diff --git a/src/NetVar.cc b/src/NetVar.cc
index 25e4f7a0bc..5aed213508 100644
--- a/src/NetVar.cc
+++ b/src/NetVar.cc
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ RecordType* pcap_packet;
 RecordType* signature_state;
 EnumType* transport_proto;
 TableType* string_set;
+TableType* string_array;
 TableType* count_set;
+VectorType* string_vec;
 
 int watchdog_interval;
 
@@ -328,6 +330,8 @@ void init_net_var()
 	pcap_packet = internal_type("pcap_packet")->AsRecordType();
 	transport_proto = internal_type("transport_proto")->AsEnumType();
 	string_set = internal_type("string_set")->AsTableType();
+	string_array = internal_type("string_array")->AsTableType();
+	string_vec = internal_type("string_vec")->AsVectorType();
 
 	ignore_checksums = opt_internal_int("ignore_checksums");
 	partial_connection_ok = opt_internal_int("partial_connection_ok");
diff --git a/src/NetVar.h b/src/NetVar.h
index f8def230c0..4a513a8a53 100644
--- a/src/NetVar.h
+++ b/src/NetVar.h
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ extern RecordType* SYN_packet;
 extern RecordType* pcap_packet;
 extern EnumType* transport_proto;
 extern TableType* string_set;
+extern TableType* string_array;
 extern TableType* count_set;
+extern VectorType* string_vec;
 
 extern int watchdog_interval;
 
diff --git a/src/bro.bif b/src/bro.bif
index a2f97356a7..c78ae5bffe 100644
--- a/src/bro.bif
+++ b/src/bro.bif
@@ -363,19 +363,23 @@ function cat%(...%): string
 
 function record_type_to_vector%(rt: string%): string_vec
 	%{
-	VectorVal* result =
-		new VectorVal(internal_type("string_vec")->AsVectorType());
+	VectorVal* result = new VectorVal(string_vec);
 
-	RecordType *type = internal_type(rt->CheckString())->AsRecordType();
+	ID* id = lookup_ID(rt->CheckString(), GLOBAL_MODULE_NAME);
 
-	if ( type )
+	if ( id )
 		{
+		RecordType *type = id->Type()->AsRecordType();
 		for ( int i = 0; i < type->NumFields(); ++i )
 			{
 			StringVal* val = new StringVal(type->FieldName(i));
 			result->Assign(i+1, val, 0);
 			}
+		Unref(id);
 		}
+	else
+		reporter->InternalError("internal record type %s missing",
+		                        rt->CheckString());
 
 	return result;
 	%}
diff --git a/src/strings.bif b/src/strings.bif
index 7e9885e296..52b6089bcc 100644
--- a/src/strings.bif
+++ b/src/strings.bif
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ function sort_string_array%(a: string_array%): string_array
 		}
 	// sort(vs.begin(), vs.end(), Bstr_cmp);
 
-	TableVal* b = new TableVal(internal_type("string_array")->AsTableType());
+	TableVal* b = new TableVal(string_array);
 	vs_to_string_array(vs, b, 1, n);
 	return b;
 	%}
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int match_prefix(int s_len, const char* s, int t_len, const char* t)
 Val* do_split(StringVal* str_val, RE_Matcher* re, TableVal* other_sep,
 		int incl_sep, int max_num_sep)
 	{
-	TableVal* a = new TableVal(internal_type("string_array")->AsTableType());
+	TableVal* a = new TableVal(string_array);
 	ListVal* other_strings = 0;
 
 	if ( other_sep && other_sep->Size() > 0 )
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ function str_shell_escape%(source: string%): string
 # empty set if none).
 function find_all%(str: string, re: pattern%) : string_set
 	%{
-	TableVal* a = new TableVal(internal_type("string_set")->AsTableType());
+	TableVal* a = new TableVal(string_set);
 
 	const u_char* s = str->Bytes();
 	const u_char* e = s + str->Len();