diff --git a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
index b074569e7..d3729fd10 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ namespace diff{
   
   namespace error = lumiera::error;
   
+  using util::isnil;
   using std::string;
   
   template<typename VAL>
@@ -141,13 +142,15 @@ namespace diff{
       Storage children_;
       
     public:
+      static const string TYPE_NIL;
+      
       Record()
-        : type_("NIL")
+        : type_(TYPE_NIL)
         { }
       
       template<typename A, typename C>
       Record(Symbol typeID, A&& att, C&& chi)
-        : type_(typeID)
+        : type_(isnil(typeID)? TYPE_NIL:string(typeID))
         , attribs_(std::forward<A> (att))
         , children_(std::forward<C> (chi))
         { }
@@ -155,7 +158,7 @@ namespace diff{
       template<typename A, typename C>
       Record(Symbol typeID, std::initializer_list<A> const&& att
                           , std::initializer_list<C> const&& chi)
-        : type_(typeID)
+        : type_(isnil(typeID)? TYPE_NIL:string(typeID))
         , attribs_(att)
         , children_(chi)
         { }
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ namespace diff{
       template<typename SEQ>
       explicit
       Record (SEQ const& con)
-        : type_("NIL")
+        : type_(TYPE_NIL)
         {
           auto p = std::begin(con);
           auto e = std::end(con);
@@ -259,7 +262,7 @@ namespace diff{
       using valIter   = TransformIter<scopeIter, Access>;
       
       /** default iteration exposes all data within this "object", starting with the attributes */
-      iterator  begin ()  const { return iterator(this, attribs_.begin()); }
+      iterator  begin ()  const { return iterator(this, attribs_.empty()? children_.begin() : attribs_.begin()); }
       iterator  end ()    const { return iterator(); }
       
       scopeIter attribs() const { return iter_stl::eachElm(attribs_); }
@@ -271,9 +274,8 @@ namespace diff{
     protected: /* ==== API for the IterAdapter ==== */
       
       /** Implementation of Iteration-logic: pull next element. */
-      template<class ITER>
       friend void
-      iterNext (const Record* src, ITER& pos)
+      iterNext (const Record* src, ElmIter& pos)
         {
           ++pos;
           checkPoint (src,pos);
@@ -284,22 +286,22 @@ namespace diff{
        *     the end of the attribute collection. In this implementation,
        *     we use the default constructed \c ITER() to mark iteration end.
        */
-      template<class ITER>
       friend bool
-      checkPoint (const Record* src, ITER& pos)
+      checkPoint (const Record* src, ElmIter& pos)
         {
           REQUIRE (src);
-          if ((pos != ITER()) && (pos == src->attribs_.end()) && !src->children_.empty())
+          static const ElmIter END;
+          if (pos != END && pos == src->attribs_.end() && !src->children_.empty())
             {
               pos = src->children_.begin();
               return true;
             }
           else
-            if (pos != ITER() && (pos != src->children_.end()))
+            if (pos != END && (pos != src->children_.end()))
               return true;
             else
               {
-                pos = ITER();
+                pos = END;
                 return false;
         }     }
       
@@ -340,6 +342,9 @@ namespace diff{
       }
     };
   
+  template<typename VAL>
+  const string Record<VAL>::TYPE_NIL = "NIL";
+  
   
   
   template<typename VAL>
@@ -620,6 +625,7 @@ namespace diff{
     using lib::transformIterator;
     
     return "Rec("
+         + (TYPE_NIL==type_? "" : type_+"| ")
          + join (transformIterator (this->attribs(), renderAttribute))
          + " |{"
          + join (this->scope())
diff --git a/tests/15library.tests b/tests/15library.tests
index 6c1b9e292..5c8bc91e6 100644
--- a/tests/15library.tests
+++ b/tests/15library.tests
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ END
 
