diff --git a/mlir/lib/Target/LLVMIR/ModuleTranslation.cpp b/mlir/lib/Target/LLVMIR/ModuleTranslation.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Target/LLVMIR/ModuleTranslation.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Target/LLVMIR/ModuleTranslation.cpp
@@ -1391,8 +1391,6 @@
     return nullptr;
   if (failed(translator.createTBAAMetadata()))
     return nullptr;
-  if (failed(translator.convertFunctions()))
-    return nullptr;
 
   // Convert other top-level operations if possible.
   llvm::IRBuilder<> llvmBuilder(llvmContext);
@@ -1405,6 +1403,12 @@
     }
   }
 
+  // Operations in function bodies with symbolic references must be converted
+  // after the top-level operations they refer to are declared, so we do it
+  // last.
+  if (failed(translator.convertFunctions()))
+    return nullptr;
+
   // Convert module itself.
   if (failed(translator.convertOperation(*module, llvmBuilder)))
     return nullptr;