diff --git a/examples/0614-comptime-metatype-enum.sx b/examples/0614-comptime-metatype-enum.sx
index 91346f78..16674267 100644
--- a/examples/0614-comptime-metatype-enum.sx
+++ b/examples/0614-comptime-metatype-enum.sx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Comptime type construction: mint a NEW nominal enum from a `TypeInfo` value
-// via the `define(declare(), info)` primitives, then construct one of its
+// via the `define(declare("E"), info)` primitives, then construct one of its
 // variants and match on it — exercising that a programmatically-built enum
 // (with NO backing AST decl) flows through enum codegen unmodified (layout /
 // construct / match), byte-identical to a hand-written enum.
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #import "modules/std.sx";
 #import "modules/std/meta.sx";
 
-E :: define(declare(), .enum(.{ name = "E", variants = .[
+E :: define(declare("E"), .enum(.{ variants = .[
     EnumVariant.{ name = "value",  payload = i64  },
     EnumVariant.{ name = "closed", payload = void },
 ] }));
diff --git a/examples/0615-comptime-metatype-typefn-identity.sx b/examples/0615-comptime-metatype-typefn-identity.sx
index 115d0770..5a4858f6 100644
--- a/examples/0615-comptime-metatype-typefn-identity.sx
+++ b/examples/0615-comptime-metatype-typefn-identity.sx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Comptime type construction — identity: a type-fn that builds a type with
-// `define(declare(), ...)` must memoize by the instantiation's mangled name, so
+// `define(declare("Box"), ...)` must memoize by the instantiation's mangled name, so
 // `Box(i64)` resolved at two INDEPENDENT sites (here: a return type and a
 // parameter type) is ONE `TypeId`. A value built at one site is therefore
 // assignable / matchable at the other — nominal identity. If the minted result
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #import "modules/std/meta.sx";
 
 Box :: ($T: Type) -> Type {
-    return define(declare(), .enum(.{ name = "Box", variants = .[
+    return define(declare("Box"), .enum(.{ variants = .[
         EnumVariant.{ name = "some", payload = T    },
         EnumVariant.{ name = "none", payload = void },
     ] }));
diff --git a/library/modules/std/meta.sx b/library/modules/std/meta.sx
index c89f0cfd..69c481f3 100644
--- a/library/modules/std/meta.sx
+++ b/library/modules/std/meta.sx
@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@ EnumVariant :: struct {
     payload: Type;
 }
 
-// The shape of an enum/tagged-union being reflected or constructed. `name` is
-// the type's name — it travels WITH the shape (so `define` can name the slot and
-// `type_info` round-trips it); the compiler derives nothing from a binding LHS.
+// The shape of an enum/tagged-union being reflected or constructed. The type's
+// NAME is supplied to `declare(name)`, not here — `declare` needs it at compile
+// time to register the forward type so the body can reference itself (`*Name`).
 EnumInfo :: struct {
-    name: string;
     variants: []EnumVariant;
 }
 
@@ -33,20 +32,19 @@ TypeInfo :: enum {
 }
 
 // The compiler's ONLY type-construction primitives (comptime-only #builtins):
-//   declare()            — mint a NEW empty (undefined) nominal type, returned
-//                          as a `Type` handle. Using it before its `define` is a
-//                          loud error; references to it (`*Self`) are fine.
-//   define(handle, info) — fill a declared handle's body from a `TypeInfo`
-//                          (which carries the type's name), and RETURN the
-//                          handle so the one-shot form chains:
-//                              T :: define(declare(), info);
-// The recursive / mutually-recursive form keeps them apart so the handle can be
-// referenced inside its own definition:
-//      List :: declare();
-//      define(List, .enum(.{ name = "List", variants = .[
-//          EnumVariant.{ name = "cons", payload = *List },
-//          EnumVariant.{ name = "nil",  payload = void } ] }));
-declare    :: () -> Type #builtin;
+//   declare(name)        — mint a NEW empty (undefined) nominal type NAMED
+//                          `name`, returned as a `Type` handle. The compiler
+//                          registers the forward type at compile time, so the
+//                          body of `define` can reference it BY NAME — that's how
+//                          self-reference works (`payload = *List` resolves to the
+//                          forward `List`). Using the type before its `define` is
+//                          a loud error; a pointer to it is fine.
+//   define(handle, info) — fill a declared handle's body from a `TypeInfo`, and
+//                          RETURN the handle so the one-shot form chains:
+//                              List :: define(declare("List"), .enum(.{ variants = .[
+//                                  EnumVariant.{ name = "cons", payload = *List },
+//                                  EnumVariant.{ name = "nil",  payload = void } ] }));
+declare    :: (name: string) -> Type #builtin;
 define     :: (handle: Type, info: TypeInfo) -> Type #builtin;
 type_info  :: ($T: Type) -> TypeInfo #builtin;
 field_type :: ($T: Type, idx: i64) -> Type #builtin;
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ field_type :: ($T: Type, idx: i64) -> Type #builtin;
 
