diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/defspace.h b/tools/qfcc/include/defspace.h
index b2d3aadeb..371af492e 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/defspace.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/defspace.h
@@ -39,10 +39,18 @@
 */
 //@{
 
+typedef enum {
+	ds_backed,		///< data space is globally addressable (near/far/type) and
+					///< has backing store
+	ds_virtual,		///< data space has no backing store (local vars, entity
+					///< fields)
+} ds_type_t;
+
 /** Represent a block of memory in the progs data space.
 */
 typedef struct defspace_s {
 	struct defspace_s *next;	///< for ALLOC
+	ds_type_t   type;			///< basic type of defspace
 	struct locref_s *free_locs;	///< list of free blocks in this space
 	struct def_s *defs;			///< list of defs using this space
 	struct def_s **def_tail;	///< for appending to \a defs
@@ -52,13 +60,17 @@ typedef struct defspace_s {
 	/** Grow the backing memory of the defspace.
 
 		This function is called when more memory is needed for the space.
-		The default \a grow function expands the backing memory by 1024
-		pr_type_t words and initializes them to 0. If null, more space cannot
-		be allocated and an internal error will be generated.
+		The default \a grow function for ds_backed defspaces expands the
+		backing memory by 1024 pr_type_t words and initializes them to 0.
+		Other defspace types do not actually allocate backing memory as it
+		is not needed.  If null, more space cannot be allocated and an
+		internal error will be generated.
 
 		\param space	This defspace.
 		\return			1 for success, 0 for failure. On failure, an internal
 						error will be generated.
+
+		\note Setting to null forces failure and thus an internal error.
 	*/
 	int       (*grow) (struct defspace_s *space);
 	int         qfo_space;		///< index to space in qfo spaces
@@ -70,9 +82,13 @@ typedef struct defspace_s {
 	initialized to the default grow function so the backing memory may be
 	accessed after space has been allocated via defspace_alloc_loc().
 
+	\param	type	The type of defspace to create. Affects only the default
+					defspace_t::grow function: ds_backed uses a grow function
+					that allocates backing memory, while ds_virtual uses a
+					grow function that only increases defspace_t::max_size
 	\return			The new, empty defspace.
 */
-defspace_t *defspace_new (void);
+defspace_t *defspace_new (ds_type_t type);
 
 /** Allocate space from the defspace's backing memory.
 
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/defspace.c b/tools/qfcc/source/defspace.c
index 870218bc9..bfa5a47aa 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/defspace.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/defspace.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ static locref_t *free_locrefs;
 #define GROW 1024
 
 static int
-grow_space (defspace_t *space)
+grow_space_global (defspace_t *space)
 {
 	int         size;
 
@@ -80,14 +80,35 @@ grow_space (defspace_t *space)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static int
+grow_space_virtual (defspace_t *space)
+{
+	int         size;
+
+	if (space->size <= space->max_size)
+		return 1;
+
+	size = space->size + GROW;
+	size -= size % GROW;
+	space->max_size = size;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 defspace_t *
-defspace_new (void)
+defspace_new (ds_type_t type)
 {
 	defspace_t *space;
 
 	ALLOC (1024, defspace_t, spaces, space);
 	space->def_tail = &space->defs;
-	space->grow = grow_space;
+	space->type = type;
+	if (type == ds_backed) {
+		space->grow = grow_space_global;
+	} else if (type == ds_virtual) {
+		space->grow = grow_space_virtual;
+	} else {
+		internal_error (0, "unknown defspace type");
+	}
 	return space;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/function.c b/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
index f08b35d97..feba863bd 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/function.c
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ build_scope (symbol_t *fsym, symtab_t *parent)
 
 	symtab = new_symtab (parent, stab_local);
 	fsym->s.func->symtab = symtab;
-	symtab->space = defspace_new ();
+	symtab->space = defspace_new (ds_virtual);
 	current_symtab = symtab;
 
 	if (fsym->type->t.func.num_params < 0) {
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/linker.c b/tools/qfcc/source/linker.c
index 309e8f256..7d843af6b 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/linker.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/linker.c
@@ -649,10 +649,10 @@ linker_begin (void)
 
 	work_strings = strpool_new ();
 	work_code = codespace_new ();
-	work_near_data = defspace_new ();
-	work_far_data = defspace_new ();
-	work_entity_data = defspace_new ();
-	work_type_data = defspace_new ();
+	work_near_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
+	work_far_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
+	work_entity_data = defspace_new (ds_virtual);
+	work_type_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
 
 	pr.strings = work_strings;
 
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/qfcc.c b/tools/qfcc/source/qfcc.c
index ba7610929..6e4f6cb28 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/qfcc.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/qfcc.c
@@ -155,21 +155,21 @@ InitData (void)
 	line->fa.func = -1;
 	line->line = -1;
 
-	pr.far_data = defspace_new ();
+	pr.far_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
 
-	pr.near_data = defspace_new ();
+	pr.near_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
 	pr.near_data->data = calloc (65536, sizeof (pr_type_t));
 	pr.near_data->max_size = 65536;
 	pr.near_data->grow = 0;
 
-	pr.type_data = defspace_new ();
+	pr.type_data = defspace_new (ds_backed);
 	defspace_alloc_loc (pr.type_data, 4);// reserve space for a null descriptor
 
 	pr.symtab = new_symtab (0, stab_global);
 	pr.symtab->space = pr.near_data;
 	current_symtab = pr.symtab;
 
-	pr.entity_data = defspace_new ();
+	pr.entity_data = defspace_new (ds_virtual);
 	pr.entity_fields = new_symtab (0, stab_global);
 	pr.entity_fields->space = pr.entity_data;;