diff --git a/backends/BackendPassesTest.hs b/backends/BackendPassesTest.hs
index fb8de90..4b7f47e 100644
--- a/backends/BackendPassesTest.hs
+++ b/backends/BackendPassesTest.hs
@@ -42,23 +42,22 @@ import Utils
 m :: Meta
 m = emptyMeta
 
+timerName :: A.Name
+timerName = simpleName "rain_timer"
+
 waitFor :: A.Expression -> A.Process -> A.Alternative
-waitFor e body = A.Alternative emptyMeta (A.True emptyMeta) (A.Variable emptyMeta $ simpleName
-  (ghostVarPrefix ++ "raintimer" ++ ghostVarSuffix)) (A.InputTimerFor emptyMeta e)
+waitFor e body = A.Alternative emptyMeta (A.True emptyMeta) (A.Variable emptyMeta timerName) (A.InputTimerFor emptyMeta e)
     body
 
 waitUntil :: A.Expression -> A.Process -> A.Alternative
-waitUntil e body = A.Alternative emptyMeta (A.True emptyMeta) (A.Variable emptyMeta $ simpleName
-  (ghostVarPrefix ++ "raintimer" ++ ghostVarSuffix)) (A.InputTimerAfter emptyMeta e)
+waitUntil e body = A.Alternative emptyMeta (A.True emptyMeta) (A.Variable emptyMeta timerName) (A.InputTimerAfter emptyMeta e)
     body
 
 mWaitUntil :: (Data a, Data b) => a -> b -> Pattern
-mWaitUntil e body = mAlternative (A.True emptyMeta) (mVariable $ simpleName (ghostVarPrefix ++ "raintimer"
-  ++ ghostVarSuffix)) (mInputTimerAfter e) body
+mWaitUntil e body = mAlternative (A.True emptyMeta) (mVariable timerName) (mInputTimerAfter e) body
 
 mGetTime :: Pattern -> Pattern
-mGetTime v = mInput (mVariable $ simpleName (ghostVarPrefix ++ "raintimer"
-  ++ ghostVarSuffix)) (mInputTimerRead $ mInVariable v)
+mGetTime v = mInput (mVariable timerName) (mInputTimerRead $ mInVariable v)
 
 -- | Test WaitUntil guard (should be unchanged)
 testTransformWaitFor0 :: Test
diff --git a/data/CompState.hs b/data/CompState.hs
index 7e550d7..6dac17a 100644
--- a/data/CompState.hs
+++ b/data/CompState.hs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import Errors (Die, dieP, ErrorReport, Warn, warnP)
 import Metadata
 import OrdAST ()
 import UnifyType
+import Utils
 
 -- | Modes that Tock can run in.
 data CompMode = ModeFlowGraph | ModeParse | ModeCompile | ModePostC | ModeFull
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ data CompState = CompState {
     csMainLocals :: [(String, (A.Name, NameType))],
     csNames :: Map String A.NameDef,
     csUnscopedNames :: Map String String,
+    csGhostNames :: Set A.Name,
     csNameCounter :: Int,
 
     -- Set by passes
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ emptyState = CompState {
     csMainLocals = [],
     csNames = Map.empty,
     csUnscopedNames = Map.empty,
+    csGhostNames = Set.empty,
     csNameCounter = 0,
 
     csTypeContext = [],
@@ -202,6 +205,12 @@ defineName :: CSM m => A.Name -> A.NameDef -> m ()
 defineName n nd
     = modify $ (\ps -> ps { csNames = Map.insert (A.nameName n) nd (csNames ps) })
 
+-- | Add the definition of a ghost name.
+defineGhostName :: CSM m => A.Name -> A.NameDef -> m ()
+defineGhostName n nd
+    =  do defineName n nd
+          modify (\cs -> cs { csGhostNames = Set.insert n (csGhostNames cs) })
+
 -- | Modify the definition of a name.
 modifyName :: CSM m => A.Name -> (A.NameDef -> A.NameDef) -> m ()
 modifyName n f
@@ -246,6 +255,13 @@ findUnscopedName n@(A.Name m s)
                                     }
                  defineName n nd
                  return n
+
+-- | Determine whether a name is a ghost name.
+isGhostName :: CSMR m => A.Name -> m Bool
+isGhostName n
+    =  do ghostNames <- getCompState >>* csGhostNames
+          return $ n `Set.member` ghostNames
+
 --}}}
 
