diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CST.hpp b/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CST.hpp
index 794c74c4e..bac763ec1 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CST.hpp
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CST.hpp
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ namespace bolt {
   };
 
   enum class NodeKind {
+    VBar,
     Equals,
     Colon,
     Comma,
@@ -132,6 +133,8 @@ namespace bolt {
     TypeAssertAnnotation,
     TypeclassConstraintExpression,
     EqualityConstraintExpression,
+    RecordTypeExpressionField,
+    RecordTypeExpression,
     QualifiedTypeExpression,
     ReferenceTypeExpression,
     ArrowTypeExpression,
@@ -363,6 +366,20 @@ namespace bolt {
 
   };
 
+  class VBar : public Token {
+  public:
+
+    inline VBar(TextLoc StartLoc):
+      Token(NodeKind::VBar, StartLoc) {}
+
+    std::string getText() const override;
+
+    static bool classof(const Node* N) {
+      return N->getKind() == NodeKind::VBar;
+    }
+
+  };
+
   class Colon : public Token {
   public:
 
@@ -1085,6 +1102,54 @@ namespace bolt {
 
   };
 
+  class RecordTypeExpressionField : public Node {
+  public:
+
+    Identifier* Name;
+    Colon* Colon;
+    TypeExpression* TE;
+
+    inline RecordTypeExpressionField(
+      Identifier* Name,
+      class Colon* Colon,
+      TypeExpression* TE
+    ): Node(NodeKind::RecordTypeExpressionField),
+       Name(Name),
+       Colon(Colon),
+       TE(TE) {}
+
+    Token* getFirstToken() const override;
+    Token* getLastToken() const override;
+
+  };
+
+  class RecordTypeExpression : public TypeExpression {
+  public:
+
+    LBrace* LBrace;
+    std::vector<std::tuple<RecordTypeExpressionField*, Comma*>> Fields;
+    VBar* VBar;
+    TypeExpression* Rest;
+    RBrace* RBrace;
+
+    inline RecordTypeExpression(
+      class LBrace* LBrace,
+      std::vector<std::tuple<RecordTypeExpressionField*, Comma*>> Fields,
+      class VBar* VBar,
+      TypeExpression* Rest,
+      class RBrace* RBrace
+    ): TypeExpression(NodeKind::RecordTypeExpression),
+       LBrace(LBrace),
+       Fields(Fields),
+       VBar(VBar),
+       Rest(Rest),
+       RBrace(RBrace) {}
+
+    Token* getFirstToken() const override;
+    Token* getLastToken() const override;
+
+  };
+
   class VarTypeExpression;
 
   class TypeclassConstraintExpression : public ConstraintExpression {
@@ -2079,7 +2144,7 @@ namespace bolt {
 
     bool isVariable() const noexcept {
       // Variables in classes and instances are never possible, so we reflect this by excluding them here.
-      return !isSignature() && !isClass() && !isInstance() && (Pattern->getKind() != NodeKind::BindPattern || !Body);
+      return !isSignature() && !isClass() && !isInstance() && Params.empty() && (Pattern->getKind() != NodeKind::BindPattern || !Body);
     }
 
     bool isFunction() const noexcept {
diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CSTVisitor.hpp b/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CSTVisitor.hpp
index a46ba1f31..532f2a671 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CSTVisitor.hpp
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/include/bolt/CSTVisitor.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace bolt {
           return static_cast<D*>(this)->visit ## name(static_cast<name*>(N));
 
       switch (N->getKind()) {
+        BOLT_GEN_CASE(VBar)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(Equals)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(Colon)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(Comma)
@@ -64,6 +65,8 @@ namespace bolt {
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(TypeAssertAnnotation)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(TypeclassConstraintExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(EqualityConstraintExpression)
+        BOLT_GEN_CASE(RecordTypeExpressionField)
+        BOLT_GEN_CASE(RecordTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(QualifiedTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(ReferenceTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CASE(ArrowTypeExpression)
@@ -121,6 +124,10 @@ namespace bolt {
       static_cast<D*>(this)->visitNode(N);
     }
 
+    void visitVBar(VBar* N) {
+      static_cast<D*>(this)->visitToken(N);
+    }
+
     void visitEquals(Equals* N) {
       static_cast<D*>(this)->visitToken(N);
     }
@@ -313,6 +320,14 @@ namespace bolt {
       static_cast<D*>(this)->visitNode(N);
     }
 
