diff --git a/basis/alien/parser/parser.factor b/basis/alien/parser/parser.factor
index ab09383d7c..9a24f7cd4d 100644
--- a/basis/alien/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/parser/parser.factor
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ IN: alien.parser
     [ drop \ } parse-until >array ]
     [ parse-c-type ] if ; 
 
+: reset-c-type ( word -- )
+    { "c-type" "pointer-c-type" } reset-props ;
+
+: CREATE-C-TYPE ( -- word )
+    scan current-vocab create dup reset-c-type ;
+
 : normalize-c-arg ( type name -- type' name' )
     [ length ]
     [
diff --git a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
index fac45176a3..0e3b569fff 100644
--- a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ SYNTAX: FUNCTION:
     (FUNCTION:) define-declared ;
 
 SYNTAX: TYPEDEF:
-    scan-c-type CREATE typedef ;
+    scan-c-type CREATE-C-TYPE typedef ;
 
 SYNTAX: C-STRUCT:
     scan current-vocab parse-definition define-struct ; deprecated