 --{{{  pulled items
@@ -380,14 +396,6 @@ findAllProcesses
           A.Proc _ _ _ p -> Just (n, p)
           _ -> Nothing
 
--- | A prefix put on all ghost variables, such as Rain's timers
-ghostVarPrefix :: String
-ghostVarPrefix = "##"
-
--- | A suffix put on all ghost variables, such as Rain's timers
-ghostVarSuffix :: String
-ghostVarSuffix = "_##"
-
 -- | A new identifer for the unify types in the tree
 getUniqueIdentifer :: CSM m => m Int
 getUniqueIdentifer = do st <- get
diff --git a/frontends/ParseRain.hs b/frontends/ParseRain.hs
index aa82368..d4b9def 100644
--- a/frontends/ParseRain.hs
+++ b/frontends/ParseRain.hs
@@ -510,23 +510,29 @@ rainSourceFile
            s <- getState
            return (p, s)
 
+-- | A ghost variable for Rain's single timer.
+-- This is used for all timer operations.
 rainTimerName :: A.Name
-rainTimerName = A.Name {A.nameName = ghostVarPrefix ++ "raintimer" ++ ghostVarSuffix,
-  A.nameMeta = emptyMeta}
+rainTimerName = A.Name emptyMeta "rain_timer"
+
+rainTimerNameDef :: A.NameDef
+rainTimerNameDef
+    = A.NameDef { A.ndMeta = emptyMeta
+                , A.ndName = A.nameName rainTimerName
+                , A.ndOrigName = A.nameName rainTimerName
+                , A.ndSpecType = A.Declaration emptyMeta (A.Timer A.RainTimer)
+                , A.ndAbbrevMode = A.Original
+                , A.ndPlacement = A.Unplaced
+                }
 
 -- | Parse Rain source text (with filename for error messages)
 parseRainProgram :: FilePath -> String -> PassM A.AST
 parseRainProgram filename source
-    =  do lexOut <- liftIO $ L.runLexer filename source          
+    =  do lexOut <- liftIO $ L.runLexer filename source
           case lexOut of
             Left merr -> dieP merr $ "Parse (lexing) error"
             Right toks ->
-              do defineName rainTimerName $ A.NameDef {A.ndMeta = emptyMeta,
-                   A.ndName = A.nameName rainTimerName,
-                   A.ndOrigName = A.nameName rainTimerName,
-                   A.ndSpecType = A.Declaration emptyMeta
-                     (A.Timer A.RainTimer),
-                   A.ndAbbrevMode = A.Original, A.ndPlacement = A.Unplaced}
+              do defineGhostName rainTimerName rainTimerNameDef
                  cs <- get
                  case runParser rainSourceFile cs filename toks of
                    Left err -> dieP (sourcePosToMeta $ errorPos err) $ "Parse error: " ++ show err
diff --git a/transformations/Unnest.hs b/transformations/Unnest.hs
index 43a67ce..038f347 100644
--- a/transformations/Unnest.hs
+++ b/transformations/Unnest.hs
@@ -58,9 +58,7 @@ freeNamesIn = doGeneric
     ignore s = Map.empty
 
     doName :: A.Name -> NameMap
-    doName n | ghostVarPrefix `isPrefixOf` (A.nameName n)
-               && ghostVarSuffix `isSuffixOf` (A.nameName n) = Map.empty
-             | otherwise =  Map.singleton (A.nameName n) n
+    doName n = Map.singleton (A.nameName n) n
 
     doStructured :: Data a => A.Structured a -> NameMap
     doStructured (A.Rep _ rep s) = doRep rep s
@@ -150,7 +148,7 @@ removeFreeNames = applyDepthM2 doSpecification doProcess
 
     -- | Return whether a 'Name' could be considered a free name.
     --
-    -- Unscoped names aren't.
+    -- Unscoped and ghost names aren't.
     -- Things like data types and PROCs aren't, because they'll be the same
     -- for all instances of a PROC.
     -- Constants aren't, because they'll be pulled up anyway.
@@ -158,7 +156,8 @@ removeFreeNames = applyDepthM2 doSpecification doProcess
     isFreeName n
         =  do st <- specTypeOfName n
               isConst <- isConstantName n
-              return $ isFreeST st && not isConst
+              isGhost <- isGhostName n
+              return $ isFreeST st && not (isConst || isGhost)
       where
         isFreeST :: A.SpecType -> Bool
         isFreeST st