 // A blocking recv: a value, or the channel was closed (drained).
 RecvResult :: ($T: Type) -> Type {
-    return define(declare(), .enum(.{ name = "RecvResult", variants = .[
+    return define(declare("RecvResult"), .enum(.{ variants = .[
         EnumVariant.{ name = "value",  payload = T    },
         EnumVariant.{ name = "closed", payload = void },
     ] }));
@@ -70,7 +68,7 @@ RecvResult :: ($T: Type) -> Type {
 // A non-blocking try-recv: a value, currently empty, or closed — three states
 // a bool can't express.
 TryResult :: ($T: Type) -> Type {
-    return define(declare(), .enum(.{ name = "TryResult", variants = .[
+    return define(declare("TryResult"), .enum(.{ variants = .[
         EnumVariant.{ name = "value",  payload = T    },
         EnumVariant.{ name = "empty",  payload = void },
         EnumVariant.{ name = "closed", payload = void },
diff --git a/src/ir/interp.zig b/src/ir/interp.zig
index 4031747a..205aade6 100644
--- a/src/ir/interp.zig
+++ b/src/ir/interp.zig
@@ -189,10 +189,6 @@ pub const Interpreter = struct {
     /// that may run `declare`/`define`. Null elsewhere (unit tests, emit-time
     /// `#run`) → those builtins bail loudly.
     mint: ?*types.TypeTable = null,
-    /// Monotonic suffix for `declare()`'s anonymous slot names, so two
-    /// undefined slots alive at once don't collide in `findByName` before
-    /// `define` names them (or a type-fn renames them to the mangled name).
-    declare_counter: u32 = 0,
 
     // Heap: dynamically allocated memory blocks
     heap: std.ArrayList([]u8),
@@ -1980,14 +1976,14 @@ pub const Interpreter = struct {
             .declare => {
                 const tbl = self.mint orelse
                     return bailDetail("comptime declare(): no type-mint target (declare/define are comptime-only — reached at runtime/emit?)");
-                // Mint an EMPTY (undefined) tagged_union slot under a fresh
-                // anonymous name. The binding site (`E :: …` / type-fn) renames
-                // it to the real name afterwards. An empty `fields` is the
-                // "declared, not yet defined" state — `define` fills it.
-                var buf: [40]u8 = undefined;
-                const nm = std.fmt.bufPrint(&buf, "__reified_{d}", .{self.declare_counter}) catch "__reified";
-                self.declare_counter += 1;
+                if (bi.args.len != 1) return bailDetail("comptime declare(name): needs the name argument");
+                const nm = frame.getRef(bi.args[0]).asString(self) orelse
+                    return bailDetail("comptime declare(): name is not a string");
                 const name_id = tbl.internString(nm);
+                // Lowering already registered this named forward slot (so a
+                // `*Name` self-reference in the body resolved); return THAT slot
+                // so `define` completes the same one. Mint it if somehow absent.
+                if (tbl.findByName(name_id)) |existing| return .{ .value = .{ .type_tag = existing } };
                 const info: types.TypeInfo = .{ .tagged_union = .{
                     .name = name_id,
                     .fields = &.{},
@@ -2027,11 +2023,10 @@ pub const Interpreter = struct {
             .aggregate => |f| f,
             else => return bailDetail("comptime define(): `.enum` payload is not an EnumInfo struct value"),
         };
-        // EnumInfo = `{ name: string, variants: []EnumVariant }`. The name
-        // travels with the shape — `define` names the slot from it.
-        if (einfo_fields.len != 2) return bailDetail("comptime define(): EnumInfo must have `name` and `variants`");
-        const name = einfo_fields[0].asString(self) orelse return bailDetail("comptime define(): EnumInfo `name` is not a string");
-        const elems = decodeVariantElements(einfo_fields[1]) orelse
+        // EnumInfo = `{ variants: []EnumVariant }`. The name was given to
+        // `declare` (it's already the slot's name) — `define` only fills the body.
+        if (einfo_fields.len != 1) return bailDetail("comptime define(): EnumInfo must have a `variants` field");
+        const elems = decodeVariantElements(einfo_fields[0]) orelse
             return bailDetail("comptime define(): `variants` is not a slice/array of EnumVariant");
         if (elems.len == 0) return bailDetail("comptime define(): enum has no variants");
 
