)
 
+    @misc.cachedproperty
+    def _compiler(self):
+        return self._compiler_factory()
+
     @lock_utils.locked
     def compile(self):
         if self._compiled:
             return
-        execution_graph = flow_utils.flatten(self._flow)
-        if execution_graph.number_of_nodes() == 0:
-            raise exc.Empty("Flow %s is empty." % self._flow.name)
-        self._analyzer = self._graph_analyzer_factory(execution_graph,
-                                                      self.storage)
+        compilation = self._compiler.compile(self._flow)
+        if self._analyzer is None:
+            self._analyzer = self._graph_analyzer_factory(
+                compilation.execution_graph, self.storage)
         self._root = self._graph_action_factory(self._analyzer,
                                                 self.storage,
                                                 self._task_action,