diff --git a/include/interpreter.h b/include/interpreter.h
index 299deb6..a6a0ca8 100644
--- a/include/interpreter.h
+++ b/include/interpreter.h
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@
 #include "tree.h"
 
 struct libab_interpreter_s {
-    libab_table* base_table;   
+    libab_ref base_table;
     libab_number_impl* impl;
 };
 
 typedef struct libab_interpreter_s libab_interpreter;
 
 void libab_interpreter_init(libab_interpreter* intr,
-                            libab_table* table, libab_number_impl* impl);
+                            libab_ref* table, libab_number_impl* impl);
 libab_result libab_interpreter_run(libab_interpreter* intr,
                                    libab_tree* tree, libab_ref* into);
 void libab_interpreter_free(libab_interpreter* intr);
diff --git a/include/libabacus.h b/include/libabacus.h
index beb4ce9..451d317 100644
--- a/include/libabacus.h
+++ b/include/libabacus.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ struct libab_s {
      * The table used to store top-level
      * things like functions and operators.
      */
-    libab_table table;
+    libab_ref table;
     /**
      * The number implementation used by this instance.
      */
diff --git a/include/parser.h b/include/parser.h
index 4810aac..268a90f 100644
--- a/include/parser.h
+++ b/include/parser.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * tokens into trees.
  */
 struct libab_parser_s {
-    libab_table* base_table;
+    libab_ref base_table;
 };
 
 typedef struct libab_parser_s libab_parser;
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ typedef struct libab_parser_s libab_parser;
  * @param parser the parser to intialize.
  * @param table the table of "reserved" entries like operators.
  */
-void libab_parser_init(libab_parser* parser, libab_table* table);
+void libab_parser_init(libab_parser* parser, libab_ref* table);
 /**
  * Parses the given list of tokens into the given tree pointer.
  * @param parser the parser to use for parsing text.
diff --git a/include/util.h b/include/util.h
index c1b1a30..036c925 100644
--- a/include/util.h
+++ b/include/util.h
@@ -65,5 +65,12 @@ libab_result libab_resolve_parsetype(libab_parsetype* to_resolve,
  */
 libab_result libab_instantiate_basetype(libab_basetype* to_instantiate,
         libab_ref* into, size_t n, ...);
+/**
+ * Creates a new libab_table, and stores it into the given reference.
+ * @param into the reference to store the table into.
+ * @param parent the parent reference to store.
+ * @return the result of the instantiation.
+ */
+libab_result libab_create_table(libab_ref* into, libab_ref* parent);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/interpreter.c b/src/interpreter.c
index 41f7660..1d79830 100644
--- a/src/interpreter.c
+++ b/src/interpreter.c
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@
 #include "util.h"
 
 void libab_interpreter_init(libab_interpreter* intr,
-                            libab_table* table, libab_number_impl* impl) {
-    intr->base_table = table;
+                            libab_ref* table, libab_number_impl* impl) {
+    libab_ref_copy(table, &intr->base_table);
     intr->impl = impl;
 }
 
 struct interpreter_state {
-    libab_table* base_table;
     libab_number_impl* impl;
     libab_ref num_ref;
 };
@@ -16,11 +15,10 @@ struct interpreter_state {
 libab_result _interpreter_init(struct interpreter_state* state, libab_interpreter* intr) {
     libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
     libab_basetype* num_type;
-    state->base_table = intr->base_table;
     state->impl = intr->impl;
     libab_ref_null(&state->num_ref);
 
-    num_type = libab_table_search_basetype(state->base_table, "num");
+    num_type = libab_table_search_basetype(libab_ref_get(&intr->base_table), "num");
     if(num_type != NULL) {
         libab_ref_free(&state->num_ref);
         result = libab_instantiate_basetype(num_type, &state->num_ref, 0);
@@ -37,32 +35,6 @@ void _interpreter_free(struct interpreter_state* state) {
     libab_ref_free(&state->num_ref);
 }
 
-void _free_table(void* data) {
-    libab_table_free(data);
-    free(data);
-}
-
-libab_result _make_scope(libab_ref* into, libab_ref* parent) {
-    libab_table* table;
-    libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
-    if((table = malloc(sizeof(*table)))) {
-        libab_table_init(table);
-        result = libab_ref_new(into, table, _free_table);
-
-        if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-            _free_table(table);
-        }
-    } else {
-        result = LIBAB_MALLOC;
-    }
-
-    if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        libab_ref_null(into);
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}
-
 libab_result _interpreter_run(struct interpreter_state* state,
                                     libab_tree* tree, libab_ref* into, 
                                     libab_ref* scope, int force_scope) {
@@ -71,7 +43,7 @@ libab_result _interpreter_run(struct interpreter_state* state,
     int needs_scope = libab_tree_has_scope(tree->variant) || force_scope;
     
     if(needs_scope) {
-        result = _make_scope(&new_scope, scope);
+        result = libab_create_table(&new_scope, scope);
         scope = &new_scope;
     }
 
