diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/Makefile.am b/tools/qfcc/include/Makefile.am
index 638eb598c..96ac59aa4 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/Makefile.am
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS= foreign
 EXTRA_DIST=	class.h cpp.h debug.h def.h emit.h expr.h function.h \
 			idstuff.h immediate.h linker.h method.h obj_file.h opcodes.h \
 			options.h qfcc.h qfprogs.h reloc.h strpool.h struct.h switch.h \
-			type.h
+			symtab.h type.h
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/symtab.h b/tools/qfcc/include/symtab.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dada07926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/symtab.h
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+/*
+	symtab.h
+
+	Symbol table management
+
+	Copyright (C) 2011 Bill Currie <bill@taniwha.org>
+
+	Author: Bill Currie <bill@taniwha.org>
+	Date: 2011/01/04
+
+	This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+	modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+	as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+	of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+	This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+	but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+	MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+
+	See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+	You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+	along with this program; if not, write to:
+
+		Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+		59 Temple Place - Suite 330
+		Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA
+
+	$Id$
+*/
+
+#ifndef __symtab_h
+#define __symtab_h
+
+/**	\defgroup qfcc_symtab Symbol Table Management
+	\ingroup qfcc
+*/
+//@{
+//
+typedef enum {
+	sym_type,
+	sym_def,
+	sym_enum,
+	sym_class,
+} sym_type_e;
+
+typedef struct symbol_s {
+	struct symbol_s *next;		///< chain of symbols in symbol table
+	const char *name;			///< symbol name
+	sym_type_e  type;			///< symbol type (typedef, var, struct...)
+	union {
+		struct type_s *type;
+		struct def_s *def;
+		struct enumval_s *enm;
+		struct class_s *class;
+	} s;
+} symbol_t;
+
+typedef enum {
+	stab_global,				///< global (many symbols)
+	stab_local,					///< local (few symbols: func, struct)
+	stab_union,					///< offset always 0
+} stab_type_e;
+
+typedef struct symtab_s {
+	struct symtab_s *parent;	///< points to parent table
+	struct symtab_s *next;		///< next in global collection of symtabs
+	stab_type_e type;			///< type of symbol table
+	struct hashtab_s *tab;		///< symbols defined in this table
+	symbol_t   *symbols;		///< chain of symbols in this table
+	symbol_t  **symtail;		///< keep chain in declaration order
+} symtab_t;
+
+/**	Create a new, empty symbol table.
+
+	The symbol tables support scoping via their \c parent pointer. This
+	supports both code block scoping and ivar inheritance.
+
+	\param parent	Pointer to parent scope symbol table.
+	\param type		The type of symbol table. Currently governs expected size.
+	\return			The new, empty symbol table.
+*/
+symtab_t *new_symtab (symtab_t *parent, stab_type_e type);
+
+/**	Lookup a name in the symbol table.
+
+	The entire symbol table chain (symtab_t::parent) starting at symtab
+	will be checked for \a name.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table to search for \a name. If \a name is
+					not in the symbol table, the tables's parent, if it
+					exists, will be checked, and then its parent, until the
+					end of the chain.
+	\param name		The name to look up in the symbol table chain.
+*/
+symbol_t *symtab_lookup (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name);
+
+/**	Add a named type (\c typedef) to the symbol table.
+
+	Duplicate names will not be inserted (an error), but only the given
+	symbol table is checked for duplicate names, not the ancestor chain.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table to which the named type will be added.
+	\param name		The name of the type to be added to the symbol table.
+	\param type		The type to be added to the symbol table.
+	\return			The new symbol representing the named type or null if
+					an error occurred.
+*/
+symbol_t *symtab_add_type (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name,
+						   struct type_s *type);
+
+/**	Add a def to the symbol table.
+
+	Duplicate names will not be inserted (an error), but only the given
+	symbol table is checked for duplicate names, not the ancestor chain.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table to which the def will be added.
