diff --git a/lib/ast.js b/lib/ast.js
index b78a85b2..faae55fd 100644
--- a/lib/ast.js
+++ b/lib/ast.js
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ var AST_ObjectGetter = DEFNODE("ObjectGetter", "static", {
 
 var AST_Class = DEFNODE("Class", "name extends properties", {
     $propdoc: {
-        name: "[AST_SymbolClassName?] optional class name.",
+        name: "[AST_SymbolClass|AST_SymbolDefClass?] optional class name.",
         extends: "[AST_Node]? optional parent class",
         properties: "[AST_ObjectProperty*] array of properties"
     },
@@ -986,6 +986,14 @@ var AST_Class = DEFNODE("Class", "name extends properties", {
     },
 }, AST_Scope);
 
+var AST_DefClass = DEFNODE("DefClass", null, {
+    $documentation: "A class definition",
+}, AST_Class);
+
+var AST_ClassExpression = DEFNODE("ClassExpression", null, {
+    $documentation: "A class expression."
+}, AST_Class);
+
 var AST_Symbol = DEFNODE("Symbol", "scope name thedef", {
     $propdoc: {
         name: "[string] name of this symbol",
@@ -1030,7 +1038,11 @@ var AST_SymbolLambda = DEFNODE("SymbolLambda", null, {
     $documentation: "Symbol naming a function expression",
 }, AST_SymbolDeclaration);
 
-var AST_SymbolClassName = DEFNODE("SymbolClassName", null, {
+var AST_SymbolDefClass = DEFNODE("SymbolDefClass", null, {
+    $documentation: "Symbol naming a class's name in a class declaration. Lexically scoped to its containing scope, and accessible within the class."
+}, AST_SymbolDeclaration);
+
+var AST_SymbolClass = DEFNODE("SymbolClass", null, {
     $documentation: "Symbol naming a class's name. Lexically scoped to the class."
 }, AST_SymbolDeclaration);
 
diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 5aee6017..9341ad39 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ function parse($TEXT, options) {
                 return for_();
 
               case "class":
-                return class_();
+                return class_(AST_DefClass);
 
               case "function":
                 return function_(AST_Defun);
@@ -1379,7 +1379,7 @@ function parse($TEXT, options) {
         }
         if (is("keyword", "class")) {
             next();
-            var cls = class_();
+            var cls = class_(AST_ClassExpression);
             cls.start = start;
             cls.end = prev();
             return subscripts(cls, allow_calls);
@@ -1497,11 +1497,15 @@ function parse($TEXT, options) {
         return new AST_Object({ properties: a })
     });
 
-    function class_() {
+    function class_(KindOfClass) {
         var start, method, class_name, name, extends_, a = [];
 
         if (S.token.type == "name" && S.token.value != "extends") {
-            class_name = as_symbol(AST_SymbolClassName)
+            class_name = as_symbol(KindOfClass === AST_DefClass ? AST_SymbolDefClass : AST_SymbolClass);
+        }
+
+        if (KindOfClass === AST_DefClass && !class_name) {
+            croak();
         }
 
         if (S.token.value == "extends") {
@@ -1523,7 +1527,7 @@ function parse($TEXT, options) {
 
         next();
 
-        return new AST_Class({
+        return new KindOfClass({
             start: start,
             name: class_name,
             extends: extends_,