diff --git a/compiler/cbuilder.nim b/compiler/cbuilder.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fd4ae752f1a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/cbuilder.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+type
+  Snippet = string
+  Builder = string
+
+template newBuilder(s: string): Builder =
+  s
+
+proc addField(obj: var Builder; field: Snippet;) =
+  obj.add field
+  obj.add ";\n"
+
+
+template withStruct(obj: var Builder; structOrUnion: string; name: string; inheritance: string; body: typed) =
+  if inheritance.len > 0:
+    obj.add "$1 $2 : public $1 {$n" % [structOrUnion, name, inheritance]
+  else:
+    obj.add "$1 $2 {$n" % [structOrUnion, name]
+  body
+  obj.add("};\n")
diff --git a/compiler/ccgtypes.nim b/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
index 5c3e82346d25..b6cedcb319b2 100644
--- a/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
@@ -868,14 +868,13 @@ proc getRecordDesc(m: BModule; typ: PType, name: Rope,
 
 proc getTupleDesc(m: BModule; typ: PType, name: Rope,
                   check: var IntSet): Rope =
-  result = "$1 $2 {$n" % [structOrUnion(typ), name]
-  var desc: Rope = ""
-  for i, a in typ.ikids:
-    desc.addf("$1 Field$2;$n",
-         [getTypeDescAux(m, a, check, dkField), rope(i)])
-  if desc == "": result.add("char dummy;\L")
-  else: result.add(desc)
-  result.add("};\L")
+  result = newBuilder("")
+  withStruct(result, structOrUnion(typ), name, ""):
+    if kidsLen(typ) > 0:
+      for i, a in typ.ikids:
+        result.addField "$1 Field$2" % [getTypeDescAux(m, a, check, dkField), rope(i)]
+    else:
+      result.addField "char dummy"
 
 proc scanCppGenericSlot(pat: string, cursor, outIdx, outStars: var int): bool =
   # A helper proc for handling cppimport patterns, involving numeric
diff --git a/compiler/cgen.nim b/compiler/cgen.nim
index 2fde0e9ffdd0..833903cbe1c6 100644
--- a/compiler/cgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/cgen.nim
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ proc dataField(p: BProc): Rope =
 
 proc genProcPrototype(m: BModule, sym: PSym)
 
+include cbuilder
 include ccgliterals
 include ccgtypes