diff --git a/ipalib/base.py b/ipalib/base.py
index 96dd300dd..c7a0cf99f 100644
--- a/ipalib/base.py
+++ b/ipalib/base.py
@@ -26,18 +26,31 @@ import exceptions
 
 
 class Named(object):
-	#def __init__(self, prefix):
-	#	clsname = self.__class__.__name__
+	prefix = None
+
+	@classmethod
+	def clsname(cls):
+		return cls.__name__
+
+	def __init__(self):
+		clsname = self.clsname()
+		assert type(self.prefix) is str
+		prefix = self.prefix + '_'
+		if not clsname.startswith(prefix):
+			raise exceptions.PrefixError(clsname, prefix)
+		self.__name = clsname[len(prefix):]
+		self.__name_cli = self.__name.replace('_', '-')
+
 	def __get_name(self):
-		return self.__class__.__name__
+		return self.__name
 	name = property(__get_name)
 
-	def __get_cli_name(self):
-		return self.name.replace('_', '-')
-	cli_name = property(__get_cli_name)
+	def __get_name_cli(self):
+		return self.__name_cli
+	name_cli = property(__get_name_cli)
 
 
-class Command(Named):
+class Command(object):
 
 	def normalize(self, kw):
 		raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/ipalib/exceptions.py b/ipalib/exceptions.py
index 752a1e20f..4150d7124 100644
--- a/ipalib/exceptions.py
+++ b/ipalib/exceptions.py
@@ -55,3 +55,7 @@ class OverrideError(IPAError):
 
 class RegistrationError(IPAError):
 	msg = '%r is not a subclass of %s'
+
+
+class PrefixError(IPAError):
+	msg = 'class name %r must start with %r'
diff --git a/ipalib/tests/test_base.py b/ipalib/tests/test_base.py
index 7a998f3cd..e0e2d8e88 100644
--- a/ipalib/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/ipalib/tests/test_base.py
@@ -40,6 +40,77 @@ def read_only(obj, name):
 	return getattr(obj, name)
 
 
+class ClassChecker(object):
+	cls = None # Override this is subclasses
+
+	def new(self, *args, **kw):
+		return self.cls(*args, **kw)
+
+	def args(self):
+		return []
+
+	def kw(self):
+		return {}
+
+	def std(self):
+		return self.new(*self.args(), **self.kw())
+
+
+class test_Named:
+	"""
+	Unit tests for `Named` class.
+	"""
+	cls = base.Named
+
+	def new(self):
+		class tst_verb_object(self.cls):
+			prefix = 'tst'
+		return tst_verb_object()
+
+	def test_prefix(self):
+		"""
+		Test prefix exception.
+		"""
+		# Test Example class:
+		class Example(self.cls):
+			prefix = 'eg'
+
+		# Two test subclasses:
+		class do_stuff(Example):
+			pass
+		class eg_do_stuff(Example):
+			pass
+
+		# Test that PrefixError is raised with incorrectly named subclass:
+		raised = False
+		try:
+			do_stuff()
+		except exceptions.PrefixError:
+			raised = True
+		assert raised
+
+		# Test that correctly named subclass works:
+		eg_do_stuff()
+
+	def test_name(self):
+		"""
+		Test Named.name property.
+		"""
+		obj = self.new()
+		assert read_only(obj, 'name') == 'verb_object'
+
+	def test_name_cli(self):
+		"""
+		Test Named.name_cli property.
+		"""
+		obj = self.new()
+		assert read_only(obj, 'name_cli') == 'verb-object'
+
+
+
+
+
+
 class test_NameSpace:
 	"""
 	Unit tests for `NameSpace` class.