diff --git a/lib/class.js b/lib/class.js
index 93ba5e8..a746417 100644
--- a/lib/class.js
+++ b/lib/class.js
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@
  */
 
 var util           = require( './util' ),
-    member_builder = require( './member_builder' );
+    member_builder = require( './member_builder' ),
+    propobj        = require( './propobj' )
+;
 
 /**
  * Stores class metadata internally (ensures data is encapsulated)
@@ -772,10 +774,6 @@ function initInstance( iid, instance )
  */
 function attachPropInit( prototype, properties, members )
 {
-    var prop_pub  = properties[ 'public' ],
-        prop_prot = properties[ 'protected' ]
-    ;
-
     util.defineSecureProp( prototype, '__initProps', function()
     {
         var inst_props = class_instance[ this.__iid ];
@@ -788,52 +786,7 @@ function attachPropInit( prototype, properties, members )
             parent_init.call( this );
         }
 
-        // initialize each of the properties for this instance to
-        // ensure we're not sharing prototype values
-        for ( prop in prop_pub )
-        {
-            // initialize the value with a clone to ensure that they do
-            // not share references (and therefore, data)
-            this[ prop ] = util.clone( prop_pub[ prop ] );
-
-            ( function( prop )
-            {
-                var inst = this;
-
-                // public properties, when set internally, must forward to the
-                // actual variable
-                inst_props.__defineSetter__( prop, function( val )
-                {
-                    inst[ prop ] = val;
-                } );
-
-                // since we're defining a setter, we'll need to define a getter
-                // to return the value, or we'll simply return undefined
-                inst_props.__defineGetter__( prop, function()
-                {
-                    return inst[ prop ];
-                } );
-            } ).call( this, prop );
-        }
-
-        var methods_protected = members[ 'protected' ],
-            hasOwn            = Array.prototype.hasOwnProperty
-        ;
-
-        // copy over the methods
-        for ( method_name in methods_protected )
-        {
-            if ( hasOwn.call( methods_protected, method_name ) )
-            {
-                inst_props[ method_name ] = methods_protected[ method_name ];
-            }
-        }
-
-        // initialize protected properties and store in instance data
-        for ( prop in prop_prot )
-        {
-            inst_props[ prop ] = util.clone( prop_prot[ prop ] );
-        }
+        propobj.setup( this, inst_props, properties, members );
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/propobj.js b/lib/propobj.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f9d59b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/propobj.js
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+ * Contains property object generator
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2010 Mike Gerwitz
+ *
+ *  This file is part of ease.js.
+ *
+ *  ease.js is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ *  terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+ *  Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option)
+ *  any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ *  ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ *  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ *  for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ *  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @author  Mike Gerwitz
+ * @package core
+ */
+
+var util = require( './util' );
+
+
+exports.setup = function( base, dest, properties, members )
+{
+    var prop_pub  = properties[ 'public' ],
+        prop_prot = properties[ 'protected' ]
+    ;
+
+    // initialize each of the properties for this instance to
+    // ensure we're not sharing references to prototype values
+    for ( prop in prop_pub )
+    {
+        // initialize the value with a clone to ensure that they do
+        // not share references (and therefore, data)
+        base[ prop ] = util.clone( prop_pub[ prop ] );
+
+        ( function( prop )
+        {
+            var inst = this;
+
+            // public properties, when set internally, must forward to the
+            // actual variable
+            dest.__defineSetter__( prop, function( val )
+            {
+                inst[ prop ] = val;
+            } );
+
+            // since we're defining a setter, we'll need to define a getter
+            // to return the value, or we'll simply return undefined
+            dest.__defineGetter__( prop, function()
+            {
+                return inst[ prop ];
+            } );
+        } ).call( base, prop );
+    }
+
+    var methods_protected = members[ 'protected' ],
+        hasOwn            = Array.prototype.hasOwnProperty
+    ;
+
+    // copy over the methods
+    for ( method_name in methods_protected )
+    {
+        if ( hasOwn.call( methods_protected, method_name ) )
+        {
+            dest[ method_name ] = methods_protected[ method_name ];
+        }
+    }
+
+    // initialize protected properties and store in instance data
+    for ( prop in prop_prot )
+    {
+        dest[ prop ] = util.clone( prop_prot[ prop ] );
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/tools/combine b/tools/combine
index 50b01b7..1272ccc 100755
--- a/tools/combine
+++ b/tools/combine
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ TPL_VAR='/**{CONTENT}**/'
 RMTRAIL="$PATH_TOOLS/rmtrail"
 
 # order matters
-CAT_MODULES="prop_parser util member_builder class interface"
+CAT_MODULES="prop_parser util member_builder propobj class interface"
 
 ##
 # Output template header