diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8bc6b973b..f1b8b124b 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ For full details, see the git log at: https://github.com/ksh93/ksh
 
 Any uppercase BUG_* names are modernish shell bug IDs.
 
+2021-11-21:
+
+- It is now possible to use types defined by 'enum' in contexts where the
+  script is entirely parsed before (or without) being executed, such as
+  dotted/sourced scripts and scripts compiled by shcomp.
+
 2021-11-20:
 
 - Listing types with 'typeset -T' no longer displays incomplete versions of
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/bltins/enum.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/bltins/enum.c
index 520bec200..3130b189c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/bltins/enum.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/bltins/enum.c
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 #pragma prototyped
 #include	"defs.h"
 
-static const char enum_usage[] =
-"[-?@(#)$Id: enum (AT&T Research) 2008-01-08 $\n]"
+const char sh_optenum[] =
+"[-?@(#)$Id: enum (ksh 93u+m) 2021-11-21 $\n]"
 "[--catalog?" ERROR_CATALOG "]"
 "[+NAME?enum - create an enumeration type]"
 "[+DESCRIPTION?\benum\b is a declaration command that creates an enumeration "
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static const char enum_usage[] =
 ;
 
 static const char enum_type[] =
-"[-1c?\n@(#)$Id: type (AT&T Labs Research) 2008-01-08 $\n]"
+"[-1c?\n@(#)$Id: type (ksh 93u+m) 2021-11-21 $\n]"
 "[--catalog?" ERROR_CATALOG "]"
 "[+NAME?\f?\f - create an instance of type \b\f?\f\b]"
 "[+DESCRIPTION?The \b\f?\f\b declaration command creates a variable for "
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ static int enuminfo(Opt_t* op, Sfio_t *out, const char *str, Optdisc_t *fp)
 	const char	*v;
 	np = *(Namval_t**)(fp+1);
 	ep = (struct Enum*)np->nvfun;
+	if(!ep)
+		return(0);
 	if(strcmp(str,"default")==0)
 		sfprintf(out,"\b%s\b",ep->values[0]);
 	else if(strcmp(str,"case")==0)
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ int b_enum(int argc, char** argv, Shbltin_t *context)
 	cmdinit(argc, argv, context, ERROR_CATALOG, ERROR_NOTIFY);
 	for (;;)
 	{
-		switch (optget(argv, enum_usage))
+		switch (optget(argv, sh_optenum))
 		{
 		case 'i':
 			iflag = 'i';
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
index 9e245697d..b0327868d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ const struct shtable3 shtab_builtins[] =
 	".",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_SPC,	bltin(dot_cmd),
 	"source",	NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV,		bltin(dot_cmd),
 	"return",	NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_SPC,	bltin(return),
+	"enum",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_DCL,	bltin(enum),
 /*
  * Builtins without offset macros in include/builtins.h follow.
  */
 	"alias",	NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV,		bltin(alias),
 	"hash",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV,		bltin(alias),
-	"enum",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_DCL,	bltin(enum),
 	"eval",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_SPC|BLT_EXIT,bltin(eval),
 	"exit",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_SPC,	bltin(return),
 	"fc",		NV_BLTIN|BLT_ENV|BLT_EXIT,	bltin(hist),
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/builtins.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/builtins.h
index a613bfbfd..36bce3e29 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/builtins.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/builtins.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #define SYSDOT		(shgd->bltin_cmds+20)	/* . */
 #define SYSSOURCE	(shgd->bltin_cmds+21)	/* source */
 #define SYSRETURN	(shgd->bltin_cmds+22)	/* return */
+#define SYSENUM		(shgd->bltin_cmds+23)	/* enum */
 
 /* entry point for shell special builtins */
 
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ extern const char sh_optdot[];
 #ifndef ECHOPRINT
     extern const char sh_optecho[];
 #endif /* !ECHOPRINT */
+extern const char sh_optenum[];
 extern const char sh_opteval[];
 extern const char sh_optexec[];
 extern const char sh_optredirect[];
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shlex.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shlex.h
index f2583afe8..9b59c7c13 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shlex.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shlex.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ typedef struct  _shlex_
 	char		aliasok;	/* on when alias is legal */
 	char		assignok;	/* on when name=value is legal */
 	char		inexec;		/* on when processing exec */
-	char		intypeset;	/* on when processing typeset */
+	char		intypeset;	/* 1 when processing typeset, 2 when processing enum */
 	char		comp_assign;	/* in compound assignment */
 	char		comsub;		/* parsing command substitution */
 	char		noreserv;	/* reserved works not legal */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
index f20e43b2f..531a571d4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 #define SH_RELEASE_FORK	"93u+m"		/* only change if you develop a new ksh93 fork */
 #define SH_RELEASE_SVER	"1.0.0-beta.2"	/* semantic version number: https://semver.org */
-#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2021-11-20"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
+#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2021-11-21"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
 #define SH_RELEASE_CPYR	"(c) 2020-2021 Contributors to ksh " SH_RELEASE_FORK
 
 /* Scripts sometimes field-split ${.sh.version}, so don't change amount of whitespace. */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1 b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
index c4e48d2ba..370ed2f3d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
@@ -8679,3 +8679,7 @@ won't be executed until the foreground job terminates.
 It is a good idea to leave a space after the comma operator in
 arithmetic expressions to prevent the comma from being interpreted
 as the decimal point character in certain locales.
+.PP
+Commands that add type definitions (\f3enum\fP, \f3typeset -T\fP)
+must be run unconditionally and in the main shell environment.
+Defining types conditionally or in a subshell will cause undefined behavior.
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/parse.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/parse.c
index ed52f209e..7f55ce510 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/parse.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/parse.c
@@ -183,11 +183,19 @@ static void typeset_order(const char *str,int line)
 }
 
