diff --git a/lib/arm/translator.rb b/lib/arm/translator.rb
index 5d24ae71..76e1c841 100644
--- a/lib/arm/translator.rb
+++ b/lib/arm/translator.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ module Arm
       ArmMachine.mov( :pc , code.register)
     end
     def translate_DynamicJump(code)
-      index = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:CallableMethod).instance_type.variable_index(:binary)
+      index = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:CallableMethod).variable_index(:binary)
       codes = ArmMachine.ldr( code.register ,  code.register  , arm_index(index) )
       codes << ArmMachine.mov( :pc , code.register)
       codes
diff --git a/lib/mom/instruction/basic_values.rb b/lib/mom/instruction/basic_values.rb
index efd62ba9..0c697207 100644
--- a/lib/mom/instruction/basic_values.rb
+++ b/lib/mom/instruction/basic_values.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module Mom
       value
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Integer).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Integer)
     end
   end
   class FloatConstant < Constant
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module Mom
       Parfait.object_space.true_object
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:TrueClass).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:TrueClass)
     end
   end
   class FalseConstant < Constant
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ module Mom
       Parfait.object_space.false_object
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:FalseClass).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:FalseClass)
     end
   end
   class NilConstant < Constant
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ module Mom
       Parfait.object_space.nil_object
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:NilClass).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:NilClass)
     end
   end
   class StringConstant < Constant
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@ module Mom
       value
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Word).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Word)
     end
   end
   class SymbolConstant < Constant
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Word).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Word)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/parfait/space.rb b/lib/parfait/space.rb
index 67e7c36e..b3410c61 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/space.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/space.rb
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ module Parfait
       object.instance_type.get_method :__init__
     end
 
+    # get the current instance_typ of the class with the given name
+    def get_type_by_class_name(name)
+      get_class_by_name(name).instance_type
+    end
+
     # get a class by name (symbol)
     # return nili if no such class. Use bang version if create should be implicit
     def get_class_by_name( name )
@@ -137,7 +142,7 @@ module Parfait
       raise "create_class #{name.class}" unless name.is_a? Symbol
       superclass = :Object unless superclass
       raise "create_class #{superclass.class}" unless superclass.is_a? Symbol
-      type = get_class_by_name(superclass).instance_type
+      type = get_type_by_class_name(superclass)
       c = Class.new(name , superclass , type )
       @classes[name] = c
     end
diff --git a/lib/risc/builtin.rb b/lib/risc/builtin.rb
index 9d5594fc..b9c48b36 100644
--- a/lib/risc/builtin.rb
+++ b/lib/risc/builtin.rb
@@ -24,18 +24,18 @@ module Risc
         compilers << compiler_for( space_type   , Space , :main)
       end
 
-      obj_type = space.get_class_by_name(:Object).instance_type
+      obj_type = space.get_type_by_class_name(:Object)
       [ :get_internal_word , :set_internal_word , :_method_missing,
         :exit , :__init__].each do |f|
         compilers << compiler_for( obj_type , Object , f)
       end
 
-      word_type = space.get_class_by_name(:Word).instance_type
+      word_type = space.get_type_by_class_name(:Word)
       [:putstring , :get_internal_byte , :set_internal_byte ].each do |f|
         compilers << compiler_for( word_type , Word , f)
       end
 
