diff --git a/CHANGELOG_UNRELEASED.md b/CHANGELOG_UNRELEASED.md
index 1d4d79c69d..dd5e8a53a7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_UNRELEASED.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_UNRELEASED.md
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
 - in `sequences.v`:
   + lemma `eq_eseriesl`
 
+- in file `topology.v`,
+  + new definitions `basis`, and `second_countable`.
+  + new lemmas `clopen_countable` and `compact_countable_base`.
+
 ### Changed
 
 ### Renamed
diff --git a/theories/topology.v b/theories/topology.v
index 294c696cce..cb0f530802 100644
--- a/theories/topology.v
+++ b/theories/topology.v
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@ Require Import reals signed.
 (*                                     topologicalType on T.                  *)
 (*                             open == set of open sets.                      *)
 (*                      open_nbhs p == set of open neighbourhoods of p.       *)
+(*                          basis B == a family of open sets that converges   *)
+(*                                     to each point                          *)
+(*               second_countable T == T has a countable basis                *)
 (*                    continuous f <-> f is continuous w.r.t the topology.    *)
 (*                              x^' == set of neighbourhoods of x where x is  *)
 (*                                     excluded (a "deleted neighborhood").   *)
@@ -1702,6 +1705,11 @@ Definition open := Topological.open (Topological.class T).
 
 Definition open_nbhs (p : T) (A : set T) := open A /\ A p.
 
+Definition basis (B : set (set T)) :=
+  B `<=` open /\ forall x, filter_from [set U | B U /\ U x] id --> x.
+
+Definition second_countable := exists2 B, countable B & basis B.
+
 Global Instance nbhs_pfilter (p : T) : ProperFilter (nbhs p).
 Proof. by apply: Topological.nbhs_pfilter; case: T p => ? []. Qed.
 Typeclasses Opaque nbhs.
@@ -3320,6 +3328,35 @@ case/finite_setP=> n; elim: n A => [A|n ih A /eq_cardSP[x Ax /ih ?]].
 by rewrite -(setD1K Ax); apply: compactU => //; exact: compact_set1.
 Qed.
 
+Lemma clopen_countable {T : topologicalType}:
+  compact [set: T] -> @second_countable T -> countable (@clopen T).
+Proof.
+move=> cmpT [B /fset_subset_countable cntB] [obase Bbase].
+apply/(card_le_trans _ cntB)/pcard_surjP.
+pose f := fun F : {fset set T} => \bigcup_(x in [set` F]) x; exists f.
+move=> D [] oD cD /=; have cmpt : cover_compact D.
+  by rewrite -compact_cover; exact: (subclosed_compact _ cmpT).
+have h (x : T) : exists V : set T, D x -> [/\ B V, nbhs x V & V `<=` D].
+  have [Dx|] := pselect (D x); last by move=> ?; exists set0.
+  have [V [BV Vx VD]] := Bbase x D (open_nbhs_nbhs (conj oD Dx)).
+  exists V => _; split => //; apply: open_nbhs_nbhs; split => //.
+  exact: obase.
+pose h' := fun z => projT1 (cid (h z)).
+have [fs fsD DsubC] : finite_subset_cover D h' D.
+  apply: cmpt.
+  - by move=> z Dz; apply: obase; have [] := projT2 (cid (h z)) Dz.
+  - move=> z Dz; exists z => //; apply: nbhs_singleton.
+    by have [] := projT2 (cid (h z)) Dz.
+exists [fset h' z | z in fs]%fset.
+  move=> U/imfsetP [z /=] /fsD /set_mem Dz ->; rewrite inE.
+  by have [] := projT2 (cid (h z)) Dz.
+rewrite eqEsubset; split => z.
+  case=> y /imfsetP [x /= /fsD/set_mem Dx ->]; move: z.
+  by have [] := projT2 (cid (h x)) Dx.
+move=> /DsubC /= [y /= yfs hyz]; exists (h' y) => //.
+by rewrite set_imfset /=; exists y.
+Qed.
+
 Section separated_topologicalType.
 Variable (T : topologicalType).
 Implicit Types x y : T.
@@ -6332,6 +6369,32 @@ Proof. by []. Qed.
 
 End weak_pseudoMetric.
 
+Lemma compact_second_countable {R : realType} {T : pseudoMetricType R} :
+  compact [set: T] -> @second_countable T.
+Proof.
+have npos n : (0:R) < n.+1%:R^-1 by [].
+pose f n (z : T): set T := (ball z (PosNum (npos n))%:num)^°.
+move=> cmpt; have h n : finite_subset_cover [set: T] (f n) [set: T].
+  move: cmpt; rewrite compact_cover; apply.
+  - by move=> z _; rewrite /f; exact: open_interior.
+  - by move=> z _; exists z => //; rewrite /f /interior; exact: nbhsx_ballx.
+pose h' n := cid (iffLR (exists2P _ _) (h n)).
+pose h'' n := projT1 (h' n).
+pose B := \bigcup_n (f n) @` [set` h'' n]; exists B;[|split].
+- apply: bigcup_countable => // n _; apply: finite_set_countable.
+  exact/finite_image/ finite_fset.
+- by move => ? [? _ [? _ <-]]; exact: open_interior.
+- move=> x V /nbhs_ballP [] _/posnumP[eps] ballsubV.
+  have [//|N] := @ltr_add_invr R 0%R (eps%:num/2) _; rewrite add0r => deleps.
+  have [w wh fx] : exists2 w : T, w \in h'' N & f N w x.
+    by have [_ /(_ x) [// | w ? ?]] := projT2 (h' N); exists w.
+  exists (f N w); first split => //; first (by exists N).
+  apply: (subset_trans _ ballsubV) => z bz.
+  rewrite [_%:num]splitr; apply: (@ball_triangle _ _ w).
+    by apply: (le_ball (ltW deleps)); apply/ball_sym; apply: interior_subset.
+  by apply: (le_ball (ltW deleps)); apply: interior_subset.
+Qed.
+
 (* This section proves that uniform spaces, with a countable base for their
    entourage, are metrizable. The definition of this metric is rather arcane,
    and the proof is tough. That's ok because the resulting metric is not