diff --git a/hwtypes/modifiers.py b/hwtypes/modifiers.py
index 15df6ba..b10f262 100644
--- a/hwtypes/modifiers.py
+++ b/hwtypes/modifiers.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import types
 import weakref
 
+__ALL__ = ['new', 'make_modifier', 'is_modified', 'is_modifier', 'get_modifier', 'get_unmodified']
+
+
+_DEBUG = False
 #special sentinal value
 class _MISSING: pass
 
@@ -17,24 +21,77 @@ class T(klass): pass
         return T
 
 class _ModifierMeta(type):
+    _modifier_lookup = weakref.WeakKeyDictionary()
     def __instancecheck__(cls, obj):
-        return type(obj) in cls._sub_classes.values()
+        if cls is AbstractModifier:
+            return super().__instancecheck__(obj)
+        else:
+            return type(obj) in cls._sub_classes
 
-    def __subclasscheck__(cls, typ):
-        return typ in cls._sub_classes.values()
+    def __subclasscheck__(cls, T):
+        if cls is AbstractModifier:
+            return super().__subclasscheck__(T)
+        else:
+            return T in cls._sub_classes
 
     def __call__(cls, *args):
+        if cls is AbstractModifier:
+            raise TypeError('Cannot instance or apply AbstractModifier')
+
         if len(args) != 1:
             return super().__call__(*args)
-        sub = args[0]
+
+        unmod_cls = args[0]
         try:
-            return cls._sub_classes[sub]
+            return cls._sub_class_cache[unmod_cls]
         except KeyError:
             pass
 
-        mod_sub_name = cls.__name__ + sub.__name__
-        mod_sub = type(mod_sub_name, (sub,), {})
-        return cls._sub_classes.setdefault(sub, mod_sub)
+        mod_name = cls.__name__ + unmod_cls.__name__
+        bases = [unmod_cls]
+        for base in unmod_cls.__bases__:
+            bases.append(cls(base))
+        mod_cls = type(mod_name, tuple(bases), {})
+        cls._register_modified(unmod_cls, mod_cls)
+        return mod_cls
+
+class AbstractModifier(metaclass=_ModifierMeta):
+    def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
+        cls._sub_class_cache = weakref.WeakValueDictionary()
+        cls._sub_classes = weakref.WeakSet()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _register_modified(cls, unmod_cls, mod_cls):
+        type(cls)._modifier_lookup[mod_cls] = cls
+        cls._sub_classes.add(mod_cls)
+        cls._sub_class_cache[unmod_cls] = mod_cls
+        if _DEBUG:
+            # O(n) assert, but its a pretty key invariant
+            assert set(cls._sub_classes) == set(cls._sub_class_cache.values())
+
+def is_modified(T):
+    return T in _ModifierMeta._modifier_lookup
+
+def is_modifier(T):
+    return issubclass(T, AbstractModifier)
+
+def get_modifier(T):
+    if is_modified(T):
+        return _ModifierMeta._modifier_lookup[T]
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(f'{T} has no modifiers')
+
+def get_unmodified(T):
+    if is_modified(T):
+        unmod = T.__bases__[0]
+        if _DEBUG:
+            # Not an expensive assert but as there is a
+            # already a debug guard might as well use it.
+            mod = get_modifier(T)
+            assert mod._sub_class_cache[unmod] is T
+        return unmod
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(f'{T} has no modifiers')
 
 _mod_cache = weakref.WeakValueDictionary()
 # This is a factory for type modifiers.
@@ -45,7 +102,7 @@ def make_modifier(name, cache=False):
         except KeyError:
             pass
 
-    ModType = _ModifierMeta(name, (), {'_sub_classes' : weakref.WeakValueDictionary()})
+    ModType = _ModifierMeta(name, (AbstractModifier,), {})
 
     if cache:
         return _mod_cache.setdefault(name, ModType)
diff --git a/tests/test_modifiers.py b/tests/test_modifiers.py
index e97896f..e979ef0 100644
--- a/tests/test_modifiers.py
+++ b/tests/test_modifiers.py
@@ -1,14 +1,22 @@
-from hwtypes.modifiers import make_modifier
+import pytest
+
 from hwtypes import Bit, AbstractBit
+import hwtypes.modifiers as modifiers
+from hwtypes.modifiers import make_modifier, is_modified, is_modifier
+from hwtypes.modifiers import get_modifier, get_unmodified
 
+modifiers._DEBUG = True
 
 def test_basic():
     Global = make_modifier("Global")
     GlobalBit = Global(Bit)
 
+    assert GlobalBit is Global(Bit)
+
     assert issubclass(GlobalBit, Bit)
     assert issubclass(GlobalBit, AbstractBit)
     assert issubclass(GlobalBit, Global)
+    assert issubclass(GlobalBit, Global(AbstractBit))
 
     global_bit = GlobalBit(0)
 
@@ -16,6 +24,23 @@ def test_basic():
     assert isinstance(global_bit, Bit)
     assert isinstance(global_bit, AbstractBit)
     assert isinstance(global_bit, Global)
+    assert isinstance(global_bit, Global(AbstractBit))
+
+    assert is_modifier(Global)
+    assert is_modified(GlobalBit)
+    assert not is_modifier(Bit)
+    assert not is_modified(Bit)
+    assert not is_modified(Global)
+
+    assert get_modifier(GlobalBit) is Global
+    assert get_unmodified(GlobalBit) is Bit
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        get_modifier(Bit)
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        get_unmodified(Bit)
+
 
 def test_cache():
     G1 = make_modifier("Global", cache=True)
@@ -24,4 +49,3 @@ def test_cache():
 
     assert G1 is G2
     assert G1 is not G3
-