diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/value/value_nodes/BMessageValueNode.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/value/value_nodes/BMessageValueNode.cpp
index cc99bcf432..cf2e273482 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/value/value_nodes/BMessageValueNode.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/value/value_nodes/BMessageValueNode.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,39 @@
 #include "ValueNodeContainer.h"
 
 
+// minimal replica of BMessage's class structure for
+// extracting fields
+class BMessageValue {
+	public:
+		uint32			what;
+
+		virtual			~BMessageValue();
+
+		struct message_header;
+		struct field_header;
+
+		message_header*	fHeader;
+		field_header*	fFields;
+		uint8*			fData;
+
+		uint32			fFieldsAvailable;
+		size_t			fDataAvailable;
+
+		mutable	BMessage* fOriginal;
+
+		BMessage*		fQueueLink;
+			// fQueueLink is used by BMessageQueue to build a linked list
+
+		void*			fArchivingPointer;
+
+		uint32			fReserved[8];
+
+		virtual	void	_ReservedMessage1();
+		virtual	void	_ReservedMessage2();
+		virtual	void	_ReservedMessage3();
+};
+
+
 // #pragma mark - BMessageValueNode
 
 
@@ -82,9 +115,8 @@ BMessageValueNode::ResolvedLocationAndValue(ValueLoader* valueLoader,
 	TRACE_LOCALS("BMessage: Address: 0x%" B_PRIx64 "\n",
 		addressData.ToUInt64());
 
-
-	// TODO: redo this by looking up class members off the type
-	// and resolving them instead
+	// TODO: redo this by looking up fHeader et al off the type
+	// object and resolving their locations instead
 	uint8 classBuffer[sizeof(BMessage)];
 	error = valueLoader->LoadRawValue(addressData, sizeof(BMessage),
 		classBuffer);