-      int_type = space.get_class_by_name(:Integer).instance_type
+      int_type = space.get_type_by_class_name(:Integer)
       Risc.operators.each do |op|
         compilers << operator_compiler( int_type , op)
       end
diff --git a/lib/vool/basic_values.rb b/lib/vool/basic_values.rb
index a77b994d..ebe07aff 100644
--- a/lib/vool/basic_values.rb
+++ b/lib/vool/basic_values.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module Vool
       return Mom::SlotDefinition.new(Mom::IntegerConstant.new(@value) , [])
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Integer).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Integer)
     end
     def to_s
       value.to_s
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module Vool
   end
   class TrueConstant < Constant
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:True).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:True)
     end
     def slot_definition(compiler)
       return Mom::SlotDefinition.new(Parfait.object_space.true_object , [])
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module Vool
   end
   class FalseConstant < Constant
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:False).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:False)
     end
     def slot_definition(compiler)
       return Mom::SlotDefinition.new(Parfait.object_space.false_object , [])
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ module Vool
   end
   class NilConstant < Constant
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Nil).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Nil)
     end
     def slot_definition(compiler)
       return Mom::SlotDefinition.new(Parfait.object_space.nil_object , [])
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ module Vool
       return Mom::SlotDefinition.new(Mom::StringConstant.new(@value),[])
     end
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Word).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Word)
     end
     def to_s(depth = 0)
       "'#{@value}'"
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ module Vool
   end
   class SymbolConstant < StringConstant
     def ct_type
-      Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Word).instance_type
+      Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Word)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/mom/helper.rb b/test/mom/helper.rb
index ead749b5..efec686c 100644
--- a/test/mom/helper.rb
+++ b/test/mom/helper.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module Risc
     end
     # test hack to in place change object type
     def add_space_field(name,type)
-      class_type = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Space).instance_type
+      class_type = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Space)
       class_type.send(:private_add_instance_variable, name , type)
     end
     def produce_body
diff --git a/test/parfait/helper.rb b/test/parfait/helper.rb
index d732fb05..3fc7df0e 100644
--- a/test/parfait/helper.rb
+++ b/test/parfait/helper.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module Parfait
       @space = Parfait.object_space
     end
     def make_method
-      @obj = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Object).instance_type
+      @obj = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Object)
       @args = Parfait::Type.for_hash( @obj.object_class , { bar: :Integer , foo: :Type})
       @frame = Parfait::Type.for_hash( @obj.object_class , { local_bar: :Integer , local_foo: :Type})
       @method = Parfait::CallableMethod.new( @obj , :meth , @args , @frame)
diff --git a/test/parfait/type/test_method_api.rb b/test/parfait/type/test_method_api.rb
index dbb497dd..a194fb8d 100644
--- a/test/parfait/type/test_method_api.rb
+++ b/test/parfait/type/test_method_api.rb
@@ -14,15 +14,15 @@ module Parfait
     end
     def foo_method( for_class = :Try)
       args = Parfait::Type.for_hash( @try_class , { bar: :Integer})
-      ::Parfait::CallableMethod.new( @space.get_class_by_name(for_class).instance_type , :foo , args,empty_frame)
+      ::Parfait::CallableMethod.new( @space.get_type_by_class_name(for_class) , :foo , args,empty_frame)
     end
     def add_foo_to( clazz = :Try )
       foo = foo_method( clazz )
-      assert_equal foo , @space.get_class_by_name(clazz).instance_type.add_method(foo)
+      assert_equal foo , @space.get_type_by_class_name(clazz).add_method(foo)
       foo
     end
     def object_type
-      @space.get_class_by_name(:Object).instance_type
+      @space.get_type_by_class_name(:Object)
     end
     def test_new_methods
       assert_equal Parfait::List , @try_type.method_names.class
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ module Parfait
     end
     def test_get_instance
       foo = foo_method :Object
-      type = @space.get_class_by_name(:Object).instance_type
+      type = @space.get_type_by_class_name(:Object)
       type.add_method(foo)
       assert_equal :foo , type.get_method(:foo).name
     end
diff --git a/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler.rb b/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler.rb
index c2d6e85d..33bce242 100644
--- a/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler.rb
+++ b/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler.rb
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ module RubyX
     end
 
     def test_space_type_is_unchanged_by_compile
-      space1 = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Space).instance_type
+      space1 = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Space)
       ruby_to_vool  "class Space ;end"
-      space2 = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Space).instance_type
+      space2 = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Space)
       assert_equal space1 , space2
     end
 
diff --git a/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler1.rb b/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler1.rb
index ee2e7e11..c2f5d920 100644
--- a/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler1.rb
+++ b/test/rubyx/test_rubyx_compiler1.rb
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ module RubyX
     end
 
     def test_space_type_is_unchanged_by_compile
-      space1 = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Space).instance_type
+      space1 = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Space)
       ruby_to_vool  "class Space ;end"
-      space2 = Parfait.object_space.get_class_by_name(:Space).instance_type
+      space2 = Parfait.object_space.get_type_by_class_name(:Space)
       assert_equal space1 , space2
     end