diff --git a/src/NetVar.cc b/src/NetVar.cc
index 012e4a85bc..1a2e604e90 100644
--- a/src/NetVar.cc
+++ b/src/NetVar.cc
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ OpaqueType* md5_type;
 OpaqueType* sha1_type;
 OpaqueType* sha256_type;
 OpaqueType* entropy_type;
+OpaqueType* topk_type;
 
 #include "const.bif.netvar_def"
 #include "types.bif.netvar_def"
@@ -308,6 +309,7 @@ void init_general_global_var()
 	sha1_type = new OpaqueType("sha1");
 	sha256_type = new OpaqueType("sha256");
 	entropy_type = new OpaqueType("entropy");
+	topk_type = new OpaqueType("topk");
 	}
 
 void init_net_var()
diff --git a/src/NetVar.h b/src/NetVar.h
index d7590b20e7..37ed3c7c85 100644
--- a/src/NetVar.h
+++ b/src/NetVar.h
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ extern OpaqueType* md5_type;
 extern OpaqueType* sha1_type;
 extern OpaqueType* sha256_type;
 extern OpaqueType* entropy_type;
+extern OpaqueType* topk_type;
 
 // Initializes globals that don't pertain to network/event analysis.
 extern void init_general_global_var();
diff --git a/src/Topk.cc b/src/Topk.cc
index 2b84b389b0..10374f3087 100644
--- a/src/Topk.cc
+++ b/src/Topk.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "CompHash.h"
 #include "Reporter.h"
 #include "Serializer.h"
+#include "NetVar.h"
 
 
 namespace Topk {
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ HashKey* TopkVal::GetHash(Val* v) const
 	return key;
 	}
 
-TopkVal::TopkVal(uint64 arg_size) : OpaqueVal(new OpaqueType("topk"))
+TopkVal::TopkVal(uint64 arg_size) : OpaqueVal(topk_type)
 	{
 	elementDict = new PDict(Element);
 	elementDict->SetDeleteFunc(topk_element_hash_delete_func);
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ TopkVal::TopkVal(uint64 arg_size) : OpaqueVal(new OpaqueType("topk"))
 	pruned = false;
 	}
 
-TopkVal::TopkVal() : OpaqueVal(new OpaqueType("topk"))
+TopkVal::TopkVal() : OpaqueVal(topk_type)
 	{
 	elementDict = new PDict(Element);
 	elementDict->SetDeleteFunc(topk_element_hash_delete_func);