diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index eb71cd852..313cfd88f 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -26,9 +26,8 @@
 * Mission: get rid of named types
   - make it possible to use custom generators (eg for plugins)
     * dispatcher, emitter, registry
-      - generators as arguments to family::type overloads
-      - generators to constructors
-      - bind identifiers by name (as for meta)
+    * dispatcher/emitter: id shouldn't be part of the class (upcoming feature discard will create a hole otherwise)
+    * type_id_enabled and fallback on old-fashioned families otherwise
   - reintroduce old-fashion family and add a new family-like thing with generators
   - families should be defined as out-of-class to guarantee the same identifiers for the same types
   - update doc: family, dispatcher, emitter, registry, meta, across boundaries
diff --git a/src/entt/signal/emitter.hpp b/src/entt/signal/emitter.hpp
index c81bb7396..c3f24b055 100644
--- a/src/entt/signal/emitter.hpp
+++ b/src/entt/signal/emitter.hpp
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <list>
 #include "../config/config.h"
-#include "../core/attribute.h"
-#include "../core/family.hpp"
+#include "../core/type_info.hpp"
 
 
 namespace entt {
@@ -40,15 +39,11 @@ namespace entt {
  */
 template<typename Derived>
 class emitter {
-    struct ENTT_API emitter_event_family;
-
-    template<typename Type>
-    using event_family = family<Type, emitter_event_family>;
-
     struct basic_pool {
         virtual ~basic_pool() = default;
         virtual bool empty() const ENTT_NOEXCEPT = 0;
         virtual void clear() ENTT_NOEXCEPT = 0;
+        virtual ENTT_ID_TYPE id() const ENTT_NOEXCEPT = 0;
     };
 
     template<typename Event>
@@ -112,6 +107,10 @@ class emitter {
             on_list.remove_if([](auto &&element) { return element.first; });
         }
 
+        ENTT_ID_TYPE id() const ENTT_NOEXCEPT override {
+            return type_id_v<Event>;
+        }
+
     private:
         bool publishing{false};
         container_type once_list{};
@@ -120,17 +119,19 @@ class emitter {
 
     template<typename Event>
     const pool_handler<Event> & assure() const {
-        const auto etype = event_family<std::decay_t<Event>>::type();
+        static const auto index = std::distance(pools.cbegin(), std::find_if(pools.cbegin(), pools.cend(), [](auto &&curr) {
+            return curr && curr->id() == type_id_v<Event>;
+        }));
 
-        if(!(etype < pools.size())) {
-            pools.resize(etype+1);
+        if(!(index < pools.size())) {
+            pools.resize(index+1);
         }
 
-        if(!pools[etype]) {
-            pools[etype] = std::make_unique<pool_handler<Event>>();
+        if(!pools[index]) {
+            pools[index] = std::make_unique<pool_handler<Event>>();
         }
 
-        return static_cast<const pool_handler<Event> &>(*pools[etype]);
+        return static_cast<const pool_handler<Event> &>(*pools[index]);
     }
 
     template<typename Event>
diff --git a/test/lib/emitter/lib.cpp b/test/lib/emitter/lib.cpp
index 692a502b4..e5c9b43d0 100644
--- a/test/lib/emitter/lib.cpp
+++ b/test/lib/emitter/lib.cpp
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 #include <entt/signal/emitter.hpp>
 #include "types.h"
 
-template struct entt::family<event, test_emitter::emitter_event_family>;
-
 ENTT_API void emit(int value, test_emitter &emitter) {
     emitter.publish<message>(value);
 }
diff --git a/test/lib/emitter/types.h b/test/lib/emitter/types.h
index 3c5a05248..41274e899 100644
--- a/test/lib/emitter/types.h
+++ b/test/lib/emitter/types.h
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 #ifndef ENTT_LIB_EMITTER_TYPES_H
 #define ENTT_LIB_EMITTER_TYPES_H
 
-#include <entt/core/attribute.h>
 #include <entt/signal/emitter.hpp>
 
-struct ENTT_API test_emitter
+struct test_emitter
         : entt::emitter<test_emitter>
 {};
 
-struct ENTT_API message {
+struct message {
     int payload;
 };
 
-struct ENTT_API event {
+struct event {
     int payload;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/plugin/emitter/main.cpp b/test/plugin/emitter/main.cpp
index e69de29bb..7d09d6300 100644
--- a/test/plugin/emitter/main.cpp
+++ b/test/plugin/emitter/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#define CR_HOST
+
+#include <cr.h>
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <entt/signal/emitter.hpp>
+#include "types.h"
+
+TEST(Lib, Emitter) {
+    test_emitter emitter;
+    int value{};
+
+    emitter.once<event>([&](event ev, test_emitter &) { value = ev.payload; });
+    emitter.once<message>([&](message msg, test_emitter &) { value = msg.payload; });
+    emitter.publish<event>(3);
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(value, 3);
+
+    cr_plugin ctx;
+    ctx.userdata = &emitter;
+    cr_plugin_load(ctx, PLUGIN);
+    cr_plugin_update(ctx);
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(value, 42);
+
+    cr_plugin_close(ctx);
+}
diff --git a/test/plugin/emitter/plugin.cpp b/test/plugin/emitter/plugin.cpp
index e69de29bb..d37d47e00 100644
--- a/test/plugin/emitter/plugin.cpp
+++ b/test/plugin/emitter/plugin.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#include <cr.h>
+#include <entt/signal/emitter.hpp>
+#include "types.h"
+
+CR_EXPORT int cr_main(cr_plugin *ctx, cr_op operation) {
+    switch (operation) {
+    case CR_STEP:
+        static_cast<test_emitter *>(ctx->userdata)->publish<message>(42);
+        static_cast<test_emitter *>(ctx->userdata)->publish<message>(3);
+        break;
+    case CR_LOAD:
+    case CR_UNLOAD:
+    case CR_CLOSE:
+        // nothing to do here, this is only a test.
+        break;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/plugin/emitter/types.h b/test/plugin/emitter/types.h
index e69de29bb..dc1af255b 100644
--- a/test/plugin/emitter/types.h
+++ b/test/plugin/emitter/types.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#ifndef ENTT_PLUGIN_EMITTER_TYPES_H
+#define ENTT_PLUGIN_EMITTER_TYPES_H
+
+#include <entt/signal/emitter.hpp>
+
+struct test_emitter
+        : entt::emitter<test_emitter>
+{};
+
+struct message {
+    int payload;
+};
+
+struct event {
+    int payload;
+};
+
+#endif // ENTT_PLUGIN_EMITTER_TYPES_H