diff --git a/dagrt/codegen/fortran.py b/dagrt/codegen/fortran.py
index f95338d6e6156dba2732151fcdcc7adeb3004767..137b30ea8c671751346ec07c7d21252c948fe08c 100644
--- a/dagrt/codegen/fortran.py
+++ b/dagrt/codegen/fortran.py
@@ -883,7 +883,10 @@ class CodeGenerator(StructuredCodeGenerator):
 
             trace=False):
         """
-        :arg function_registry:
+        :arg function_registry: An instance of
+            :class:`dagrt.function_registry.FunctionRegistry`
+        :arg module_preamble: A string to include at the beginning of the
+            emitted module
         :arg user_type_map: a map from user type names
             to :class:`FortranType` instances
         :arg call_before_state_update: The name of a function that should
diff --git a/dagrt/codegen/python.py b/dagrt/codegen/python.py
index 3f6ed3b4938e05d3793fb188948342084c914e00..cdac431058756199a3f4f6f7c26b058ff80c7cb2 100644
--- a/dagrt/codegen/python.py
+++ b/dagrt/codegen/python.py
@@ -185,11 +185,21 @@ class BareExpression(object):
 
 class CodeGenerator(StructuredCodeGenerator):
 
-    def __init__(self, class_name, function_registry=None):
+    def __init__(self, class_name, class_preamble=None, function_registry=None):
+        """
+        :arg class_name: The name of the class to generate
+        :arg class_preamble: A string to include at the beginning of the
+            the class (in class scope)
+        :arg function_registry: An instance of
+            :class:`dagrt.function_registry.FunctionRegistry`
+        """
         if function_registry is None:
             from dagrt.function_registry import base_function_registry
             function_registry = base_function_registry
 
+        from dagrt.codegen.utils import remove_common_indentation
+        self.class_preamble = remove_common_indentation(class_preamble)
+
         self._class_name = class_name
         self._class_emitter = PythonClassEmitter(class_name)
 
@@ -243,6 +253,13 @@ class CodeGenerator(StructuredCodeGenerator):
             self._emitter(wrapped_line)
 
     def begin_emit(self, dag):
+        if self.class_preamble:
+            emit = PythonEmitter()
+            for line in self.class_preamble:
+                emit(line)
+            emit("")
+            self._class_emitter.incorporate(emit)
+
         self._emit_inner_classes()
 
     def _emit_inner_classes(self):
diff --git a/test/test_codegen_python.py b/test/test_codegen_python.py
index 237c736632c0a778ca8241ff127b0c22651a4cf1..ff0b29ebeee16474a177fcbf99af392b2faf969f 100755
--- a/test/test_codegen_python.py
+++ b/test/test_codegen_python.py
@@ -426,6 +426,44 @@ def test_svd(python_method_impl):
     assert la.norm(result) < 1e-10
 
 
+def test_class_preamble():
+    from dagrt.language import CodeBuilder
+
+    with CodeBuilder(label="primary") as cb:
+        cb.assign("<t>", "<t> + <dt>")
+        cb.yield_state("f()", "f", 0, "final")
+
+    code = DAGCode.create_with_steady_phase(cb.phase_dependencies, cb.statements)
+
+    from dagrt.codegen import PythonCodeGenerator
+    import dagrt.function_registry as freg
+
+    preamble = """
+            @staticmethod
+            def f():
+                return 1
+    """
+
+    f = freg.Function(
+            identifier="f",
+            language_to_codegen={"python": lambda *args: "self.f()"})
+
+    generator = PythonCodeGenerator(
+            "PythonMethod",
+            class_preamble=preamble,
+            function_registry=freg.base_function_registry.register(f))
+
+    class_ = generator.get_class(code)
+
+    method = class_(function_map={})
+    method.set_up(t_start=0, dt_start=1, context={})
+
+    events = list(method.run(t_end=1))
+    assert events
+    assert isinstance(events[0], class_.StateComputed)
+    assert events[0].state_component == 1
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
         exec(sys.argv[1])