diff --git a/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt b/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
index b979e494..19a5d34e 100644
--- a/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
     FairMQSocket.h
     FairMQTransportFactory.h
     FairMQUnmanagedRegion.h
+    FwdDecls.h
     JSONParser.h
     MemoryResourceTools.h
     MemoryResources.h
diff --git a/fairmq/FwdDecls.h b/fairmq/FwdDecls.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b84a1cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fairmq/FwdDecls.h
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ *    Copyright (C) 2021 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    *
+ *                                                                              *
+ *              This software is distributed under the terms of the             *
+ *              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             *
+ *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef FAIR_MQ_FWDDECLS_H
+#define FAIR_MQ_FWDDECLS_H
+
+namespace fair::mq {
+
+class Channel;
+class Device;
+class MemoryResource;
+class Message;
+class Parts;
+class Poller;
+class ProgOptions;
+class RegionBlock;
+class RegionConfig;
+class RegionInfo;
+class Socket;
+class TransportFactory;
+class UnmanagedRegion;
+
+using FairMQMemoryResource = MemoryResource;
+
+}   // namespace fair::mq
+
+using FairMQChannel = fair::mq::Channel;
+using FairMQDevice = fair::mq::Device;
+using FairMQMessage = fair::mq::Message;
+using FairMQParts = fair::mq::Parts;
+using FairMQPoller = fair::mq::Poller;
+using FairMQProgOptions = fair::mq::ProgOptions;
+using FairMQRegionBlock = fair::mq::RegionBlock;
+using FairMQRegionConfig = fair::mq::RegionConfig;
+using FairMQRegionInfo = fair::mq::RegionInfo;
+using FairMQSocket = fair::mq::Socket;
+using FairMQTransportFactory = fair::mq::TransportFactory;
+using FairMQUnmanagedRegion = fair::mq::UnmanagedRegion;
+
+#endif   // FAIR_MQ_FWDDECLS_H