@@ -99,7 +71,7 @@ libab_result libab_interpreter_run(libab_interpreter* intr,
     libab_result result = _interpreter_init(&state, intr);
 
     if(result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        result = _interpreter_run(&state, tree, into, NULL, 1);
+        result = _interpreter_run(&state, tree, into, &intr->base_table, 1);
         if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
             _interpreter_free(&state);
         }
@@ -111,5 +83,5 @@ libab_result libab_interpreter_run(libab_interpreter* intr,
 }
 
 void libab_interpreter_free(libab_interpreter* intr) {
-    
+    libab_ref_free(&intr->base_table);
 }
diff --git a/src/libabacus.c b/src/libabacus.c
index 315d2e2..965ed9e 100644
--- a/src/libabacus.c
+++ b/src/libabacus.c
@@ -5,20 +5,26 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 libab_result libab_init(libab* ab) {
+    libab_ref null_ref;
     libab_result result;
-    libab_table_init(&ab->table);
-    libab_parser_init(&ab->parser, &ab->table);
-    result = libab_lexer_init(&ab->lexer);
+    libab_ref_null(&null_ref);
+    result = libab_create_table(&ab->table, &null_ref);
+
+    if(result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+        libab_parser_init(&ab->parser, &ab->table);
+        result = libab_lexer_init(&ab->lexer);
+    }
 
     if (result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
         result = libab_register_reserved_operators(&ab->lexer);
     }
 
     if (result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        libab_table_free(&ab->table);
+        libab_ref_free(&ab->table);
         libab_parser_free(&ab->parser);
         libab_lexer_free(&ab->lexer);
     }
+    libab_ref_free(&null_ref);
 
     return result;
 }
@@ -64,7 +70,7 @@ libab_result _register_operator(libab* ab, const char* op,
     }
 
     if (result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        result = libab_table_put(&ab->table, op, new_entry);
+        result = libab_table_put(libab_ref_get(&ab->table), op, new_entry);
     }
 
     if (result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@ libab_result libab_register_function(libab* ab, const char* name,
     }
 
     if (result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        result = libab_table_put(&ab->table, name, new_entry);
+        result = libab_table_put(libab_ref_get(&ab->table), name, new_entry);
     }
 
     if (result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
@@ -132,7 +138,7 @@ libab_result libab_register_basetype(libab* ab, const char* name,
     }
 
     if (result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
-        result = libab_table_put(&ab->table, name, new_entry);
+        result = libab_table_put(libab_ref_get(&ab->table), name, new_entry);
     }
 
     if (result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
@@ -156,7 +162,7 @@ libab_result libab_create_type(libab* ab, libab_ref* into, const char* type) {
 }
 
 libab_result libab_free(libab* ab) {
-    libab_table_free(&ab->table);
+    libab_ref_free(&ab->table);
     libab_parser_free(&ab->parser);
     return libab_lexer_free(&ab->lexer);
 }
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index 8d1c5ac..6379252 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -1162,14 +1162,14 @@ libab_result _parse_block(struct parser_state* state, libab_tree** store_into,
     return result;
 }
 
-void libab_parser_init(libab_parser* parser, libab_table* table) {
-    parser->base_table = table;
+void libab_parser_init(libab_parser* parser, libab_ref* table) {
+    libab_ref_copy(table, &parser->base_table);
 }
 libab_result libab_parser_parse(libab_parser* parser, ll* tokens,
                                 const char* string, libab_tree** store_into) {
     libab_result result;
     struct parser_state state;
-    _parser_state_init(&state, tokens, string, parser->base_table);
+    _parser_state_init(&state, tokens, string, libab_ref_get(&parser->base_table));
 
     result = _parse_block(&state, store_into, 0);
     if (result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
@@ -1182,8 +1182,8 @@ libab_result libab_parser_parse_type(libab_parser* parser, ll* tokens,
                                      const char* string,
                                      libab_ref* store_into) {
     struct parser_state state;
-    _parser_state_init(&state, tokens, string, parser->base_table);
+    _parser_state_init(&state, tokens, string, libab_ref_get(&parser->base_table));
 
     return _parse_type(&state, store_into);
 }
-void libab_parser_free(libab_parser* parser) { parser->base_table = NULL; }
+void libab_parser_free(libab_parser* parser) { libab_ref_free(&parser->base_table); }
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 4048b26..062902e 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -122,3 +122,29 @@ libab_result libab_instantiate_basetype(libab_basetype* to_instantiate,
 
     return result;
 }
+
+void _free_table(void* data) {
+    libab_table_free(data);
+    free(data);
+}
+
+libab_result libab_create_table(libab_ref* into, libab_ref* parent) {
+    libab_table* table;
+    libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
+    if((table = malloc(sizeof(*table)))) {
+        libab_table_init(table);
+        libab_table_set_parent(table, parent);
+        result = libab_ref_new(into, table, _free_table);
+
+        if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+            _free_table(table);
+        }
+    } else {
+        result = LIBAB_MALLOC; 
+    }
+
+    if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+        libab_ref_null(into);
+    }
+    return result;
+}