diff --git a/prelude/PredefCnc.gf b/prelude/PredefCnc.gf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..485f181ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prelude/PredefCnc.gf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+concrete PredefCnc of PredefAbs = {
+  lincat Int, String = {s : Str} ;
+} ;
diff --git a/resource/english/CategoriesEng.gf b/resource/english/CategoriesEng.gf
index 4ee8b7d83..9b23aa706 100644
--- a/resource/english/CategoriesEng.gf
+++ b/resource/english/CategoriesEng.gf
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 -- one has to know how the syntactic categories are
 -- implemented. The parameter types are defined in $TypesEng.gf$.
 
-concrete CategoriesEng of Categories = open Prelude, SyntaxEng in {
+concrete CategoriesEng of Categories = PredefCnc ** open Prelude, SyntaxEng in {
 
 flags 
   startcat=Phr ; 
diff --git a/resource/romance/CategoriesRomance.gf b/resource/romance/CategoriesRomance.gf
index 007ae0a1b..abeb751d2 100644
--- a/resource/romance/CategoriesRomance.gf
+++ b/resource/romance/CategoriesRomance.gf
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 -- $TypesFra$ and $TypesIta$.
 
 incomplete concrete CategoriesRomance of Categories = 
-  open Prelude, SyntaxRomance in {
+  PredefCnc ** open Prelude, SyntaxRomance in {
 
 flags 
   startcat=Phr ; optimize=all ;
diff --git a/resource/scandinavian/CategoriesScand.gf b/resource/scandinavian/CategoriesScand.gf
index 0bec531c2..c4a77d611 100644
--- a/resource/scandinavian/CategoriesScand.gf
+++ b/resource/scandinavian/CategoriesScand.gf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 incomplete concrete CategoriesScand of Categories = 
-  open Prelude, SyntaxScand in {
+  PredefCnc ** open Prelude, SyntaxScand in {
 
 flags 
   startcat=Phr ;