+	\param name		The name of the def to be added to the symbol table.
+	\param def		The def to be added to the symbol table.
+	\return			The new symbol representing the def or null if an
+					error occurred.
+*/
+symbol_t *symtab_add_def (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name,
+						  struct def_s *def);
+
+/**	Add an enum to the symbol table.
+
+	Duplicate names will not be inserted (an error), but only the given
+	symbol table is checked for duplicate names, not the ancestor chain.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table to which the enum will be added.
+	\param name		The name of the enum to be added to the symbol table.
+	\param enm		The enum to be added to the symbol table.
+	\return			The new symbol representing the enum or null if an
+					error occurred.
+*/
+symbol_t *symtab_add_enum (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name,
+						   struct enumval_s *enm);
+
+/**	Add a class to the symbol table.
+
+	Duplicate names will not be inserted (an error), but only the given
+	symbol table is checked for duplicate names, not the ancestor chain.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table to which the class will be added.
+	\param name		The name of the class to be added to the symbol table.
+	\param class	The class to be added to the symbol table.
+	\return			The new symbol representing the class or null if an
+					error occurred.
+*/
+symbol_t *symtab_add_class (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name,
+							struct class_s *class);
+
+/**	Create a new single symbol table from the given symbol table chain.
+
+	Create a new symbol table and add all of the symbols from the given
+	symbol table chain to the new symbol table. However, in order to
+	preserve scoping rules, duplicate names in ancestor tables will not be
+	added to the new table.
+
+	The new symbol table will be "local".
+
+	The intended use is for creating the ivar scope for methods.
+
+	\param symtab	The symbol table chain to be copied.
+	\param parent	The parent symbol table of the new symbol table, or
+					null.
+	\return			The new symbol table.
+
+	\dot
+	digraph symtab_flat_copy {
+		layout=fdp;
+		parent;
+		subgraph clusterI {
+			node [shape=record];
+			root [label="{<p>parent|integer\ x;|integer\ y;|float\ z;}"];
+			base [label="{<p>parent|float\ w;|float\ x;}"];
+			cur  [label="{<p>parent|float\ y;}"];
+			cur:p -> base;
+			base:p -> root;
+		}
+		subgraph clusterO {
+			node [shape=record];
+			out [label="{<p>parent|float\ z;|float\ w;|float\ x;|float\ y;}"];
+		}
+		symtab;
+		return;
+		symtab -> cur;
+		clusterI -> clusterO [len=1];
+		out:p -> parent;
+		return -> out;
+	}
+	\enddot
+*/
+symtab_t *symtab_flat_copy (symtab_t *symtab, symtab_t *parent);
+
+//@}
+
+#endif//__symtab_h
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/Makefile.am b/tools/qfcc/source/Makefile.am
index 312ebf2b3..67c47eea6 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/Makefile.am
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ EXTRA_PROGRAMS= qfcc qfprogs
 qfcc_SOURCES= \
 	class.c constfold.c cpp.c debug.c def.c emit.c expr.c function.c \
 	idstuff.c immediate.c linker.c method.c obj_file.c opcodes.c options.c \
-	qc-lex.l qc-parse.y qfcc.c reloc.c strpool.c struct.c switch.c type.c
+	qc-lex.l qc-parse.y qfcc.c reloc.c strpool.c struct.c switch.c symtab.c \
+	type.c
 
 qfcc_LDADD=			$(QFCC_LIBS)
 qfcc_DEPENDENCIES=	$(QFCC_DEPS)
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/symtab.c b/tools/qfcc/source/symtab.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5a1b3b02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/symtab.c
