diff --git a/src/main/scala/leon/LeonComponent.scala b/src/main/scala/leon/LeonComponent.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..95f947b94370f3f60587ecd37157e0183b7d6832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/leon/LeonComponent.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package leon
+
+/** A common trait for everything that is important enough to be named,
+ *  and that processes command line options. And important category are
+ *  `LeonPhase`s. */
+trait LeonComponent {
+  val name : String
+  val description : String
+
+  val definedOptions : Set[LeonOptionDef] = Set()
+}
diff --git a/src/main/scala/leon/synthesis/SynthesisPhase.scala b/src/main/scala/leon/synthesis/SynthesisPhase.scala
index c9c7b25eb2c0bf5ab25709d1a2125872498832ab..466abaf1df1c2d221ab6e1009eecd4c82c3f5df2 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/leon/synthesis/SynthesisPhase.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/leon/synthesis/SynthesisPhase.scala
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ object SynthesisPhase extends LeonPhase[Program, Program] {
   val name        = "Synthesis"
   val description = "Synthesis"
 
-  override def definedOptions = Set(
+  override val definedOptions : Set[LeonOptionDef] = Set(
     LeonFlagOptionDef( "inplace",    "--inplace",         "Debug level"),
     LeonFlagOptionDef( "parallel",   "--parallel",        "Parallel synthesis search"),
     LeonFlagOptionDef( "derivtrees", "--derivtrees",      "Generate derivation trees"),
diff --git a/src/main/scala/leon/verification/AnalysisPhase.scala b/src/main/scala/leon/verification/AnalysisPhase.scala
index ce3dc0198e5afbc7d78f29cf691e19bd8178faff..e8bb9791cbe68049296d8cddcbf42039df567988 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/leon/verification/AnalysisPhase.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/leon/verification/AnalysisPhase.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ object AnalysisPhase extends LeonPhase[Program,VerificationReport] {
   val name = "Analysis"
   val description = "Leon Verification"
 
-  override def definedOptions = Set(
+  override val definedOptions : Set[LeonOptionDef] = Set(
     LeonValueOptionDef("functions", "--functions=f1:f2", "Limit verification to f1,f2,...")
   )