diff --git a/examples/sample.spooky b/examples/sample.spooky
index 74718eb..b1e7ede 100644
--- a/examples/sample.spooky
+++ b/examples/sample.spooky
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ int sum_array(int[] arr) {
 }
 
 int main() {
-  struct Point p;
+  Point p;
   int[] nums;
   int x = 1 + 2 * 3;
   p.x = x;
diff --git a/examples/with_imports.spooky b/examples/with_imports.spooky
index eb09e79..d38db5a 100644
--- a/examples/with_imports.spooky
+++ b/examples/with_imports.spooky
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import "modules/types.spooky";
 import "modules/math.spooky";
 
 int main() {
-  struct Point p;
+  Point p;
   p.x = 1;
   p.y = 2;
   return add(p.x, p.y);
diff --git a/lib/parser.ml b/lib/parser.ml
index 9f84aeb..0d6d75e 100644
--- a/lib/parser.ml
+++ b/lib/parser.ml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ type parser_state = {
 
 let mk_state toks = { toks = Array.of_list toks; i = 0 }
 let peek st = if st.i < Array.length st.toks then st.toks.(st.i) else TEOF
+let peek_n st n =
+  let idx = st.i + n in
+  if idx < Array.length st.toks then st.toks.(idx) else TEOF
 
 let consume st =
   let t = peek st in
@@ -61,7 +64,23 @@ let expect_ident st =
   | TIdent s -> s
   | _ -> raise (Parse_error "expected identifier")
 
-let starts_type = function TIntKw | TBoolKw | TVoidKw | TStructKw -> true | _ -> false
+let starts_builtin_type = function TIntKw | TBoolKw | TVoidKw | TStructKw -> true | _ -> false
+
+let rec skip_array_suffixes st j =
+  match peek_n st j with
+  | TLBracket ->
+      (match peek_n st (j + 1) with
+      | TRBracket -> skip_array_suffixes st (j + 2)
+      | _ -> j)
+  | _ -> j
+
+let looks_like_type_start st =
+  match peek st with
+  | t when starts_builtin_type t -> true
+  | TIdent _ ->
+      let j = skip_array_suffixes st 1 in
+      (match peek_n st j with TIdent _ -> true | _ -> false)
+  | _ -> false
 
 let rec parse_type st =
   let base =
@@ -70,6 +89,7 @@ let rec parse_type st =
     | TBoolKw -> TBool
     | TVoidKw -> TVoid
     | TStructKw -> TStruct (expect_ident st)
+    | TIdent s -> TStruct s
     | _ -> raise (Parse_error "expected type")
   in
   let rec arrays t =
@@ -115,6 +135,7 @@ and parse_top st =
           let ty = TStruct sname in
           parse_top_after_type st ty)
   | _ ->
+      if not (looks_like_type_start st) then raise (Parse_error "expected top-level declaration");
       let ty = parse_type st in
       parse_top_after_type st ty
 
@@ -208,7 +229,7 @@ and parse_stmt st =
       in
       expect st TSemicolon;
       Return v
-  | t when starts_type t ->
+  | _ when looks_like_type_start st ->
       let ty = parse_type st in
       let n = expect_ident st in
       let init =
diff --git a/test/test_spooky.ml b/test/test_spooky.ml
index fdc03d1..f2bc81e 100644
--- a/test/test_spooky.ml
+++ b/test/test_spooky.ml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ int fold(int[] xs) {
 
 int main() {
 	int[] xs;
-	struct Item it;
+	Item it;
 	int y = 2 + 3 * 4;
 	it.value = y;
 	if (y >= 0) {