diff --git a/include/igloo/ro.h b/include/igloo/ro.h
index 2d90dc4..86560cf 100644
--- a/include/igloo/ro.h
+++ b/include/igloo/ro.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ struct igloo_ro_type_tag {
     /* Size of this control structure */
     size_t              control_length;
     /* ABI version of this structure */
-#define igloo_RO__CONTROL_VERSION	1
     int                 control_version;
 
     /* Total length of the objects to be created */
diff --git a/include/igloo/typedef.h b/include/igloo/typedef.h
index 5c07194..d5372ff 100644
--- a/include/igloo/typedef.h
+++ b/include/igloo/typedef.h
@@ -28,8 +28,25 @@ extern "C" {
  * This header must be included before "types.h" and "ro.h" if used.
  */
 
-#define igloo_RO_TYPE(type)             type * subtype__ ## type;
-#define igloo_RO_FORWARD_TYPE(type)     extern const igloo_ro_type_t *igloo_ro__type__ ## type
+#define igloo_RO_TYPE(type)                         type * subtype__ ## type;
+
+#define igloo_RO__CONTROL_VERSION	1
+#define igloo_RO__DEFINE_TYPE(type, suffix, ...) \
+static const igloo_ro_type_t igloo_ro__typedef__ ## type = \
+{ \
+    .control_length = sizeof(igloo_ro_type_t), \
+    .control_version = igloo_RO__CONTROL_VERSION, \
+    .type_length = sizeof(type), \
+    .type_name = # type suffix \
+    , ## __VA_ARGS__ \
+}
+
+#define igloo_RO_FORWARD_TYPE(type)                 extern const igloo_ro_type_t *igloo_ro__type__ ## type
+#define igloo_RO_PUBLIC_TYPE(type, ...)             igloo_RO__DEFINE_TYPE(type, "", ## __VA_ARGS__); const igloo_ro_type_t * igloo_ro__type__ ## type = &igloo_ro__typedef__ ## type
+#define igloo_RO_PRIVATE_TYPE(type, ...)            igloo_RO__DEFINE_TYPE(type, " (private)", ## __VA_ARGS__); static const igloo_ro_type_t * igloo_ro__type__ ## type = &igloo_ro__typedef__ ## type
+#define igloo_RO_TYPEDECL_FREE(cb)                  .type_freecb = (cb)
+#define igloo_RO_TYPEDECL_NEW(cb)                   .type_newcb = (cb)
+#define igloo_RO_TYPEDECL_NEW_NOOP()                .type_newcb = igloo_ro_new__return_zero
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/ro.c b/src/ro.c
index 6e09a94..675d647 100644
--- a/src/ro.c
+++ b/src/ro.c
@@ -26,6 +26,17 @@
 
 #include <igloo/ro.h>
 
+/* This is not static as it is used by igloo_RO_TYPEDECL_NEW_NOOP() */
+int igloo_ro_new__return_zero(igloo_ro_t self, const igloo_ro_type_t *type, va_list ap)
+{
+    (void)self, (void)type, (void)ap;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+igloo_RO_PUBLIC_TYPE(igloo_ro_base_t,
+        igloo_RO_TYPEDECL_NEW_NOOP()
+        );
+
 static inline int check_type(const igloo_ro_type_t *type)
 {
     return type->control_length == sizeof(igloo_ro_type_t) && type->control_version == igloo_RO__CONTROL_VERSION &&