diff --git a/src/field.js b/src/field.js
index d69706eed..d203fdf3c 100644
--- a/src/field.js
+++ b/src/field.js
@@ -245,13 +245,11 @@ Field.prototype.resolve = function resolve() {
         if (!Type)
             Type = require("./type");
 
-        var scope = this.declaringField ? this.declaringField.parent : this.parent;
-        if (this.resolvedType = scope.lookup(this.type, Type))
+        this.resolvedType = (this.declaringField ? this.declaringField.parent : this.parent).lookupTypeOrEnum(this.type);
+        if (this.resolvedType instanceof Type)
             this.typeDefault = null;
-        else if (this.resolvedType = scope.lookup(this.type, Enum))
+        else // instanceof Enum
             this.typeDefault = this.resolvedType.values[Object.keys(this.resolvedType.values)[0]]; // first defined
-        else
-            throw Error("unresolvable field type: " + this.type + " in " + scope);
     }
 
     // use explicitly set default value if present
diff --git a/src/namespace.js b/src/namespace.js
index 03f3bdae5..47be33699 100644
--- a/src/namespace.js
+++ b/src/namespace.js
@@ -277,17 +277,18 @@ Namespace.prototype.resolveAll = function resolveAll() {
 /**
  * Looks up the reflection object at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
  * @param {string|string[]} path Path to look up
- * @param {function(new: ReflectionObject)} filterType Filter type, one of `protobuf.Type`, `protobuf.Enum`, `protobuf.Service` etc.
+ * @param {function(new: ReflectionObject)|Array.<function(new: ReflectionObject)>} filterTypes Filter types, any combination of `protobuf.Type`, `protobuf.Enum`, `protobuf.Service` etc.
  * @param {boolean} [parentAlreadyChecked=false] If known, whether the parent has already been checked
  * @returns {?ReflectionObject} Looked up object or `null` if none could be found
  */
-Namespace.prototype.lookup = function lookup(path, filterType, parentAlreadyChecked) {
+Namespace.prototype.lookup = function lookup(path, filterTypes, parentAlreadyChecked) {
 
     /* istanbul ignore if */
-    if (typeof filterType === "boolean") {
-        parentAlreadyChecked = filterType;
-        filterType = undefined;
-    }
+    if (typeof filterTypes === "boolean") {
+        parentAlreadyChecked = filterTypes;
+        filterTypes = undefined;
+    } else if (filterTypes && !Array.isArray(filterTypes))
+        filterTypes = [ filterTypes ];
 
     if (util.isString(path) && path.length) {
         if (path === ".")
@@ -298,20 +299,20 @@ Namespace.prototype.lookup = function lookup(path, filterType, parentAlreadyChec
 
     // Start at root if path is absolute
     if (path[0] === "")
-        return this.root.lookup(path.slice(1), filterType);
+        return this.root.lookup(path.slice(1), filterTypes);
     // Test if the first part matches any nested object, and if so, traverse if path contains more
     var found = this.get(path[0]);
     if (found) {
         if (path.length === 1) {
-            if (!filterType || found instanceof filterType)
+            if (!filterTypes || filterTypes.indexOf(found.constructor) > -1)
                 return found;
-        } else if (found instanceof Namespace && (found = found.lookup(path.slice(1), filterType, true)))
+        } else if (found instanceof Namespace && (found = found.lookup(path.slice(1), filterTypes, true)))
             return found;
     }
     // If there hasn't been a match, try again at the parent
     if (this.parent === null || parentAlreadyChecked)
         return null;
-    return this.parent.lookup(path, filterType);
+    return this.parent.lookup(path, filterTypes);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -333,38 +334,52 @@ Namespace.prototype.lookup = function lookup(path, filterType, parentAlreadyChec
  * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to a type
  */
 Namespace.prototype.lookupType = function lookupType(path) {
-    var found = this.lookup(path, Type);
+    var found = this.lookup(path, [ Type ]);
     if (!found)
         throw Error("no such type");
     return found;
 };
 
 /**
- * Looks up the {@link Service|service} at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
+ * Looks up the values of the {@link Enum|enum} at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
+ * Besides its signature, this methods differs from {@link Namespace#lookup|lookup} in that it returns the enum's values directly and throws instead of returning `null`.
+ * @param {string|string[]} path Path to look up
+ * @returns {Object.<string,number>} Enum values
+ * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to an enum
+ */
+Namespace.prototype.lookupEnum = function lookupEnum(path) {
+    var found = this.lookup(path, [ Enum ]);
+    if (!found)
+        throw Error("no such enum");
+    return found.values;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Looks up the {@link Type|type} or {@link Enum|enum} at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
  * Besides its signature, this methods differs from {@link Namespace#lookup|lookup} in that it throws instead of returning `null`.
  * @param {string|string[]} path Path to look up
- * @returns {Service} Looked up service
- * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to a service
+ * @returns {Type} Looked up type or enum
+ * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to a type or enum
  */
-Namespace.prototype.lookupService = function lookupService(path) {
-    var found = this.lookup(path, Service);
+Namespace.prototype.lookupTypeOrEnum = function lookupTypeOrEnum(path) {
+    var found = this.lookup(path, [ Type, Enum ]);
     if (!found)
-        throw Error("no such service");
+        throw Error("no such type or enum");
     return found;
 };
 
 /**
- * Looks up the values of the {@link Enum|enum} at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
- * Besides its signature, this methods differs from {@link Namespace#lookup|lookup} in that it returns the enum's values directly and throws instead of returning `null`.
+ * Looks up the {@link Service|service} at the specified path, relative to this namespace.
+ * Besides its signature, this methods differs from {@link Namespace#lookup|lookup} in that it throws instead of returning `null`.
  * @param {string|string[]} path Path to look up
- * @returns {Object.<string,number>} Enum values
- * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to an enum
+ * @returns {Service} Looked up service
+ * @throws {Error} If `path` does not point to a service
  */
-Namespace.prototype.lookupEnum = function lookupEnum(path) {
-    var found = this.lookup(path, Enum);
+Namespace.prototype.lookupService = function lookupService(path) {
+    var found = this.lookup(path, [ Service ]);
     if (!found)
-        throw Error("no such enum");
-    return found.values;
+        throw Error("no such service");
+    return found;
 };
 
 Namespace._configure = function(Type_, Service_) {
diff --git a/tests/api_namespace.js b/tests/api_namespace.js
index 8352efef4..85c067ddc 100644
--- a/tests/api_namespace.js
+++ b/tests/api_namespace.js
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ enum Enm {\
     ONE = 1;\
     TWO = 2;\
 }\
-message Msg {}\
+message Msg {\
+    message Enm {}\
+}\
 service Svc {}";
 
 tape.test("reflected namespaces", function(test) {
@@ -34,6 +36,8 @@ tape.test("reflected namespaces", function(test) {
 
     test.ok(ns.lookupType("Msg"), "should lookup types");
 
+    test.equal(ns.get("Msg").lookupTypeOrEnum("Enm"), ns.lookup(".ns.Msg.Enm"), "should lookup the nearest type or enum");
+
     test.throws(function() {
         ns.lookupType("Enm");
     }, Error, "should throw when looking up an enum as a type");