 /*
- * add type definitions when compiling with -n
+ * Pre-add type declaration built-ins at parse time to avoid
+ * syntax errors when using -c, shcomp, '.'/source or eval.
+ *
+ * This hack has a bad side effect: defining a type with 'typeset -T' or 'enum'
+ * in a subshell or an 'if false' block will cause an inconsistent state. But
+ * as these built-ins alter the syntax of the shell, it's necessary for making
+ * them work if we're parsing an entire script before or without executing it.
+ *
+ * intypeset==1 for typeset & friends; intypeset==2 for enum
  */
-static void check_typedef(struct comnod *tp)
+static void check_typedef(struct comnod *tp, char intypeset)
 {
-	char	*cp=0;
+	char	*cp=0;		/* name of built-in to pre-add */
 	if(tp->comtyp&COMSCAN)
 	{
 		struct argnod *ap = tp->comarg;
@@ -211,8 +219,18 @@ static void check_typedef(struct comnod *tp)
 	else
 	{
 		struct dolnod *dp = (struct dolnod*)tp->comarg;
-		char **argv = dp->dolval + dp->dolbot+1;
-		while((cp= *argv++) && memcmp(cp,"--",2))
+		char **argv = dp->dolval + ARG_SPARE;
+		if(intypeset==2)
+		{
+			/* Skip over 'enum' options */
+			opt_info.index = 0;
+			while(optget(argv, sh_optenum))
+				;
+			if(error_info.errors)
+				return;
+			cp = argv[opt_info.index];
+		}
+		else while((cp = *argv++) && memcmp(cp,"--",2))
 		{
 			if(sh_isoption(SH_NOEXEC))
 				typeset_order(cp,tp->comline);
@@ -1333,7 +1351,7 @@ static Shnode_t	*item(Lex_t *lexp,int flag)
 	    case 0:
 		t = (Shnode_t*)simple(lexp,flag,io);
 		if(t->com.comarg && lexp->intypeset)
-			check_typedef(&t->com);
+			check_typedef(&t->com, lexp->intypeset);
 		lexp->intypeset = 0;
 		lexp->inexec = 0;
 		t->tre.tretyp |= showme;
@@ -1454,6 +1472,8 @@ static Shnode_t *simple(Lex_t *lexp,int flag, struct ionod *io)
 						assignment = 1;
 						if(np >= SYSTYPESET && np <= SYSTYPESET_END)
 							lexp->intypeset = 1;
+						else if(np == SYSENUM)
+							lexp->intypeset = 2;
 						key_on = 1;
 					}
 					else if(np==SYSCOMMAND)	/* treat 'command typeset', etc. as declaration command */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/enum.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/enum.sh
index 5c21008aa..179c774a7 100755
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/enum.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/enum.sh
@@ -80,8 +80,7 @@ got=$(set +x; redirect 2>&1; Color_t -A clr=([foo]=red [bar]=blue [bad]=BAD); pr
 	"expected status 1, *$(printf %q "$exp"); got status $e, $(printf %q "$got")"
 
 # associative enum array
-# (need 'eval' to delay parsing when testing with shcomp, as it parses the entire script without executing the type definition)
-eval 'Color_t -A Colors=([foo]=red [bar]=blue [bad]=green [zut]=orange [blauw]=blue [rood]=red [groen]=green [geel]=yellow)'
+Color_t -A Colors=([foo]=red [bar]=blue [bad]=green [zut]=orange [blauw]=blue [rood]=red [groen]=green [geel]=yellow)
 exp='green blue blue red yellow green red orange'
 got=${Colors[@]}
 [[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "\${array[@]} doesn't yield all values for associative enum arrays" \
@@ -95,8 +94,7 @@ got=$(typeset -p Colors)
 [[ -n $got ]] && err_exit "unsetting associative enum array does not work (got $(printf %q "$got"))"
 
 # indexed enum array
-# (need 'eval' to delay parsing when testing with shcomp, as it parses the entire script without executing the type definition)
-eval 'Color_t -a iColors=(red blue green orange blue red green yellow)'
+Color_t -a iColors=(red blue green orange blue red green yellow)
 exp='red blue green orange blue red green yellow'
 got=${iColors[@]}
 [[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "\${array[@]} doesn't yield all values for indexed enum arrays" \
@@ -117,5 +115,23 @@ got="${testarray[3]:-BUG} ${testarray[@]:-BUG}"
 [[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "assigning first enum element to indexed array failed" \
 	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"); got $(printf %q "$got"))"
 
+# ======
+# https://github.com/ksh93/ksh/issues/256
+cmd='enum Color_t=(red green blue); Color_t -A Colors=([rubie]=red [verde]=green [blau]=blue); typeset -p Colors'
+exp='Color_t -A Colors=([blau]=blue [rubie]=red [verde]=green)'
+got=$("$SHELL" -c "$cmd" 2>&1)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "-c failed" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"); got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+got=$("$SHELL" -c "eval '$cmd'" 2>&1)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "-c script with eval failed" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"); got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+print "$cmd" >cmd.sh
+got=$("$SHELL" -c '. ./cmd.sh' 2>&1)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "dotted script failed" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"); got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+got=$("$SHELL" -c 'source ./cmd.sh' 2>&1)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "sourced script failed" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"); got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+
 # ======
 exit $((Errors<125?Errors:125))