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "QF/hash.h"
+
+#include "class.h"
+#include "def.h"
+#include "qfcc.h"
+#include "symtab.h"
+#include "type.h"
+
+static symtab_t *free_symtabs;
+static symbol_t *free_symbols;
+
+static const char *
+sym_getkey (void *k, void *unused)
+{
+	return ((symbol_t *) k)->name;
+}
+
+symtab_t *
+new_symtab (symtab_t *parent, stab_type_e type)
+{
+	symtab_t    *symtab;
+	int          tabsize = 63;
+
+	ALLOC (16, symtab_t, symtabs, symtab);
+
+	symtab->parent = parent;
+	symtab->type = type;
+	if (symtab->type == stab_global)
+		tabsize = 1023;
+	symtab->tab = Hash_NewTable (tabsize, sym_getkey, 0, 0);
+	symtab->symtail = &symtab->symbols;
+	return symtab;
+}
+
+symbol_t *
+symtab_lookup (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	while (symtab) {
+		if ((symbol = Hash_Find (symtab->tab, name)))
+			return symbol;
+		symtab = symtab->parent;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static symbol_t *
+new_symbol (void)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	ALLOC (256, symbol_t, symbols, symbol);
+	return symbol;
+}
+
+static void
+add_symbol (symtab_t *symtab, symbol_t *symbol)
+{
+	Hash_Add (symtab->tab, symbol);
+	symbol->next = *symtab->symtail;
+	*symtab->symtail = symbol;
+	symtab->symtail = &symbol->next;
+}
+
+symbol_t *
+symtab_add_type (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name, type_t *type)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	if ((symbol = Hash_Find (symtab->tab, name))) {
+		// duplicate symbol
+	}
+	symbol = new_symbol ();
+	symbol->name = name;
+	symbol->type = sym_type;
+	symbol->s.type = type;
+	add_symbol (symtab, symbol);
+	return symbol;
+}
+
+symbol_t *
+symtab_add_def (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name, def_t *def)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	if ((symbol = Hash_Find (symtab->tab, name))) {
+		// duplicate symbol
+	}
+	symbol = new_symbol ();
+	symbol->name = name;
+	symbol->type = sym_def;
+	symbol->s.def = def;
+	add_symbol (symtab, symbol);
+	return symbol;
+}
+
+symbol_t *
+symtab_add_enum (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name, struct enumval_s *enm)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	if ((symbol = Hash_Find (symtab->tab, name))) {
+		// duplicate symbol
+	}
+	symbol = new_symbol ();
+	symbol->name = name;
+	symbol->type = sym_enum;
+	symbol->s.enm = enm;
+	add_symbol (symtab, symbol);
+	return symbol;
+}
+
+symbol_t *
+symtab_add_class (symtab_t *symtab, const char *name, class_t *class)
+{
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+	if ((symbol = Hash_Find (symtab->tab, name))) {
+		// duplicate symbol
+	}
+	symbol = new_symbol ();
+	symbol->name = name;
+	symbol->type = sym_class;
+	symbol->s.class = class;
+	add_symbol (symtab, symbol);
+	return symbol;
+}
+
+symtab_t *
+symtab_flat_copy (symtab_t *symtab, symtab_t *parent)
+{
+	symtab_t   *newtab;
+	symbol_t   *newsym;
+	symbol_t   *symbol;
+
+	newtab = new_symtab (parent, stab_local);
+	while (symtab) {
+		for (symbol = symtab->symbols; symbol; symbol = symbol->next) {
+			if (Hash_Find (newtab->tab, symbol->name))
+				continue;
+			newsym = new_symbol ();
+			*newsym = *symbol;
+			add_symbol (newtab, newsym);
+		}
+		symtab = symtab->parent;
+		// Set the tail pointer so symbols in ancestor tables come before
+		// those in decendent tables.
+		newtab->symtail = &newtab->symbols;
+	}
+	// Reset the tail pointer so any symbols added to newtab come after
+	// those copied from the input symbol table chain.
+	for (symbol = newtab->symbols; symbol && symbol->next;
+		 symbol = symbol->next)
+		;
+	newtab->symtail = symbol ? &symbol->next : &newtab->symbols;
+	return newtab;
+}