+    void visitRecordTypeExpressionField(RecordTypeExpressionField * N) {
+      static_cast<D*>(this)->visitNode(N);
+    }
+
+    void visitRecordTypeExpression(RecordTypeExpression* N) {
+      static_cast<D*>(this)->visitTypeExpression(N);
+    }
+
     void visitQualifiedTypeExpression(QualifiedTypeExpression* N) {
       static_cast<D*>(this)->visitTypeExpression(N);
     }
@@ -519,6 +534,7 @@ namespace bolt {
         break;
 
       switch (N->getKind()) {
+        BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(VBar)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(Equals)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(Colon)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(Comma)
@@ -564,6 +580,8 @@ namespace bolt {
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(TypeAssertAnnotation)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(TypeclassConstraintExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(EqualityConstraintExpression)
+        BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(RecordTypeExpressionField)
+        BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(RecordTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(QualifiedTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(ReferenceTypeExpression)
         BOLT_GEN_CHILD_CASE(ArrowTypeExpression)
@@ -613,6 +631,9 @@ namespace bolt {
 
 #define BOLT_VISIT(node) static_cast<D*>(this)->visit(node)
 
+    void visitEachChild(VBar* N) {
+    }
+
     void visitEachChild(Equals* N) {
     }
 
@@ -760,6 +781,29 @@ namespace bolt {
       BOLT_VISIT(N->Right);
     }
 
+    void visitEachChild(RecordTypeExpressionField* N) {
+      BOLT_VISIT(N->Name);
+      BOLT_VISIT(N->Colon);
+      BOLT_VISIT(N->TE);
+    }
+
+    void visitEachChild(RecordTypeExpression* N) {
+      BOLT_VISIT(N->LBrace);
+      for (auto [Field, Comma]: N->Fields) {
+        BOLT_VISIT(Field);
+        if (Comma) {
+          BOLT_VISIT(Comma);
+        }
+      }
+      if (N->VBar) {
+        BOLT_VISIT(N->VBar);
+      }
+      if (N->Rest) {
+        BOLT_VISIT(N->Rest);
+      }
+      BOLT_VISIT(N->RBrace);
+    }
+
     void visitEachChild(QualifiedTypeExpression* N) {
       for (auto [CE, Comma]: N->Constraints) {
         BOLT_VISIT(CE);
diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/src/CST.cc b/bootstrap/cxx/src/CST.cc
index b9ad9730c..6a1d4aafd 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/src/CST.cc
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/src/CST.cc
@@ -393,6 +393,22 @@ namespace bolt {
     return Left->getLastToken();
   }
 
+  Token* RecordTypeExpressionField::getFirstToken() const {
+    return Name;
+  }
+
+  Token* RecordTypeExpressionField::getLastToken() const {
+    return TE->getLastToken();
+  }
+
+  Token* RecordTypeExpression::getFirstToken() const {
+    return LBrace;
+  }
+
+  Token* RecordTypeExpression::getLastToken() const {
+    return RBrace;
+  }
+
   Token* QualifiedTypeExpression::getFirstToken() const {
     if (!Constraints.empty()) {
       return std::get<0>(Constraints.front())->getFirstToken();
@@ -840,6 +856,10 @@ namespace bolt {
     return nullptr;
   }
 
+  std::string VBar::getText() const {
+    return "|";
+  }
+
   std::string Equals::getText() const {
     return "=";
   }
diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Checker.cc b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Checker.cc
index 1f9d304b9..59c213052 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Checker.cc
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Checker.cc
@@ -677,9 +677,12 @@ namespace bolt {
 
       case NodeKind::LetDeclaration:
       {
-        // Function declarations are handled separately in inferLetDeclaration()
+        // Function declarations are handled separately in inferFunctionDeclaration()
         auto Decl = static_cast<LetDeclaration*>(N);
-        if (Decl->isFunction() && !Decl->Visited) {
+        if (Decl->Visited) {
+          break;
+        }
+        if (Decl->isFunction()) {
           Decl->IsCycleActive = true;
           Decl->Visited = true;
           inferFunctionDeclaration(Decl);
@@ -854,6 +857,17 @@ namespace bolt {
         return Ty;
       }
 
+      case NodeKind::RecordTypeExpression:
+      {
+        auto RecTE = static_cast<RecordTypeExpression*>(N);
+        auto Ty = RecTE->Rest ? inferTypeExpression(RecTE->Rest, IsPoly) : new Type(TNil());
+        for (auto [Field, Comma]: RecTE->Fields) {
+          Ty = new Type(TField(Field->Name->getCanonicalText(), new Type(TPresent(inferTypeExpression(Field->TE, IsPoly))), Ty));
+        }
+        N->setType(Ty);
+        return Ty;
+      }
+
       case NodeKind::TupleTypeExpression:
       {
         auto TupleTE = static_cast<TupleTypeExpression*>(N);
diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Parser.cc b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Parser.cc
index 4f8fe3425..9482c98c6 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Parser.cc
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Parser.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 // TODO check for memory leaks everywhere a nullptr is returned
 
