diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/optional.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/optional.rkt
index 2747130f..657fe61a 100644
--- a/xenomorph/xenomorph/optional.rkt
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/optional.rkt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #lang racket/base
-(require "base.rkt" racket/class racket/match)
+(require "base.rkt"
+         racket/class
+         racket/match
+         racket/contract)
 (provide (all-defined-out))
 
 #|
@@ -32,13 +35,30 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/restructure/blob/master/src/Optional.coffee
       (if (resolve-condition parent) (send @type x:size val parent) 0))))
 
 (define no-val (gensym))
-(define (x:optional [type-arg #f] [cond-arg no-val]
+
+(define (x:optional? x) (is-a? x x:optional%))
+
+(define/contract (x:optional
+                  [type-arg #f]
+                  [cond-arg no-val]
                     #:type [type-kwarg #f]
                     #:condition [cond-kwarg no-val]
                     #:pre-encode [pre-proc #f]
                     #:post-decode [post-proc #f]
                     #:base-class [base-class x:optional%])
+  (()
+   ((or/c xenomorphic? #false)
+    any/c
+    #:type (or/c xenomorphic? #false)
+    #:condition any/c
+    #:pre-encode (or/c (any/c . -> . any/c) #false)
+    #:post-decode (or/c (any/c . -> . any/c) #false)
+    #:base-class (λ (c) (subclass? c x:optional%)))
+   . ->* .
+   x:optional?)
   (define type (or type-arg type-kwarg))
+  (unless (xenomorphic? type)
+    (raise-argument-error 'x:optional "xenomorphic type" type))
   (define condition (cond
                       [(and (eq? cond-arg no-val) (eq? cond-kwarg no-val)) #true]
                       [(not (eq? cond-arg no-val)) cond-arg]
diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/scribblings/xenomorph.scrbl b/xenomorph/xenomorph/scribblings/xenomorph.scrbl
index a490f17b..ef29f723 100644
--- a/xenomorph/xenomorph/scribblings/xenomorph.scrbl
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/scribblings/xenomorph.scrbl
@@ -1222,6 +1222,71 @@ Generate an instance of @racket[x:enum%] (or a subclass of @racket[x:enum%]) wit
 
 @defmodule[xenomorph/optional]
 
+A wrapper format that decodes or encodes only if the embedded condition evaluates to true.
+
+
+@defclass[x:optional% x:base% ()]{
+Base class for optional formats. Use @racket[x:optional] to conveniently instantiate new optional formats.
+
+
+@defconstructor[
+([type xenomorphic?]
+[condition any/c])]{
+Create class instance that represents an optional format. See @racket[x:optional] for a description of the fields.
+
+}
+
+@defmethod[
+#:mode extend
+(x:decode
+[input-port input-port?]
+[parent (or/c xenomorphic? #false)])
+hash?]{
+Returns a value if the condition is met, otherwise returns @racket[(void)].
+}
+
+@defmethod[
+#:mode extend
+(x:encode
+[val any/c]
+[input-port input-port?]
+[parent (or/c xenomorphic? #false)])
+bytes?]{
+Encodes @racket[val] as a @tech{byte string}, but only if the embedded condition is met. 
+}
+
+}
+
+@defproc[
+(x:optional?
+[x any/c])
+boolean?]{
+Whether @racket[x] is an object of type @racket[x:optional%].
+}
+
+@defproc[
+(x:optional
+[type-arg (or/c xenomorphic? #false) #false]
+[cond-arg any/c]
+[#:type type-kw (or/c xenomorphic? #false)]
+[#:condition cond-kw any/c #true]
+[#:pre-encode pre-encode-proc (or/c (any/c . -> . any/c) #false) #false]
+[#:post-decode post-decode-proc (or/c (any/c . -> . any/c) #false) #false]
+[#:base-class base-class (λ (c) (subclass? c x:optional%)) x:optional%]
+)
+x:optional?]{
+Generate an instance of @racket[x:optional%] (or a subclass of @racket[x:optional%]) with certain optional attributes.
+
+@racket[type-arg] or @racket[type-kw] (whichever is provided, though @racket[type-arg] takes precedence) controls the type wrapped by the optional object, which must be @racket[xenomorphic?].
+
+@racket[cond-arg] or @racket[cond-kw] (whichever is provided, though @racket[cond-arg] takes precedence) is the condition that is evaluated to determine if the optional object should encode or decode. If the condition is a procedure, the procedure is evaluated for its result. Default is @racket[#true].
+
+@racket[pre-encode-proc] and @racket[post-decode-proc] control the pre-encoding and post-decoding procedures, respectively. Each takes as input the value to be processed and returns a new value.
+
+@racket[base-class] controls the class used for instantiation of the new object.   
+}
+
+
 
 @subsection{Reserved}
 
diff --git a/xenomorph/xenomorph/test/optional-test.rkt b/xenomorph/xenomorph/test/optional-test.rkt
index 97433938..c0ee9efc 100644
--- a/xenomorph/xenomorph/test/optional-test.rkt
+++ b/xenomorph/xenomorph/test/optional-test.rkt
@@ -14,103 +14,103 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/restructure/blob/master/test/Optional.coffee
 (test-case
  "optional: decode should not decode when condition is falsy"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #f))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition #f))
    (check-equal? (decode optional) (void))
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 0)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: decode with post-decode"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #f #:post-decode (λ (val) 42)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition #f #:post-decode (λ (val) 42)))
    (check-equal? (decode optional) 42)
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 0)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: decode should not decode when condition is a function and falsy"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f)))
    (check-equal? (decode optional) (void))
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 0)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: decode should decode when condition is omitted"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8))
    (check-not-equal? (decode optional) (void))
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 1)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: decode should decode when condition is truthy"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #t))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition #t))
    (check-not-equal? (decode optional) (void))
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 1)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: decode should decode when condition is a function and truthy"
  (parameterize ([current-input-port (open-input-bytes (bytes 0))])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t)))
    (check-not-equal? (decode optional) (void))
    (check-equal? (pos (current-input-port)) 1)))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: size"
- (check-equal? (size (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #f)) 0))
+ (check-equal? (size (x:optional uint8 #:condition #f)) 0))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: size should return 0 when condition is a function and falsy"
- (check-equal? (size (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f))) 0))
+ (check-equal? (size (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f))) 0))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: size should return given type size when condition is omitted"
- (check-equal? (size (x:optional #:type uint8)) 1))
+ (check-equal? (size (x:optional uint8)) 1))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: size should return given type size when condition is truthy"
- (check-equal? (size (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #t)) 1))
+ (check-equal? (size (x:optional uint8 #:condition #t)) 1))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: size should return given type size when condition is a function and truthy"
- (check-equal? (size (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t))) 1))
+ (check-equal? (size (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t))) 1))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode should not encode when condition is falsy"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #f))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition #f))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes))))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode with pre-encode"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:pre-encode (λ (val) 42)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:pre-encode (λ (val) 42)))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes 42))))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode should not encode when condition is a function and falsy"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #f)))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes))))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode should encode when condition is omitted"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes 128))))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode should encode when condition is truthy"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition #t))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition #t))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes 128))))
 
 (test-case
  "optional: encode should encode when condition is a function and truthy"
  (parameterize ([current-output-port (open-output-bytes)])
-   (define optional (x:optional #:type uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t)))
+   (define optional (x:optional uint8 #:condition (λ _ #t)))
    (encode optional 128)
    (check-equal? (get-output-bytes (current-output-port)) (bytes 128))))
\ No newline at end of file