diff --git a/lib/6to5/templates/class-statement-container.js b/lib/6to5/templates/class-statement-container.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56e8aaa6e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/6to5/templates/class-statement-container.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+(function () {
+  function CLASS_NAME() {
+
+  }
+
+  return CLASS_NAME;
+})()
diff --git a/lib/6to5/templates/class.js b/lib/6to5/templates/class.js
index fc3c3ba01a..56e8aaa6e9 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/templates/class.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/templates/class.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-var CLASS_NAME = (function () {
+(function () {
   function CLASS_NAME() {
 
   }
 
   return CLASS_NAME;
-})();
+})()
diff --git a/lib/6to5/transformers/classes.js b/lib/6to5/transformers/classes.js
index f42c0e09cd..32e2011cfc 100644
--- a/lib/6to5/transformers/classes.js
+++ b/lib/6to5/transformers/classes.js
@@ -4,14 +4,23 @@ var b        = require("ast-types").builders;
 var _        = require("lodash");
 
 exports.ClassDeclaration = function (node) {
+  return b.variableDeclaration("var", [
+    b.variableDeclarator(node.id, buildClass(node))
+  ]);
+};
+
+exports.ClassExpression = function (node) {
+  return buildClass(node);
+};
+
+var buildClass = function (node) {
   var superName = node.superClass;
   var className = node.id;
 
-  var root = util.template("class", {
+  var container = util.template("class", {
     CLASS_NAME: className
-  }, true);
+  });
 
-  var container = root.declarations[0].init;
   var block     = container.callee.body;
   var body      = block.body;
 
@@ -31,7 +40,7 @@ exports.ClassDeclaration = function (node) {
 
   body.push(returnStatement);
 
-  return root;
+  return container;
 };
 
 var buildClassBody = function (body, className, superName, node) {