diff --git a/lib/parfait.rb b/lib/parfait.rb
index 84983572..3ca2f8aa 100644
--- a/lib/parfait.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ require "parfait/module"
 require "parfait/class"
 require "parfait/dictionary"
 require "parfait/list"
+require "parfait/layout"
 require "parfait/word"
 require "parfait/message"
 require "parfait/frame"
@@ -60,6 +61,16 @@ module Parfait
     end
     word
   end
+  def self.new_list array
+    list = List.new_object
+    list.set_length array.length
+    index = 0
+    while index < array.length do
+      list.set(index , array[index])
+    end
+    list
+  end
+
   Word.class_eval do
     def to_s
       string = ""
diff --git a/lib/parfait/class.rb b/lib/parfait/class.rb
index 367e086f..50dd9991 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/class.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/class.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module Parfait
       @name = name.to_sym
       @super_class_name = super_class_name.to_sym
       @meta_class = Virtual::MetaClass.new(self)
+      @object_layout = []
     end
     attr_reader :name , :instance_methods , :meta_class , :context , :super_class_name
     def add_instance_method method
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ module Parfait
       @instance_methods << method
     end
 
+    def set_instance_names list
+      @object_layout = Layout.new_object
+      @object_layout.set_names list
+    end
+
     def get_instance_method fname
       fname = fname.to_sym
       @instance_methods.detect{ |fun| fun.name == fname }
diff --git a/lib/parfait/layout.rb b/lib/parfait/layout.rb
index 8f3d6604..9850cc32 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/layout.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/layout.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@
 module Parfait
   class Layout < List
 
+    # set the names of the instance variables in one go
+    # used while booting the classes. At runtime the list would grow dynamically
+    def set_names list
+      self.set_length list.length
+      index = 0
+      while index < list.length do
+        list.set(index , array.get(index))
+      end
+    end
+
+    # beat the recursion! fixed known offset for class object in the layout
     def get_object_class()
       return internal_object_get(2)
     end
diff --git a/lib/parfait/list.rb b/lib/parfait/list.rb
index 136428d9..8f08628b 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/list.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/list.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ module Parfait
       end
       self
     end
+    def set_length len
+      # TODO check if not shrinking
+      grow_to len
+    end
     def grow_to(len)
       raise "negative length for grow #{len}" if len < 0
       return unless len > self.length
diff --git a/lib/parfait/space.rb b/lib/parfait/space.rb
index b9463bff..20c351d7 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/space.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/space.rb
@@ -55,12 +55,15 @@ module Parfait
     def get_class_by_name name
       raise "uups #{name}.#{name.class}" unless name.is_a? Symbol
       c = @classes[name]
-      unless c
-        c = Class.new_object(name)
-        @classes[name] = c
-      end
       c
     end
+
+    def create_class name , variable_names
+      c = Class.new_object(name)
+      c.set_instance_names Parfait.new_list(variable_names)
+      @classes[name] = c
+    end
+
     def mem_length
       padded_words( 5 )
     end
diff --git a/lib/virtual/machine.rb b/lib/virtual/machine.rb
index 7030e6af..8a45c3df 100644
--- a/lib/virtual/machine.rb
+++ b/lib/virtual/machine.rb
@@ -93,11 +93,12 @@ module Virtual
       # very fiddly chicken 'n egg problem. Functions need to be in the right order, and in fact we
       # have to define some dummies, just for the other to compile
       # TODO: go through the virtual parfait layer and adjust function names to what they really are
-      obj = @space.get_class_by_name :Object
+      obj = @space.create_class :Object , []
       [:index_of , :_get_instance_variable , :_set_instance_variable].each do |f|
         obj.add_instance_method Builtin::Object.send(f , nil)
       end
-      obj = @space.get_class_by_name :Kernel
+      obj = @space.create_class :Kernel , []
+      puts "CREATE Kernel #{obj}"
       # create main first, __init__ calls it
       @main = Builtin::Kernel.send(:main , @context)
       obj.add_instance_method @main
@@ -110,15 +111,15 @@ module Virtual
       # the point of which is that by the time main executes, all is "normal"
       @init = Block.new(:_init_ , nil )
       @init.add_code(Register::RegisterMain.new(underscore_init))
-      obj = @space.get_class_by_name :Integer
+      obj = @space.create_class :Integer , []
       [:putint,:fibo].each do |f|
         obj.add_instance_method Builtin::Integer.send(f , nil)
       end
-      obj = @space.get_class_by_name :Word
+      obj = @space.create_class :Word , []
       [:get , :set , :puts].each do |f|
         obj.add_instance_method Builtin::Word.send(f , nil)
       end
-      obj = space.get_class_by_name :Array
+      obj = space.create_class :Array , []
       [:get , :set , :push].each do |f|
         obj.add_instance_method Builtin::Array.send(f , nil)
       end