diff --git a/src/dobjtype.cpp b/src/dobjtype.cpp
index a7d70ca39..a6408c307 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.cpp
+++ b/src/dobjtype.cpp
@@ -3120,12 +3120,19 @@ PClass *PClass::CreateDerivedClass(FName name, unsigned int size)
 	{
 		if (existclass->Size == TentativeClass)
 		{
-			type = const_cast<PClass*>(existclass);
-			if (!IsDescendantOf(type->ParentClass))
+			if (!IsDescendantOf(existclass->ParentClass))
 			{
-				I_Error("%s must inherit from %s but doesn't.", name.GetChars(), type->ParentClass->TypeName.GetChars());
+				I_Error("%s must inherit from %s but doesn't.", name.GetChars(), existclass->ParentClass->TypeName.GetChars());
+			}
+
+			if (size == TentativeClass)
+			{
+				// see if we can reuse the existing class. This is only possible if the inheritance is identical. Otherwise it needs to be replaced.
+				if (this == existclass->ParentClass)
+				{
+					return existclass;
+				}
 			}
-			DPrintf(DMSG_SPAMMY, "Defining placeholder class %s\n", name.GetChars());
 			notnew = true;
 		}
 		else
@@ -3142,11 +3149,14 @@ PClass *PClass::CreateDerivedClass(FName name, unsigned int size)
 	// Create a new type object of the same type as us. (We may be a derived class of PClass.)
 	type = static_cast<PClass *>(GetClass()->CreateNew());
 
-	type->Size = size;
 	Derive(type, name);
-	type->InitializeDefaults();
-	type->Virtuals = Virtuals;
-	DeriveData(type);
+	type->Size = size;
+	if (size != TentativeClass)
+	{
+		type->InitializeDefaults();
+		type->Virtuals = Virtuals;
+		DeriveData(type);
+	}
 	if (!notnew)
 	{
 		type->InsertIntoHash();
@@ -3197,7 +3207,7 @@ PField *PClass::AddField(FName name, PType *type, DWORD flags)
 //
 //==========================================================================
 
-PClass *PClass::FindClassTentative(FName name, bool fatal)
+PClass *PClass::FindClassTentative(FName name)
 {
 	if (name == NAME_None)
 	{
diff --git a/src/dobjtype.h b/src/dobjtype.h
index 7746dce29..be15193a4 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.h
+++ b/src/dobjtype.h
@@ -145,15 +145,6 @@ struct PSymbolTable
 		return MapType::Iterator(Symbols);
 	}
 
-	// add a name to help debugging.
-#ifdef _DEBUG
-	FString name;
-	void SetName(const char *nm) { name = nm; }
-#else
-	void SetName(const char *) {}
-#endif
-
-
 private:
 
 	PSymbolTable *ParentSymbolTable;
@@ -828,7 +819,7 @@ public:
 	static PClassActor *FindActor(const FString &name)	{ return FindActor(FName(name, true)); }
 	static PClassActor *FindActor(ENamedName name)		{ return FindActor(FName(name)); }
 	static PClassActor *FindActor(FName name);
-	PClass *FindClassTentative(FName name, bool fatal = true);	// not static!
+	PClass *FindClassTentative(FName name);
 
 	static TArray<PClass *> AllClasses;
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
index f52e0e062..c42ef299a 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
@@ -89,10 +89,6 @@ void ZCCCompiler::ProcessClass(ZCC_Class *cnode, PSymbolTreeNode *treenode)
 	PSymbolTreeNode *childnode;
 	ZCC_Enum *enumType = nullptr;
 
-	FString name;
-	name << "nodes - " << FName(cnode->NodeName);
-	cls->TreeNodes.SetName(name);
-
 	// Need to check if the class actually has a body.
 	if (node != nullptr) do
 	{
@@ -418,7 +414,6 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateStructTypes()
 		s->Outer = s->OuterDef == nullptr? nullptr : s->OuterDef->Type;
 		s->strct->Type = NewStruct(s->NodeName(), s->Outer);
 		s->strct->Symbol = new PSymbolType(s->NodeName(), s->Type());
-		s->Type()->Symbols.SetName(FName(s->NodeName()));
 		GlobalSymbols.AddSymbol(s->strct->Symbol);
 
 		for (auto e : s->Enums)
@@ -486,6 +481,7 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 					if (me == nullptr)
 					{
 						Error(c->cls, "Unknown native class %s", c->NodeName().GetChars());
+						// Create a placeholder so that the compiler can continue looking for errors.
 						me = parent->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
 					}
 					else if (me->bRuntimeClass)
@@ -523,12 +519,25 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 					}
 
 					// We will never get here if the name is a duplicate, so we can just do the assignment.
-					c->cls->Type = parent->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
+					try
+					{
+						c->cls->Type = parent->CreateDerivedClass(c->NodeName(), TentativeClass);
+						if (c->Type() == nullptr)
+						{
+							Error(c->cls, "Class name %s already exists", c->NodeName().GetChars());
+						}
+					}
+					catch (CRecoverableError &err)
+					{
+						Error(c->cls, "%s", err.GetMessage());
+						// create a placeholder so that the compiler can continue looking for errors.
+						c->cls->Type = nullptr;
+					}
 				}
+				if (c->Type() == nullptr) c->cls->Type = parent->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
 				c->Type()->bExported = true;	// this class is accessible to script side type casts. (The reason for this flag is that types like PInt need to be skipped.)
 				c->cls->Symbol = new PSymbolType(c->NodeName(), c->Type());
 				GlobalSymbols.AddSymbol(c->cls->Symbol);
-				c->Type()->Symbols.SetName(c->NodeName());
 				Classes.Push(c);
 				OrigClasses.Delete(i--);
 				donesomething = true;
@@ -553,7 +562,6 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 					c->cls->Type = RUNTIME_CLASS(DObject)->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
 					c->cls->Symbol = new PSymbolType(c->NodeName(), c->Type());
 					GlobalSymbols.AddSymbol(c->cls->Symbol);
-					c->Type()->Symbols.SetName(c->NodeName());
 					Classes.Push(c);
 					OrigClasses.Delete(i--);
 					donesomething = true;
@@ -569,7 +577,6 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 		Error(c->cls, "Class %s has circular inheritance", FName(c->NodeName()).GetChars());
 		c->cls->Type = RUNTIME_CLASS(DObject)->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
 		c->cls->Symbol = new PSymbolType(c->NodeName(), c->Type());
-		c->Type()->Symbols.SetName(FName(c->NodeName()).GetChars());
 		GlobalSymbols.AddSymbol(c->cls->Symbol);
 		Classes.Push(c);
 	}
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
index 098a38d82..de3d2c7e1 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
@@ -375,7 +375,6 @@ static void DoParse(int lumpnum)
 	}
 
 	PSymbolTable symtable;
-	symtable.SetName("Global_Node");
 	ZCCCompiler cc(state, NULL, symtable, GlobalSymbols, lumpnum);
 	cc.Compile();