diff --git a/src/Type.cc b/src/Type.cc
index a6d8b90c6c..30deb3cd2a 100644
--- a/src/Type.cc
+++ b/src/Type.cc
@@ -1038,10 +1038,16 @@ void RecordType::Describe(ODesc* d) const
 	{
 	if ( d->IsReadable() )
 		{
-		d->AddSP("record {");
-		DescribeFields(d);
-		d->SP();
-		d->Add("}");
+		if ( d->IsShort() && GetTypeID() )
+			d->Add(GetTypeID());
+
+		else
+			{
+			d->AddSP("record {");
+			DescribeFields(d);
+			d->SP();
+			d->Add("}");
+			}
 		}
 
 	else
diff --git a/src/Var.cc b/src/Var.cc
index d384fedc74..08129bdc3e 100644
--- a/src/Var.cc
+++ b/src/Var.cc
@@ -314,9 +314,9 @@ void add_type(ID* id, BroType* t, attr_list* attr, int /* is_event */)
 			delete [] data;
 		}
 
-		tnew->SetTypeID(copy_string(id->Name()));
 		}
 
+	tnew->SetTypeID(copy_string(id->Name()));
 	id->SetType(tnew);
 	id->MakeType();