diff --git a/elab_scope.cc b/elab_scope.cc
index 5c3db1c34..e611a9073 100644
--- a/elab_scope.cc
+++ b/elab_scope.cc
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ static void elaborate_scope_class(Design*des, NetScope*scope, PClass*pclass)
 
       netclass_t*use_base_class = 0;
       if (base_class) {
+	    ivl_assert(*pclass, scope);
 	    use_base_class = scope->find_class(base_class->name);
 	    if (use_base_class == 0) {
 		  cerr << pclass->get_fileline() << ": error: "
@@ -440,14 +441,22 @@ static void elaborate_scope_class(Design*des, NetScope*scope, PClass*pclass)
 	// elaborated class definition.
       for (map<perm_string, class_type_t::prop_info_t>::iterator cur = use_type->properties.begin()
 		 ; cur != use_type->properties.end() ; ++ cur) {
-	    ivl_type_s*tmp = cur->second.type->elaborate_type(des, scope);
-	    ivl_assert(*pclass, tmp);
-	    if (debug_scopes) {
-		  cerr << pclass->get_fileline() << ": elaborate_scope_class: "
-		       << "  Property " << cur->first
-		       << " type=" << *tmp << endl;
+
+	    if (scope) {
+		  ivl_type_s*tmp = cur->second.type->elaborate_type(des, scope);
+		  ivl_assert(*pclass, tmp);
+		  if (debug_scopes) {
+			cerr << pclass->get_fileline() << ": elaborate_scope_class: "
+			     << "  Property " << cur->first
+			     << " type=" << *tmp << endl;
+		  }
+		  use_class->set_property(cur->first, cur->second.qual, tmp);
+	    } else {
+		  cerr << pclass->get_fileline() << ": sorry: Don't know how to elaborate "
+		       << "property " << cur->first
+		       << " for class type in $root scope," << endl;
+		  des->errors += 1;
 	    }
-	    use_class->set_property(cur->first, cur->second.qual, tmp);
       }
 
       for (map<perm_string,PTask*>::iterator cur = pclass->tasks.begin()
@@ -486,7 +495,14 @@ static void elaborate_scope_class(Design*des, NetScope*scope, PClass*pclass)
 	    cur->second->elaborate_scope(des, method_scope);
       }
 
-      scope->add_class(use_class);
+      if (scope) {
+	    scope->add_class(use_class);
+
+      } else {
+	    cerr << pclass->get_fileline() << ": sorry: "
+		 << "Don't know how to elaborate class in $root scope." << endl;
+	    des->errors += 1;
+      }
 }
 
 static void elaborate_scope_classes(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
@@ -498,6 +514,18 @@ static void elaborate_scope_classes(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
       }
 }
 
+void elaborate_rootscope_classes(Design*des)
+{
+      if (pform_classes.empty())
+	    return;
+
+      for (map<perm_string,PClass*>::iterator cur = pform_classes.begin()
+		 ; cur != pform_classes.end() ; ++ cur) {
+	    blend_class_constructors(cur->second);
+	    elaborate_scope_class(des, 0, cur->second);
+      }
+}
+
 static void replace_scope_parameters_(NetScope*scope, const LineInfo&loc,
 			              const Module::replace_t&replacements)
 {
diff --git a/elaborate.cc b/elaborate.cc
index ec5f0544e..c63566d47 100644
--- a/elaborate.cc
+++ b/elaborate.cc
@@ -5993,6 +5993,9 @@ Design* elaborate(list<perm_string>roots)
 	// Elaborate enum sets in $root scope.
       elaborate_rootscope_enumerations(des);
 
+	// Elaborate classes in $root scope.
+      elaborate_rootscope_classes(des);
+
 	// Elaborate the packages. Package elaboration is simpler
 	// because there are fewer sub-scopes involved.
       i = 0;
diff --git a/parse_api.h b/parse_api.h
index e58b0963e..d80948c2f 100644
--- a/parse_api.h
+++ b/parse_api.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 class Design;
 class Module;
+class PClass;
 class PPackage;
 class PUdp;
 class data_type_t;
@@ -42,11 +43,13 @@ extern std::map<perm_string,Module*> pform_modules;
 extern std::map<perm_string,PUdp*>   pform_primitives;
 extern std::map<perm_string,data_type_t*> pform_typedefs;
 extern std::set<enum_type_t*> pform_enum_sets;
-
+extern std::map<perm_string,PClass*> pform_classes;
 extern std::map<perm_string,PPackage*> pform_packages;
+
 extern void pform_dump(std::ostream&out, const PPackage*pac);
 
 extern void elaborate_rootscope_enumerations(Design*des);
+extern void elaborate_rootscope_classes(Design*des);
 
 /*
  * This code actually invokes the parser to make modules. The first
diff --git a/pform.cc b/pform.cc
index f637f9b06..da7bc964f 100644
--- a/pform.cc
+++ b/pform.cc
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ map<perm_string,PUdp*> pform_primitives;
 map<perm_string,data_type_t*>pform_typedefs;
 set<enum_type_t*>pform_enum_sets;
 
+/*
+ * Class definitions in the $root scope go here.
+ */
+map<perm_string,PClass*> pform_classes;
+
 std::string vlltype::get_fileline() const
 {
       ostringstream buf;
@@ -331,10 +336,7 @@ PClass* pform_push_class_scope(const struct vlltype&loc, perm_string name)
 	/* If no scope was found then this is being defined in the
 	 * compilation unit scope. */
       if (scopex == 0) {
-	    cerr << class_scope->get_fileline() << ": sorry: class "
-	            "declarations in the compilation unit scope are not yet "
-	            "supported." << endl;
-	    error_count += 1;
+	    pform_classes[name] = class_scope;
 	    lexical_scope = class_scope;
 	    return class_scope;
       }