diff --git a/lib/browser/application.js b/lib/browser/application.js
index e480554..fe977a0 100644
--- a/lib/browser/application.js
+++ b/lib/browser/application.js
@@ -1,27 +1,16 @@
-/* global APP_NAMESPACE */
-'use strict';
-
 /**
- * A module for registering an application. It creates a property
- * on global.NS using the application name, and exposes a render
- * method on an object there.
+ * A module for registering an application. It creates a property on global.NS
+ * using the application name, and exposes a render method on an object there.
  */
+'use strict';
 
 var NS = require('./namespace');
 
 module.exports = function (name, config) {
-  if (NS.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
-    throw new Error(
-      'Cannot register ' + name +
-      ' because a property with that name already exists' +
-      ' on window.' + APP_NAMESPACE);
-  }
-
-  NS[name] = new Application(config);
+  NS.registerProperty(name, new Application(config));
   return NS[name];
 };
 
-
 function Application (config) {
   this.config = config;
   this._renderQueue = [];
diff --git a/lib/browser/kernel.js b/lib/browser/kernel.js
index 09914e9..30e0165 100644
--- a/lib/browser/kernel.js
+++ b/lib/browser/kernel.js
@@ -1,19 +1,16 @@
-/* global APP_NAMESPACE */
 'use strict';
 
 /**
  * Entry point for scout files. This module sets up the namespace, requires
- * all application modules, and finally exports the namespace on the global
- * object.
+ * all application modules, and finally exports the namespace.
  *
  * @module
  */
 
 var NS = require('./namespace');
-var global = require('./global');
 
 // begin application module require blocks
 /* APP_MODULES */
 // end application module require blocks
 
-module.exports = global[APP_NAMESPACE] = NS;
+module.exports = NS;
diff --git a/lib/browser/namespace.js b/lib/browser/namespace.js
index 872fb22..cd486a1 100644
--- a/lib/browser/namespace.js
+++ b/lib/browser/namespace.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 /* global APP_NAMESPACE */
-
 /**
- * Define the shared namespace; if there is already an object on
- * window at the namespace property, use it.
+ * Define the namespace name with a flag (APP_NAMESPACE) that will be replaced
+ * with a string in the webpack build.
+ *
+ * APP_NAMESPACE will be replaced with the value passed to webpack
+ * options.namespace or the default namespace name.
  */
 'use strict';
 
-var global = require('./global');
-var NS = typeof global[APP_NAMESPACE] === 'object' ?
-  global[APP_NAMESPACE] : {};
+var namespacer = require('./namespacer');
 
-module.exports = NS;
+module.exports = namespacer.namespace(APP_NAMESPACE);
diff --git a/lib/browser/namespacer.js b/lib/browser/namespacer.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48402f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/browser/namespacer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * A namespace generator.
+ *
+ * @module
+ */
+
+var global = require('./global');
+
+/**
+ * A namespace.
+ *
+ * @class
+ */
+function Namespace (name) {
+  this.name = name;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Register a property in the namespace, such as an application instance.
+ *
+ * Attempting to register the same property twice is almost always an error, and
+ * thus results in a thrown exception.
+ *
+ * @param {String} name The property name.
+ * @param {Mixed} value The property value.
+ */
+Namespace.prototype.registerProperty = function (name, value) {
+  if (this.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Cannot register ' + name +
+      ' because a property with that name already exists on window.' +
+      this.name
+    );
+  }
+
+  this[name] = value;
+  return this;
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+  /**
+   * Obtain a namespace object, creating one if necessary.
+   *
+   * The namespace will be assigned to the global (window) object as a property
+   * with the provided name.
+   *
+   * @param {String} name The namespace name.
+   * @return {Mixed} The namespace.
+   */
+  namespace: function (name) {
+    // There is no value yet assigned for this namespace.
+    if (global[name] === undefined) {
+      global[name] = new Namespace(name);
+    }
+    // A namespace object already exists, which may or may not be a Namespace
+    // instance.
+    else if (typeof global[name] === 'object') {
+      // If we have an existing object literal then give it the necessary
+      // decorations and functions that a Namespace instance would have.
+      //
+      // Other code may have a reference to the object, so we can't do anything
+      // more drastic such as replacing it.
+      if (!(global[name] instanceof Namespace)) {
+        Namespace.call(global[name], name);
+        for (var prop in Namespace.prototype) {
+          global[name][prop] = Namespace.prototype[prop];
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    // Otherwise other code is using this global name for another purpose, so
+    // throw.
+    else {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Namespace ' + name + ' cannot be created.' +
+        ' A non-object variable is already assigned to window.' + name
+      );
+    }
+
+    return global[name];
+  }
+};