@@ -2047,22 +2042,21 @@ pub const Interpreter = struct {
             fields.append(self.alloc, .{ .name = tbl.internString(vname), .ty = payload_tid }) catch return error.CannotEvalComptime;
         }
 
-        // Complete the declared slot: NAME it from the EnumInfo (the name travels
-        // with the shape) and fill the body. The name changes the intern key
-        // (declare minted an anonymous `__reified_N`), so re-key via
-        // `replaceKeyedInfo`. The nominal id is preserved.
+        // Complete the declared slot IN PLACE: it already has its name + nominal
+        // id (from `declare`); fill the body. Name/id unchanged → the intern key
+        // is stable, so `updatePreservingKey`.
         const cur = tbl.get(handle);
         if (cur != .tagged_union) return bailDetail("comptime define(): handle is not a declare()'d enum slot");
         const full: types.TypeInfo = .{ .tagged_union = .{
-            .name = tbl.internString(name),
+            .name = cur.tagged_union.name,
             .fields = fields.items,
             .tag_type = .i64,
             .backing_type = null,
             .explicit_tag_values = null,
             .nominal_id = cur.tagged_union.nominal_id,
         } };
-        tbl.replaceKeyedInfo(handle, full);
-        // Return the handle so the one-shot form chains: `T :: define(declare(), info)`.
+        tbl.updatePreservingKey(handle, full);
+        // Return the handle so the one-shot form chains: `T :: define(declare("T"), info)`.
         return .{ .value = .{ .type_tag = handle } };
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/ir/lower/call.zig b/src/ir/lower/call.zig
index 832eb4c8..14cc6e1e 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower/call.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower/call.zig
@@ -1677,15 +1677,20 @@ pub fn tryLowerReflectionCall(self: *Lowering, name: []const u8, c: *const ast.C
     if (self.reflectionTypeArgGuard(name, c)) |sentinel| return sentinel;
 
