diff --git a/can/can_define.py b/can/can_define.py
index 4b6f679..12c2d58 100644
--- a/can/can_define.py
+++ b/can/can_define.py
@@ -1,39 +1,2 @@
-from collections import defaultdict
-from opendbc.can.libdbc_py import libdbc, ffi
-
-class CANDefine():
-  def __init__(self, dbc_name):
-    self.dv = defaultdict(dict)
-    self.dbc_name = dbc_name
-    self.dbc = libdbc.dbc_lookup(dbc_name.encode('utf8'))
-
-    num_vals = self.dbc[0].num_vals
-
-    self.address_to_msg_name = {}
-    num_msgs = self.dbc[0].num_msgs
-    for i in range(num_msgs):
-      msg = self.dbc[0].msgs[i]
-      name = ffi.string(msg.name).decode('utf8')
-      address = msg.address
-      self.address_to_msg_name[address] = name
-
-    for i in range(num_vals):
-      val = self.dbc[0].vals[i]
-
-      sgname = ffi.string(val.name).decode('utf8')
-      address = val.address
-      def_val = ffi.string(val.def_val).decode('utf8')
-
-      #separate definition/value pairs
-      def_val = def_val.split()
-      values = [int(v) for v in def_val[::2]]
-      defs = def_val[1::2]
-
-      if address not in self.dv:
-        self.dv[address] = {}
-        msgname = self.address_to_msg_name[address]
-        self.dv[msgname] = {}
-
-      # two ways to lookup: address or msg name
-      self.dv[address][sgname] = dict(zip(values, defs))
-      self.dv[msgname][sgname] = self.dv[address][sgname]
+from opendbc.can.parser_pyx import CANDefine # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module, import-error
+assert CANDefine
diff --git a/can/parser_pyx.pyx b/can/parser_pyx.pyx
index d221b2a..d7eb0c7 100644
--- a/can/parser_pyx.pyx
+++ b/can/parser_pyx.pyx
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ from libcpp.unordered_set cimport unordered_set
 from libc.stdint cimport uint32_t, uint64_t, uint16_t
 from libcpp.map cimport map
 
+from collections import defaultdict
+
 from common cimport CANParser as cpp_CANParser
 from common cimport SignalParseOptions, MessageParseOptions, dbc_lookup, SignalValue, DBC
 
@@ -136,3 +138,51 @@ cdef class CANParser:
       updated_vals.update(updated_val)
 
     return updated_vals
+
+cdef class CANDefine():
+  cdef:
+    const DBC *dbc
+
+  cdef public:
+    dict dv
+    string dbc_name
+
+  def __init__(self, dbc_name):
+    self.dbc_name = dbc_name
+    self.dbc = dbc_lookup(dbc_name)
+
+    num_vals = self.dbc[0].num_vals
+
+    address_to_msg_name = {}
+
+    num_msgs = self.dbc[0].num_msgs
+    for i in range(num_msgs):
+      msg = self.dbc[0].msgs[i]
+      name = msg.name.decode('utf8')
+      address = msg.address
+      address_to_msg_name[address] = name
+
+    dv = defaultdict(dict)
+
+    for i in range(num_vals):
+      val = self.dbc[0].vals[i]
+
+      sgname = val.name.decode('utf8')
+      address = val.address
+      def_val = val.def_val.decode('utf8')
+
+      #separate definition/value pairs
+      def_val = def_val.split()
+      values = [int(v) for v in def_val[::2]]
+      defs = def_val[1::2]
+
+      if address not in dv:
+        dv[address] = {}
+        msgname = address_to_msg_name[address]
+        dv[msgname] = {}
+
+      # two ways to lookup: address or msg name
+      dv[address][sgname] = dict(zip(values, defs))
+      dv[msgname][sgname] = dv[address][sgname]
+
+      self.dv = dict(dv)
diff --git a/can/tests/test_define.py b/can/tests/test_define.py
index ee6e2a6..d9a6f7d 100644
--- a/can/tests/test_define.py
+++ b/can/tests/test_define.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import unittest
 
 from opendbc.can.can_define import CANDefine
 
+
 class TestCADNDefine(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_civic(self):