diff --git a/tests/app/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts b/tests/app/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
index 2299e7084..674a91961 100644
--- a/tests/app/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
+++ b/tests/app/xml-declaration/xml-declaration-tests.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,13 @@ export function test_parse_ShouldResolveExportsFromCodeFile() {
     TKUnit.assert((<any>page).customCodeLoaded, "Parse should resolve exports from custom code file.");
 }
 
+export function test_parse_ShouldResolveExportsFromImport() {
+    var page = builder.parse("<Page import='~/xml-declaration/custom-code-file' loaded='loaded'></Page>");
+    page._emit("loaded");
+
+    TKUnit.assert((<any>page).customCodeLoaded, "Parse should resolve exports from import.");
+}
+
 export function test_parse_ShouldResolveExportsFromCodeFileForPageContent() {
     var page = builder.parse("<Page codeFile='~/xml-declaration/custom-code-file' loaded='loaded'><Button loaded='loaded' /></Page>");
     (<any>page).content._emit("loaded");
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
index 568201b99..0199f353b 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ var MODULES = {
 var CODEFILE = "codeFile";
 var CSSFILE = "cssFile";
 
+var IMPORT = "import";
+
 var platform: typeof platformModule;
 function ensurePlatform() {
     if (!platform) {
@@ -82,6 +84,17 @@ export function getComponentModule(elementName: string, namespace: string, attri
     }
 
     if (attributes) {
+        if (attributes[IMPORT]) {
+            var importPath = attributes[IMPORT].trim();
+
+            if (importPath.indexOf("~/") === 0) {
+                importPath = path.join(knownFolders.currentApp().path, importPath.replace("~/", ""));
+            }
+
+            exports = global.loadModule(importPath);
+            (<any>instance).exports = exports;
+        }
+
         if (attributes[CODEFILE]) {
             if (instance instanceof Page) {
                 var codeFilePath = attributes[CODEFILE].trim();