diff --git a/tools/widl/parser.y b/tools/widl/parser.y
index a610a630282..db4fdb253ad 100644
--- a/tools/widl/parser.y
+++ b/tools/widl/parser.y
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ static attr_list_t *check_field_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 static attr_list_t *check_library_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 static attr_list_t *check_dispiface_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 static attr_list_t *check_module_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
-static attr_list_t *check_coclass_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 static attr_list_t *check_runtimeclass_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 static attr_list_t *check_apicontract_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
 const char *get_attr_display_name(enum attr_type type);
@@ -306,7 +305,7 @@ static typelib_t *current_typelib;
 %type <declarator> m_any_declarator any_declarator any_declarator_no_direct any_direct_declarator
 %type <declarator> m_abstract_declarator abstract_declarator abstract_declarator_no_direct abstract_direct_declarator
 %type <declarator_list> declarator_list struct_declarator_list
-%type <type> coclass coclasshdr coclassdef
+%type <type> coclass coclassdef
 %type <type> runtimeclass runtimeclass_hdr runtimeclass_def
 %type <type> apicontract
 %type <num> contract_ver
@@ -897,23 +896,12 @@ qualified_type:
     | aNAMESPACE '.' { init_lookup_namespace($1); } qualified_seq { $$ = $4; }
     ;
 
-coclass:  tCOCLASS aIDENTIFIER			{ $$ = type_new_coclass($2); }
-	| tCOCLASS aKNOWNTYPE			{ $$ = find_type($2, NULL, 0);
-						  if (type_get_type_detect_alias($$) != TYPE_COCLASS)
-						    error_loc("%s was not declared a coclass at %s:%d\n",
-							      $2, $$->loc_info.input_name,
-							      $$->loc_info.line_number);
-						}
+coclass:  tCOCLASS aIDENTIFIER			{ $$ = type_coclass_declare($2); }
+	| tCOCLASS aKNOWNTYPE			{ $$ = type_coclass_declare($2); }
 	;
 
-coclasshdr: attributes coclass			{ $$ = $2;
-						  check_def($$);
-						  $$->attrs = check_coclass_attrs($2->name, $1);
-						}
-	;
-
-coclassdef: coclasshdr '{' class_interfaces '}' semicolon_opt
-						{ $$ = type_coclass_define($1, $3); }
+coclassdef: attributes coclass '{' class_interfaces '}' semicolon_opt
+						{ $$ = type_coclass_define($2, $1, $4); }
 	;
 
 runtimeclass:
@@ -2528,7 +2516,7 @@ static attr_list_t *check_module_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs)
   return attrs;
 }
 
-static attr_list_t *check_coclass_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs)
+attr_list_t *check_coclass_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs)
 {
   const attr_t *attr;
   if (!attrs) return attrs;
diff --git a/tools/widl/typetree.c b/tools/widl/typetree.c
index a18ffe1f4a5..cfd186fb02b 100644
--- a/tools/widl/typetree.c
+++ b/tools/widl/typetree.c
@@ -205,16 +205,6 @@ type_t *type_new_module(char *name)
     return type;
 }
 
-type_t *type_new_coclass(char *name)
-{
-    type_t *type = get_type(TYPE_COCLASS, name, NULL, 0);
-    if (type->type_type != TYPE_COCLASS || type->defined)
-        error_loc("%s: redefinition error; original definition was at %s:%d\n",
-                  type->name, type->loc_info.input_name, type->loc_info.line_number);
-    type->name = name;
-    return type;
-}
-
 type_t *type_new_runtimeclass(char *name, struct namespace *namespace)
 {
     type_t *type = get_type(TYPE_RUNTIMECLASS, name, NULL, 0);
@@ -512,8 +502,21 @@ void type_module_define(type_t *module, statement_list_t *stmts)
     module->defined = TRUE;
 }
 
-type_t *type_coclass_define(type_t *coclass, ifref_list_t *ifaces)
+type_t *type_coclass_declare(char *name)
 {
+    type_t *type = get_type(TYPE_COCLASS, name, NULL, 0);
+    if (type_get_type_detect_alias(type) != TYPE_COCLASS)
+        error_loc("coclass %s previously not declared a coclass at %s:%d\n",
+                  type->name, type->loc_info.input_name, type->loc_info.line_number);
+    return type;
+}
+
+type_t *type_coclass_define(type_t *coclass, attr_list_t *attrs, ifref_list_t *ifaces)
+{
+    if (coclass->defined)
+        error_loc("coclass %s already defined at %s:%d\n",
+                  coclass->name, coclass->loc_info.input_name, coclass->loc_info.line_number);
+    coclass->attrs = check_coclass_attrs(coclass->name, attrs);
     coclass->details.coclass.ifaces = ifaces;
     coclass->defined = TRUE;
     return coclass;
diff --git a/tools/widl/typetree.h b/tools/widl/typetree.h
index dc44c3f5fa7..69d00dee49b 100644
--- a/tools/widl/typetree.h
+++ b/tools/widl/typetree.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ enum name_type {
     NAME_C
 };
 
+attr_list_t *check_coclass_attrs(const char *name, attr_list_t *attrs);
+
 type_t *type_new_function(var_list_t *args);
 type_t *type_new_pointer(type_t *ref);
 type_t *type_new_alias(const decl_spec_t *t, const char *name);
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ type_t *type_new_array(const char *name, const decl_spec_t *element, int declptr
 type_t *type_new_basic(enum type_basic_type basic_type);
 type_t *type_new_int(enum type_basic_type basic_type, int sign);
 type_t *type_new_void(void);
-type_t *type_new_coclass(char *name);
+type_t *type_coclass_declare(char *name);
 type_t *type_new_enum(const char *name, struct namespace *namespace, int defined, var_list_t *enums);
 type_t *type_new_struct(char *name, struct namespace *namespace, int defined, var_list_t *fields);
 type_t *type_new_nonencapsulated_union(const char *name, int defined, var_list_t *fields);
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ void type_interface_define(type_t *iface, type_t *inherit, statement_list_t *stm
 void type_dispinterface_define(type_t *iface, var_list_t *props, var_list_t *methods);
 void type_dispinterface_define_from_iface(type_t *dispiface, type_t *iface);
 void type_module_define(type_t *module, statement_list_t *stmts);
-type_t *type_coclass_define(type_t *coclass, ifref_list_t *ifaces);
+type_t *type_coclass_define(type_t *coclass, attr_list_t *attrs, ifref_list_t *ifaces);
 type_t *type_runtimeclass_define(type_t *runtimeclass, ifref_list_t *ifaces);
 int type_is_equal(const type_t *type1, const type_t *type2);
 const char *type_get_name(const type_t *type, enum name_type name_type);