diff --git a/docs/source/resolution.rst b/docs/source/resolution.rst
index 65f516c..ab971d7 100644
--- a/docs/source/resolution.rst
+++ b/docs/source/resolution.rst
@@ -161,6 +161,19 @@ For example, here's a function that takes a ``float`` followed by any number
    >>> f(2.0, '4', 6, 8)
    20.0
 
+Lazy Dispatch
+-------------
+
+You may need to refer to your own class while defining it. Just use its name as
+a string and ``multipledispatch`` will resolve a name to a class during runtime
+
+.. code::
+
+   class MyInteger(int):
+       @dispatch('MyInteger')
+       def add(self, x):
+           return self + x
+
 Ambiguities
 -----------
 
diff --git a/multipledispatch/conflict.py b/multipledispatch/conflict.py
index 5b5e942..10dccf8 100644
--- a/multipledispatch/conflict.py
+++ b/multipledispatch/conflict.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import itertools
+
 from .utils import _toposort, groupby
 from .variadic import isvariadic
 
@@ -8,6 +10,9 @@ class AmbiguityWarning(Warning):
 
 def supercedes(a, b):
     """ A is consistent and strictly more specific than B """
+    if any(isinstance(x, str) for x in itertools.chain(a, b)):
+        # skip due to lazy types
+        return False
     if len(a) < len(b):
         # only case is if a is empty and b is variadic
         return not a and len(b) == 1 and isvariadic(b[-1])
diff --git a/multipledispatch/dispatcher.py b/multipledispatch/dispatcher.py
index 7568595..700f127 100644
--- a/multipledispatch/dispatcher.py
+++ b/multipledispatch/dispatcher.py
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
     >>> f(3.0)
     2.0
     """
-    __slots__ = '__name__', 'name', 'funcs', '_ordering', '_cache', 'doc'
+    __slots__ = '__name__', 'name', 'funcs', '_ordering', '_cache', 'doc', \
+                '_lazy'
 
     def __init__(self, name, doc=None):
         self.name = self.__name__ = name
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, doc=None):
         self.doc = doc
 
         self._cache = {}
+        self._lazy = False
 
     def register(self, *types, **kwargs):
         """ register dispatcher with new implementation
@@ -214,9 +216,8 @@ def add(self, signature, func):
             return
 
         new_signature = []
-
         for index, typ in enumerate(signature, start=1):
-            if not isinstance(typ, (type, list)):
+            if not isinstance(typ, (type, list, str)):
                 str_sig = ', '.join(c.__name__ if isinstance(c, type)
                                     else str(c) for c in signature)
                 raise TypeError("Tried to dispatch on non-type: %s\n"
@@ -237,9 +238,12 @@ def add(self, signature, func):
                         'To use a variadic union type place the desired types '
                         'inside of a tuple, e.g., [(int, str)]'
                     )
-                new_signature.append(Variadic[typ[0]])
-            else:
-                new_signature.append(typ)
+                typ = Variadic[typ[0]]
+
+            if isinstance(typ, str):
+                self._lazy = True
+
+            new_signature.append(typ)
 
         self.funcs[tuple(new_signature)] = func
         self._cache.clear()
@@ -264,6 +268,9 @@ def reorder(self, on_ambiguity=ambiguity_warn):
         return od
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        if self._lazy:
+            self._unlazy()
+
         types = tuple([type(arg) for arg in args])
         try:
             func = self._cache[types]
@@ -359,6 +366,7 @@ def __setstate__(self, d):
         self.funcs = d['funcs']
         self._ordering = ordering(self.funcs)
         self._cache = dict()
+        self._lazy = any(isinstance(t, str) for t in itl.chain(*d['funcs']))
 
     @property
     def __doc__(self):
@@ -400,6 +408,31 @@ def source(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """ Print source code for the function corresponding to inputs """
         print(self._source(*args))
 
