diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
index cc8a1715..bf8c078c 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-lib/typed-racket/typecheck/check-class-unit.rkt
@@ -159,15 +159,20 @@
      (define locals (trawl-for-property #'body 'tr:class:local-table))
      (define-values (local-method-table local-private-table local-field-table)
        (construct-local-mapping-tables (car locals)))
+     ;; start type-checking elements in the body
+     (define-values (lexical-names lexical-types)
+       (local-tables->lexical-env local-method-table methods this%-method-names
+                                  local-field-table fields this%-field-names
+                                  self-type))
+     (with-lexical-env/extend lexical-names lexical-types
+       (for ([stx top-level-exprs]
+             #:unless (syntax-property stx 'tr:class:super-new))
+         (tc-expr stx)))
      ;; find the `super-new` call (or error if missing)
      (define super-new-stx (trawl-for-property #'body 'tr:class:super-new))
      (check-super-new super-new-stx super-inits)
      ;; trawl the body and find methods and type-check them
      (define meths (trawl-for-property #'body 'tr:class:method))
-     (define-values (lexical-names lexical-types)
-       (local-tables->lexical-env local-method-table methods this%-method-names
-                                  local-field-table fields this%-field-names
-                                  self-type))
      (define checked-method-types
        (with-lexical-env/extend lexical-names lexical-types
          (check-methods meths methods self-type)))
diff --git a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
index 359090b7..f3bca166 100644
--- a/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/unit-tests/class-tests.rkt
@@ -303,6 +303,20 @@
                  (define/public (m y)
                    (begin0 x (set! x (+ x 1)))))))
 
+   ;; test top-level expressions in the class
+   (check-ok
+    (: c% (Class [m (Integer -> Integer)]))
+    (define c% (class: object% (super-new)
+                 (define/public (m y) 0)
+                 (+ 3 5))))
+
+   ;; fails, bad top-level expression
+   (check-err
+    (: c% (Class [m (Integer -> Integer)]))
+    (define c% (class: object% (super-new)
+                 (define/public (m y) 0)
+                 (+ "foo" 5))))
+
    ;; test type-checking without expected class type
    (check-ok
     (define c% (class: object% (super-new)