diff --git a/parser/accessors.go b/parser/accessors.go
index 42b378b..776a387 100644
--- a/parser/accessors.go
+++ b/parser/accessors.go
@@ -197,6 +197,12 @@ func (section FaceSection) Behaviors () (iterator types.Iterator[FaceBehavior])
 	return
 }
 
+// External returns whether or not the data section is external.
+func (section DataSection) External () (external bool) {
+	external = section.external
+	return
+}
+
 // Kind returns what kind of phrase it is.
 func (phrase Phrase) Kind () (kind PhraseKind) {
 	kind = phrase.kind
diff --git a/parser/data.go b/parser/data.go
index fa19ff0..0643697 100644
--- a/parser/data.go
+++ b/parser/data.go
@@ -32,6 +32,25 @@ func (parser *ParsingOperation) parseDataSection () (
 		err = parser.nextToken()
 		if err != nil { return }
 
+		// check if external
+		if !parser.token.Is(lexer.TokenKindIndent) { return }
+		if parser.token.Value().(int) != 1     { return }
+		
+		err = parser.nextToken()
+		if err != nil { return }
+		if parser.token.Is(lexer.TokenKindName) &&
+			parser.token.Value().(string) == "external" {
+		
+			section.external = true
+			err = parser.nextToken(lexer.TokenKindNewline)
+			if err != nil { return }
+			err = parser.nextToken()
+			if err != nil { return }
+			return
+		}
+
+		// otherwise, parse initialization values
+		parser.previousToken()
 		section.value, err = parser.parseInitializationValues(0)
 		if err != nil { return }
 	} else {
diff --git a/parser/data_test.go b/parser/data_test.go
index 08c77d9..aa01b6b 100644
--- a/parser/data_test.go
+++ b/parser/data_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ data ro kNestedObject:Obj
 		.bird0 324
 		.bird1 "hello world"
 data ro lMutIntegerArray16:Int:16:mut
-data ro mIntegerArrayInitialized:Int:16:mut
+data ro mExternalData:Int:8
+	external
+data ro nIntegerArrayInitialized:Int:16:mut
 	3948
 	293
 	293049
diff --git a/parser/tree-tostring.go b/parser/tree-tostring.go
index 220cd7b..28c09ff 100644
--- a/parser/tree-tostring.go
+++ b/parser/tree-tostring.go
@@ -266,7 +266,10 @@ func (section DataSection) ToString (indent int) (output string) {
 		section.value.kind == ArgumentKindObjectInitializationValues ||
 		section.value.kind == ArgumentKindArrayInitializationValues
 
-	if section.value.value == nil {
+	if section.external {
+		output += "\n"
+		output += doIndent(indent + 1, "external\n")
+	} else if section.value.value == nil {
 		output += "\n"
 	} else if isComplexInitialization {
 		output += "\n"
diff --git a/parser/tree.go b/parser/tree.go
index 3b5f77c..aace30b 100644
--- a/parser/tree.go
+++ b/parser/tree.go
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ type DataSection struct {
 	typeable
 	permissionable
 	valuable
+
+	external bool
 }
 
 // TypeSection represents a blind type definition.
diff --git a/tests/parser/data/main.arf b/tests/parser/data/main.arf
index b850361..55833af 100644
--- a/tests/parser/data/main.arf
+++ b/tests/parser/data/main.arf
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ data ro kNestedObject:Obj
 
 data ro lMutIntegerArray16:Int:16:mut
 
-data ro mIntegerArrayInitialized:Int:16:mut
+data ro mExternalData:Int:8
+	external
+
+data ro nIntegerArrayInitialized:Int:16:mut
 	3948 293 293049 948 912
 	340 0 2304 0 4785 92