+    def _unlazy(self):
+        funcs = {}
+        for signature, func in self.funcs.items():
+            new_signature = []
+            for typ in signature:
+                if isinstance(typ, str):
+                    for frame_info in inspect.stack():
+                        frame = frame_info[0]
+                        scope = dict(frame.f_globals)
+                        scope.update(frame.f_locals)
+                        if typ in scope:
+                            typ = scope[typ]
+                            break
+                    else:
+                        raise NameError("name '%s' is not defined" % typ)
+                new_signature.append(typ)
+
+            new_signature = tuple(new_signature)
+            funcs[new_signature] = func
+
+        self.funcs = funcs
+        self.reorder()
+
+        self._lazy = False
+
 
 def source(func):
     s = 'File: %s\n\n' % inspect.getsourcefile(func)
@@ -427,6 +460,9 @@ def __get__(self, instance, owner):
         return self
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        if self._lazy:
+            self._unlazy()
+
         types = tuple([type(arg) for arg in args])
         func = self.dispatch(*types)
         if not func:
diff --git a/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py b/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
index f07544d..5d23515 100644
--- a/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
+++ b/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 import warnings
 
+from multipledispatch import dispatch
 from multipledispatch.dispatcher import (Dispatcher, MDNotImplementedError,
                                          MethodDispatcher)
 from multipledispatch.conflict import ambiguities
@@ -421,3 +422,74 @@ def _3(*objects):
     assert f('a', ['a']) == 2
     assert f(1) == 3
     assert f() == 3
+
+
+def test_lazy_methods():
+    class A(object):
+        @dispatch(int)
+        def get(self, _):
+            return 'int'
+
+        @dispatch('A')
+        def get(self, _):
+            """Self reference"""
+            return 'A'
+
+        @dispatch('B')
+        def get(self, _):
+            """Yet undeclared type"""
+            return 'B'
+
+    class B(object):
+        pass
+
+    class C(A):
+        @dispatch('D')
+        def get(self, _):
+            """Non-existent type"""
+            return 'D'
+
+    a = A()
+    b = B()
+    c = C()
+
+    assert a.get(1) == 'int'
+    assert a.get(a) == 'A'
+    assert a.get(b) == 'B'
+    assert raises(NameError, lambda: c.get(1))
+
+
+def test_lazy_functions():
+    f = Dispatcher('f')
+    f.add((int,), inc)
+    f.add(('Int',), dec)
+
+    assert raises(NameError, lambda: f(1))
+
+    class Int(int):
+        pass
+
+    assert f(1) == 2
+    assert f(Int(1)) == 0
+
+
+def test_lazy_serializable():
+    f = Dispatcher('f')
+    f.add((int,), inc)
+    f.add(('Int',), dec)
+
+    import pickle
+    assert isinstance(pickle.dumps(f), (str, bytes))
+
+    g = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(f))
+
+    assert f.funcs == g.funcs
+    assert f._lazy == g._lazy
+
+    assert raises(NameError, lambda: f(1))
+
+    class Int(int):
+        pass
+
+    assert g(1) == 2
+    assert g(Int(1)) == 0
diff --git a/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher_3only.py b/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher_3only.py
index b041450..bc4f224 100644
--- a/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher_3only.py
+++ b/multipledispatch/tests/test_dispatcher_3only.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 from multipledispatch import dispatch
 from multipledispatch.dispatcher import Dispatcher
+from multipledispatch.utils import raises
 
 
 def test_function_annotation_register():
@@ -92,3 +93,23 @@ def inc(x: int):
 
     assert inc(1) == 2
     assert inc(1.0) == 0.0
+
+
+def test_lazy_annotations():
+    f = Dispatcher('f')
+
+    @f.register()
+    def inc(x: int):
+        return x + 1
+
+    @f.register()
+    def dec(x: 'Int'):
+        return x - 1
+
+    assert raises(NameError, lambda: f(1))
+
+    class Int(int):
+        pass
+
+    assert f(1) == 2
+    assert f(Int(1)) == 0