+#include <tuple>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "bolt/Common.hpp"
@@ -385,6 +386,9 @@ after_constraints:
       LParen->unref();
       for (auto [CE, Comma]: Constraints) {
         CE->unref();
+        if (Comma) {
+          Comma->unref();
+        }
       }
       RParen->unref();
       RArrowAlt->unref();
@@ -398,6 +402,93 @@ after_constraints:
     switch (T0->getKind()) {
       case NodeKind::Identifier:
           return parseVarTypeExpression();
+      case NodeKind::LBrace:
+      {
+        Tokens.get();
+        auto LBrace = static_cast<class LBrace*>(T0);
+        std::vector<std::tuple<RecordTypeExpressionField*, Comma*>> Fields;
+        VBar* VBar = nullptr;
+        TypeExpression* Rest = nullptr;
+        for (;;) {
+          auto T1 = Tokens.peek();
+          if (T1->getKind() == NodeKind::RBrace) {
+            break;
+          }
+          auto Name = expectToken<Identifier>();
+          if (Name == nullptr) {
+            for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+              Field->unref();
+              Comma->unref();
+            }
+            return nullptr;
+          }
+          auto Colon = expectToken<class Colon>();
+          if (Colon == nullptr) {
+            for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+              Field->unref();
+              Comma->unref();
+            }
+            Name->unref();
+            return nullptr;
+          }
+          auto TE = parseTypeExpression();
+          if (TE == nullptr) {
+            for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+              Field->unref();
+              Comma->unref();
+            }
+            Name->unref();
+            Colon->unref();
+            return nullptr;
+          }
+          auto Field = new RecordTypeExpressionField(Name, Colon, TE);
+          auto T3 = Tokens.peek();
+          if (T3->getKind() == NodeKind::RBrace) {
+            Fields.push_back(std::make_tuple(Field, nullptr));
+            break;
+          }
+          if (T3->getKind() == NodeKind::VBar) {
+            Tokens.get();
+            VBar = static_cast<class VBar*>(T3);
+            Rest = parseTypeExpression();
+            if (!Rest) {
+              for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+                Field->unref();
+                Comma->unref();
+              }
+              Field->unref();
+              return nullptr;
+            }
+            auto T4 = Tokens.peek();
+            if (T4->getKind() != NodeKind::RBrace) {
+              for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+                Field->unref();
+                Comma->unref();
+              }
+              Field->unref();
+              Rest->unref();
+              DE.add<UnexpectedTokenDiagnostic>(File, T4, std::vector { NodeKind::RBrace });
+              return nullptr;
+            }
+            break;
+          }
+          if (T3->getKind() == NodeKind::Comma) {
+            Tokens.get();
+            auto Comma = static_cast<class Comma*>(T3);
+            Fields.push_back(std::make_tuple(Field, Comma));
+            continue;
+          }
+          DE.add<UnexpectedTokenDiagnostic>(File, T3, std::vector { NodeKind::RBrace, NodeKind::Comma, NodeKind::VBar });
+          for (auto [Field, Comma]: Fields) {
+            Field->unref();
+            Comma->unref();
+          }
+          Field->unref();
+          return nullptr;
+        }
+        auto RBrace = static_cast<class RBrace*>(Tokens.get());
+        return new RecordTypeExpression(LBrace, Fields, VBar, Rest, RBrace);
+      }
       case NodeKind::LParen:
       {
         Tokens.get();
@@ -488,7 +579,16 @@ after_tuple_element:
     for (;;) {
       auto T1 = Tokens.peek();
       auto Kind = T1->getKind();
-      if (Kind == NodeKind::RArrow || Kind == NodeKind::Equals || Kind == NodeKind::BlockStart || Kind == NodeKind::LineFoldEnd || Kind == NodeKind::EndOfFile || Kind == NodeKind::RParen) {
+      if (Kind == NodeKind::Comma
+       || Kind == NodeKind::RArrow
+        || Kind == NodeKind::Equals
+         || Kind == NodeKind::BlockStart
+          || Kind == NodeKind::LineFoldEnd
+           || Kind == NodeKind::EndOfFile
+            || Kind == NodeKind::RParen
+             || Kind == NodeKind::RBracket
+              || Kind == NodeKind::RBrace
+               || Kind == NodeKind::VBar) {
         break;
       }
       auto TE = parsePrimitiveTypeExpression();
diff --git a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Scanner.cc b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Scanner.cc
index cc3989a6a..f404b2d05 100644
--- a/bootstrap/cxx/src/Scanner.cc
+++ b/bootstrap/cxx/src/Scanner.cc
@@ -379,7 +379,9 @@ after_string_contents:
           Text.push_back(static_cast<char>(C1));
           getChar();
         }
-        if (Text == "->") {
+        if (Text == "|") {
+          return new VBar(StartLoc);
+        } else if (Text == "->") {
           return new RArrow(StartLoc);
         } else if (Text == "=>") {
           return new RArrowAlt(StartLoc);