diff --git a/vhdlpp/debug.cc b/vhdlpp/debug.cc
index 3cba11096..6dfe102a9 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/debug.cc
+++ b/vhdlpp/debug.cc
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ void Entity::dump(ostream&out) const
 {
       out << "entity " << name_
 	  << " file=" << get_fileline() << endl;
-      if (ports.size() == 0) {
+      if (ports_.size() == 0) {
 	    out << "    No ports" << endl;
       } else {
 	    out << "    PORTS:" << endl;
-	    for (vector<InterfacePort*>::const_iterator cur = ports.begin()
-		       ; cur != ports.end() ; ++cur) {
+	    for (vector<InterfacePort*>::const_iterator cur = ports_.begin()
+		       ; cur != ports_.end() ; ++cur) {
 		  InterfacePort*item = *cur;
 		  out << setw(6) << "" << item->name
 		      << " : " << item->mode
diff --git a/vhdlpp/entity.cc b/vhdlpp/entity.cc
index a674b558a..e0a847486 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/entity.cc
+++ b/vhdlpp/entity.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ Entity::~Entity()
 {
 }
 
+void Entity::set_interface(std::list<InterfacePort*>*ports)
+{
+	while (ports->size() > 0) {
+	      ports_.push_back(ports->front());
+	      ports->pop_front();
+	}
+}
+
 Architecture* Entity::add_architecture(Architecture*that)
 {
       if (Architecture*tmp = arch_ [that->get_name()]) {
diff --git a/vhdlpp/entity.h b/vhdlpp/entity.h
index 2974a6fb4..ffeb5246c 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/entity.h
+++ b/vhdlpp/entity.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
  */
 
 # include  <map>
+# include  <list>
 # include  <vector>
 # include  "StringHeap.h"
 # include  "LineInfo.h"
@@ -47,6 +48,12 @@ class Entity : public LineInfo {
 	// Entities have names.
       perm_string get_name() const { return name_; }
 
+	// Declare the ports for the entity. The parser calls this
+	// method with a list of interface elements that were parsed
+	// for the entity. This method collects those entities, and
+	// empties the list in the process.
+      void set_interface(std::list<InterfacePort*>*ports);
+
 	// bind an architecture to the entity, and return the
 	// Architecture that was bound. If there was a previous
 	// architecture with the same name bound, then do not replace
@@ -60,12 +67,11 @@ class Entity : public LineInfo {
 
       void dump(ostream&out) const;
 
-    public:
-      std::vector<InterfacePort*> ports;
-
     private:
       perm_string name_;
 
+      std::vector<InterfacePort*> ports_;
+
       std::map<perm_string,Architecture*>arch_;
 
       Architecture*bind_arch_;
diff --git a/vhdlpp/entity_emit.cc b/vhdlpp/entity_emit.cc
index 03299e83e..91d41a39f 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/entity_emit.cc
+++ b/vhdlpp/entity_emit.cc
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ int Entity::emit(ostream&out)
       out << "module " << name_;
 
 	// If there are ports, emit them.
-      if (ports.size() > 0) {
+      if (ports_.size() > 0) {
 	    out << "(";
 	    const char*sep = 0;
-	    for (vector<InterfacePort*>::iterator cur = ports.begin()
-		       ; cur != ports.end() ; ++cur) {
+	    for (vector<InterfacePort*>::iterator cur = ports_.begin()
+		       ; cur != ports_.end() ; ++cur) {
 		  InterfacePort*port = *cur;
 
 		    // FIXME: this is a stub. This port handling code
diff --git a/vhdlpp/parse.y b/vhdlpp/parse.y
index ebec95bbf..77178ab6a 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/parse.y
+++ b/vhdlpp/parse.y
@@ -194,10 +194,7 @@ entity_declaration
 	FILE_NAME(tmp, @1);
 	  // Transfer the ports
 	std::list<InterfacePort*>*ports = $4;
-	while (ports->size() > 0) {
-	      tmp->ports.push_back(ports->front());
-	      ports->pop_front();
-	}
+	tmp->set_interface(ports);
 	delete ports;
 	  // Save the entity in the entity map.
 	design_entities[tmp->get_name()] = tmp;
@@ -214,10 +211,7 @@ entity_declaration
 	delete[]$7;
 	// Transfer the ports
 	std::list<InterfacePort*>*ports = $4;
-	while (ports->size() > 0) {
-		tmp->ports.push_back(ports->front());
-		ports->pop_front();
-	}
+	tmp->set_interface(ports);
 	delete ports;
 	// Save the entity in the entity map.
 	design_entities[tmp->get_name()] = tmp;