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "declare")) {
-        // Comptime type-construction primitive: mint an empty nominal slot.
-        // Comptime-only — emitted as a builtin_call the interp executes against
-        // its `mint` table; never reaches codegen (its sx callers are only ever
-        // comptime-evaluated).
-        if (c.args.len != 0) {
-            if (self.diagnostics) |d| d.addFmt(.err, c.callee.span, "declare() takes no arguments", .{});
+        // Comptime type-construction primitive: mint an empty nominal slot NAMED
+        // by its (compile-time string) argument. Comptime-only — emitted as a
+        // builtin_call the interp executes against its `mint` table; never
+        // reaches codegen (its sx callers are only ever comptime-evaluated).
+        if (c.args.len != 1) {
+            if (self.diagnostics) |d| d.addFmt(.err, c.callee.span, "declare(name) takes one string argument", .{});
             return Ref.none;
         }
-        return self.builder.callBuiltin(.declare, &.{}, .any);
+        // The named forward type is pre-registered by `evalComptimeType`'s
+        // `preregisterForwardTypes` before this body lowers (so a `*Name`
+        // self-reference resolves); the interp's `declare` returns that slot.
+        const name_ref = self.lowerExpr(c.args[0]);
+        const args_owned = self.alloc.dupe(Ref, &.{name_ref}) catch return Ref.none;
+        return self.builder.callBuiltin(.declare, args_owned, .any);
     }
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "define")) {
         // Comptime type-construction primitive: complete a declare()'d slot
diff --git a/src/ir/lower/comptime.zig b/src/ir/lower/comptime.zig
index d7e136a4..d709c206 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower/comptime.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower/comptime.zig
@@ -393,7 +393,60 @@ pub fn lowerInsertExprValue(self: *Lowering, expr: *const Node) Ref {
 /// name (the type-fn mangled-name path) renames afterwards via
 /// `renameNominalType`. Returns null (caller poisons) if evaluation didn't yield
 /// a Type.
+/// Register an empty forward nominal type named by each `declare("Name")` call
+/// reachable from `expr` (and, if `expr` is a call to a known fn, that fn's
+/// body). Runs before the comptime expression lowers so a `*Name` self-reference
+/// resolves to this forward slot. Idempotent (skips an already-registered name).
+fn preregisterForwardTypes(self: *Lowering, expr: *const Node) void {
+    scanDeclareNames(self, expr, 0);
+    if (expr.data == .call and expr.data.call.callee.data == .identifier) {
+        if (self.program_index.fn_ast_map.get(expr.data.call.callee.data.identifier.name)) |fd| {
+            scanDeclareNames(self, fd.body, 0);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn scanDeclareNames(self: *Lowering, node: *const Node, depth: u32) void {
+    if (depth > 64) return;
+    switch (node.data) {
+        .call => |c| {
+            if (c.callee.data == .identifier and
+                std.mem.eql(u8, c.callee.data.identifier.name, "declare") and
+                c.args.len == 1 and c.args[0].data == .string_literal)
+            {
+                const nm = c.args[0].data.string_literal.raw;
+                const nid = self.module.types.internString(nm);
+                const tid = self.module.types.findByName(nid) orelse self.module.types.internNominal(.{ .tagged_union = .{
+                    .name = nid,
+                    .fields = &.{},
+                    .tag_type = .i64,
+                } }, 0);
+                // Bind the name as a type alias too: a `Name :: <ctor>()` decl
+                // makes `Name` a const_decl author, so a `*Name` self-reference
+                // resolves through the forward-ALIAS path — which checks
+                // `type_aliases_by_source`, not `findByName`. Without this the
+                // alias path returns a pending empty-struct stub instead.
+                self.putTypeAlias(self.current_source_file, nm, tid);
+            }
+            for (c.args) |a| scanDeclareNames(self, a, depth + 1);
+        },
+        .block => |b| for (b.stmts) |s| scanDeclareNames(self, s, depth + 1),
+        .return_stmt => |r| if (r.value) |v| scanDeclareNames(self, v, depth + 1),
+        .var_decl => |v| if (v.value) |val| scanDeclareNames(self, val, depth + 1),
+        .const_decl => |cd| scanDeclareNames(self, cd.value, depth + 1),
+        .struct_literal => |sl| for (sl.field_inits) |fi| scanDeclareNames(self, fi.value, depth + 1),
+        .array_literal => |al| for (al.elements) |e| scanDeclareNames(self, e, depth + 1),
+        else => {},
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn evalComptimeType(self: *Lowering, expr: *const Node) ?TypeId {
+    // Pre-register every `declare("Name")` forward type BEFORE lowering, so a
+    // self-referential `*Name` payload resolves (the name is a known forward
+    // type when the body lowers). Done up-front rather than at declare's
+    // lowering because a `*Name` can lower before its `declare` within the same
+    // body. The interp's `declare` returns this same slot; `define` completes it.
+    preregisterForwardTypes(self, expr);
     const func_id = self.createComptimeFunction("__ctype", expr, .any);
 
     var interp = interp_mod.Interpreter.init(self.module, self.alloc);