diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/ast.rs b/crates/uplc/src/ast.rs
index db9b0c89..806b9d4f 100644
--- a/crates/uplc/src/ast.rs
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/ast.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::builtins::DefaultFunction;
+use crate::{builtins::DefaultFunction, debruijn::Converter};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Program<T> {
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@ pub struct Program<T> {
     pub term: Term<T>,
 }
 
+impl TryFrom<Program<Name>> for Program<NamedDeBruijn> {
+    type Error = String;
+
+    fn try_from(value: Program<Name>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        Ok(Program::<NamedDeBruijn> {
+            version: value.version,
+            term: value.term.try_into()?,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Term<T> {
     // tag: 0
@@ -32,6 +43,22 @@ pub enum Term<T> {
     Builtin(DefaultFunction),
 }
 
+impl TryFrom<Term<Name>> for Term<NamedDeBruijn> {
+    type Error = String;
+
+    fn try_from(
+        value: Term<Name>,
+    ) -> Result<Self, <Term<NamedDeBruijn> as TryFrom<Term<Name>>>::Error> {
+        let mut converter = Converter::new();
+
+        let term = converter
+            .name_to_named_debruijn(value)
+            .map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
+
+        Ok(term)
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Constant {
     // tag: 0
@@ -51,14 +78,66 @@ pub enum Constant {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Name {
     pub text: String,
-    pub unique: isize,
+    pub unique: Unique,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Copy, Eq, Hash)]
+pub struct Unique(isize);
+
+impl Unique {
+    pub fn new(unique: isize) -> Self {
+        Unique(unique)
+    }
+
+    pub fn increment(&mut self) {
+        self.0 += 1;
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<isize> for Unique {
+    fn from(i: isize) -> Self {
+        Unique(i)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<Unique> for isize {
+    fn from(d: Unique) -> Self {
+        d.0
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct NamedDeBruijn {
     pub text: String,
-    pub index: isize,
+    pub index: DeBruijn,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct DeBruijn(isize);
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Copy)]
+pub struct DeBruijn(u64);
+
+impl From<u64> for DeBruijn {
+    fn from(i: u64) -> Self {
+        DeBruijn(i)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<DeBruijn> for u64 {
+    fn from(d: DeBruijn) -> Self {
+        d.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<NamedDeBruijn> for DeBruijn {
+    fn from(n: NamedDeBruijn) -> Self {
+        n.index
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<DeBruijn> for NamedDeBruijn {
+    fn from(index: DeBruijn) -> Self {
+        NamedDeBruijn {
+            text: String::from("i"),
+            index,
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/debruijn.rs b/crates/uplc/src/debruijn.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b26c3f2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/debruijn.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use crate::ast::{DeBruijn, Name, NamedDeBruijn, Term, Unique};
+
+struct Level(u64);
+
+pub(crate) struct Converter {
+    current_level: Level,
+    levels: HashMap<Unique, Level>,
+}
+
+impl Converter {
+    pub(crate) fn new() -> Self {
+        Converter {
+            current_level: Level(0),
+            levels: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn name_to_named_debruijn(
+        &mut self,
+        term: Term<Name>,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<Term<NamedDeBruijn>> {
+        let converted_term = match term {
+            Term::Var(Name { text, unique }) => Term::Var(NamedDeBruijn {
+                text,
+                index: self.get_index(unique)?,
+            }),
+            Term::Delay(term) => Term::Delay(Box::new(self.name_to_named_debruijn(*term)?)),
+            Term::Lambda {
+                parameter_name,
+                body,
+            } => {
+                todo!()
+            }
+            Term::Apply { function, argument } => Term::Apply {
+                function: Box::new(self.name_to_named_debruijn(*function)?),
+                argument: Box::new(self.name_to_named_debruijn(*argument)?),
+            },
+            Term::Constant(constant) => Term::Constant(constant),
+            Term::Force(term) => Term::Force(Box::new(self.name_to_named_debruijn(*term)?)),
+            Term::Error => Term::Error,
+            Term::Builtin(builtin) => Term::Builtin(builtin),
+        };
+
+        Ok(converted_term)
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn named_debruijn_to_name(&mut self, term: Term<NamedDeBruijn>) -> Term<Name> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn get_index(&mut self, unique: Unique) -> anyhow::Result<DeBruijn> {
+        if let Some(found_level) = self.levels.get(&unique) {
+            let index = self.current_level.0 - found_level.0;
+
+            Ok(index.into())
+        } else {
+            anyhow::bail!("Free unique: {}", isize::from(unique));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/flat.rs b/crates/uplc/src/flat.rs
index c3ce2780..9d1df091 100644
--- a/crates/uplc/src/flat.rs
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/flat.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use flat::{
 };
 
 use crate::{
-    ast::{Constant, Name, Program, Term},
+    ast::{Constant, Name, Program, Term, Unique},
     builtins::DefaultFunction,
 };
 
@@ -183,6 +183,20 @@ impl<'b> Decode<'b> for Constant {
     }
 }
 
+impl Encode for Unique {
+    fn encode(&self, e: &mut Encoder) -> Result<(), String> {
+        isize::from(*self).encode(e)?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'b> Decode<'b> for Unique {
+    fn decode(d: &mut Decoder) -> Result<Self, String> {
+        Ok(isize::decode(d)?.into())
+    }
+}
+
 impl Encode for Name {
     fn encode(&self, e: &mut flat::en::Encoder) -> Result<(), String> {
         self.text.encode(e)?;
@@ -196,7 +210,7 @@ impl<'b> Decode<'b> for Name {
     fn decode(d: &mut Decoder) -> Result<Self, String> {
         Ok(Name {
             text: String::decode(d)?,
-            unique: isize::decode(d)?,
+            unique: Unique::decode(d)?,
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/lib.rs b/crates/uplc/src/lib.rs
index e5258e37..1c0fdeb3 100644
--- a/crates/uplc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 pub mod ast;
 pub mod builtins;
+mod debruijn;
 mod flat;
 pub mod parser;
 
diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/parser.rs b/crates/uplc/src/parser.rs
index 28468b57..1b3d80ef 100644
--- a/crates/uplc/src/parser.rs
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/parser.rs
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ use combine::{
 };
 
 use crate::{
-    ast::{Constant, Name, Program, Term},
+    ast::{Constant, Name, Program, Term, Unique},
     builtins::DefaultFunction,
 };
 
 struct ParserState {
-    identifiers: HashMap<String, isize>,
-    current_unique: isize,
+    identifiers: HashMap<String, Unique>,
+    current: Unique,
 }
 
 type StateStream<Input> = state::Stream<Input, ParserState>;
@@ -27,17 +27,20 @@ impl ParserState {
     fn new() -> Self {
         ParserState {
             identifiers: HashMap::new(),
-            current_unique: 0,
+            current: Unique::new(0),
         }
     }
 
-    fn intern(&mut self, text: &str) -> isize {
+    fn intern(&mut self, text: &str) -> Unique {
         if let Some(u) = self.identifiers.get(text) {
             *u
         } else {
-            let unique = self.current_unique;
+            let unique = self.current;
+
             self.identifiers.insert(text.to_string(), unique);
-            self.current_unique += 1;
+
+            self.current.increment();
+
             unique
         }
     }