 
 TEST "Generic Object Record" GenericRecordRepresentation_test <<END
-out-lit: enterprise = Rec(Name = USS Enterprise, Registry = NCC-1701-D, Class = Galaxy, Owner = United Federation of Planets, Operator = Starfleet, built = 2363 |{Picard, Riker, Data, Troi, Worf, Crusher, La Forge})
+out-lit: enterprise = Rec(starship| Name = USS Enterprise, Registry = NCC-1701-D, Class = Galaxy, Owner = United Federation of Planets, Operator = Starfleet, built = 2363 |{Picard, Riker, Data, Troi, Worf, Crusher, La Forge})
 out-lit: Name = USS Enterprise
 out-lit: Registry = NCC-1701-D
 out-lit: Class = Galaxy
diff --git a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
index f702ce1f5..06ff1c159 100644
--- a/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/diff/generic-record-representation-test.cpp
@@ -139,10 +139,13 @@ namespace test{
           
           VERIFY_ERROR (INVALID, enterprise.get("warp10"));
           
-          cout << "enterprise = " << string(enterprise)<<endl;
-          for (string elm : enterprise)           cout << elm<<endl;
+          cout << "enterprise = "
+               << string(enterprise)<<endl;
+          for (string elm : enterprise)
+            cout << elm<<endl;
           cout << "--Attributes--"<<endl;
-          for (string att : enterprise.attribs()) cout << att<<endl;
+          for (string att : enterprise.attribs())
+            cout << att<<endl;
           cout << "--Keys--->" << join (enterprise.keys(), "<->")<<endl;
           cout << "--Vals--->" << join (enterprise.vals(), "<->")<<endl;
           cout << "--Crew--->" << join (enterprise.scope()," | ")<<endl;
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ namespace test{
           RecS nil;
           CHECK (isnil(nil));
           CHECK ("NIL" == nil.getType());
+          CHECK (RecS::TYPE_NIL == nil.getType());
           
           CHECK (!nil.begin());
           CHECK (nil.begin() == nil.end());
@@ -176,10 +180,10 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK (Seq{"z"} == contents (untyped2.scope()));
           
           
-          RecS something({"type=thing", "a=1", "b=2", "c", "d"});
+          RecS something({"a=1", "type=thing", "b=2", "c", "d"});
           CHECK (!isnil(something));
           CHECK ("thing" == something.getType());
-          CHECK (Seq({"type=thing", "a=1", "b=2", "c", "d"}) == contents(something));
+          CHECK (Seq({"a=1", "b=2", "c", "d"}) == contents(something));
           CHECK (Seq({"a", "b"}) == contents (something.keys()));
           CHECK (Seq({"1", "2"}) == contents (something.vals()));
           CHECK (Seq({"c", "d"}) == contents (something.scope()));
@@ -189,7 +193,7 @@ namespace test{
       void
       copy_and_move()
         {
-          RecS a({"type=thing", "a=1", "b=2", "c", "d"});
+          RecS a({"a=1", "b=2", "c", "d"});
           RecS b(a);
           CHECK (a.getType() == b.getType());
           CHECK (contents(a) == contents(b));
@@ -284,7 +288,7 @@ namespace test{
           RecS aa(mut);
           CHECK (a != aa);
           CHECK ("u" == aa.getType());
-          CHECK (Seq({"type=u", "a=1", "a"}) == contents(aa));
+          CHECK (Seq({"a=1", "a"}) == contents(aa));
           CHECK (Seq({"a"}) == contents (aa.keys()));
           CHECK (Seq({"1"}) == contents (aa.vals()));
           CHECK (Seq({"a"}) == contents (aa.scope()));
@@ -299,8 +303,8 @@ namespace test{
           
           mut.replace(a);
           CHECK (isnil (mut));
-          CHECK (Seq({"type=u", "a=α", "a=β", "⟂", "a"}) == contents(a));
-          CHECK (Seq({"type=u", "a=1", "a"}) == contents(aa));
+          CHECK (Seq({"a=α", "a=β", "⟂", "a"}) == contents(a));
+          CHECK (Seq({"a=1", "a"}) == contents(aa));
         }