diff --git a/include/Type.h b/include/Type.h
index 34c629bc479d1bf315847ab6b820590a479bb052..3eee7c071f629e54c68acd5a40feca02527941db 100644
--- a/include/Type.h
+++ b/include/Type.h
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ public:
 	NIFLIB_API bool IsDerivedType ( const Type & compare_to ) const;
 	NIFLIB_API bool operator<( const Type & compare_to ) const;
 	const Type * base_type;
+	const int internal_type_number;
 private:
 	string name;
+	static int num_types;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/Type.cpp b/src/Type.cpp
index 89cc80c719ba23be8407f8befd5ac259f60bcaa7..7dba856775da9f247b111bc86e4c60a162cf20b9 100644
--- a/src/Type.cpp
+++ b/src/Type.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ All rights reserved.  Please see niflib.h for license. */
 #include "../include/Type.h"
 using namespace Niflib;
 
-Type::Type (const string & type_name, const Type * par_type ) : name(type_name), base_type(par_type) {} 
+int Type::num_types = 0;
+
+Type::Type (const string & type_name, const Type * par_type ) : name(type_name), base_type(par_type), internal_type_number(num_types++) {} 
 
 Type::~Type() {}