diff --git a/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor b/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
index db65ecab3a..84e1dacc36 100644
--- a/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
+++ b/basis/classes/struct/struct.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ USING: accessors alien alien.c-types alien.data alien.parser
 arrays byte-arrays classes classes.parser classes.private
 classes.struct.bit-accessors classes.tuple classes.tuple.parser
 combinators combinators.smart cpu.architecture definitions fry
-functors.backend generalizations generic generic.parser kernel
+functors.backend generalizations generic generic.parser io kernel
 kernel.private lexer libc locals macros math math.order parser
 quotations sequences slots slots.private specialized-arrays
 stack-checker.dependencies summary vectors vocabs.loader
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ M: struct hashcode*
     ! optimized down to efficient code if it is.
     '[ _ boa ] call( ptr -- struct ) ; inline
 
+: read-struct ( class -- struct )
+    [ heap-size read ] [ memory>struct ] bi ;
+
 <PRIVATE
 : (init-struct) ( class with-prototype: ( prototype -- alien ) sans-prototype: ( class -- alien ) -- alien )
     '[ dup struct-prototype _ _ ?if ] keep memory>struct ; inline