diff --git a/lib/class.js b/lib/class.js
index b89c4d8..44c4411 100644
--- a/lib/class.js
+++ b/lib/class.js
@@ -259,8 +259,14 @@ function createNamedClass( name, def )
         );
     }
 
+    // if no definition was given, return a staging object, to apply the name to
+    // the class once it is actually created
+    if ( def === undefined )
+    {
+        return createStaging( name );
+    }
     // the definition must be an object
-    if ( typeof def !== 'object' )
+    else if ( typeof def !== 'object' )
     {
         throw TypeError(
             "Unexpected value for named class definition; object expected"
@@ -274,6 +280,39 @@ function createNamedClass( name, def )
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * Creates a staging object to stage a class name
+ *
+ * The class name will be applied to the class generated by operations performed
+ * on the staging object. This allows applying names to classes that need to be
+ * extended or need to implement interfaces.
+ *
+ * @param  {string}  cname  desired class name
+ *
+ * @return  {Object}  object staging the given class name
+ */
+function createStaging( cname )
+{
+    return {
+        extend: function()
+        {
+            var args = Array.prototype.slice.apply( arguments );
+
+            // extend() takes a maximum of two arguments. If only one
+            // argument is provided, then it is to be the class definition.
+            // Otherwise, the first argument is the supertype and the second
+            // argument is the class definition. Either way you look at it,
+            // the class definition is always the final argument.
+            //
+            // We want to add the name to the definition.
+            args[ args.length - 1 ].__name = cname;
+
+            return extend.apply( null, args );
+        },
+    };
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Creates extend function
  *
diff --git a/test/test-class-name.js b/test/test-class-name.js
index 360c943..6fbf3fa 100644
--- a/test/test-class-name.js
+++ b/test/test-class-name.js
@@ -149,3 +149,32 @@ var common = require( './common' ),
     );
 } )();
 
+
+/**
+ * In order to accommodate syntax such as extending classes, ease.js supports
+ * staging class names. This will return an object that operates exactly like
+ * the normal Class module, but will result in a named class once the class is
+ * created.
+ */
+( function testCanCreateNamedClassUsingStagingMethod()
+{
+    var name  = 'Foo',
+        named = Class( name ).extend( {} )
+    ;
+
+    // ensure what was returned is a valid class
+    assert.equal(
+        Class.isClass( named ),
+        true,
+        "Named class generated via staging method is considered to be a " +
+            "valid class"
+    );
+
+    // was the name set?
+    assert.equal(
+        named.toString(),
+        '[object Class <' + name + '>]',
+        "Name is set on named clas via staging method"
+    );
+} )();
+