diff --git a/include/ircd/conf.h b/include/ircd/conf.h
index 86f9919fa..4d1b85b76 100644
--- a/include/ircd/conf.h
+++ b/include/ircd/conf.h
@@ -112,21 +112,10 @@ struct ircd::conf::item<std::string>
 		return _value;
 	}
 
-	string_view get(const mutable_buffer &out) const override
-	{
-		return { data(out), _value.copy(data(out), size(out)) };
-	}
+	string_view get(const mutable_buffer &out) const override;
+	bool set(const string_view &s) override;
 
-	bool set(const string_view &s) override
-	{
-		_value = std::string{s};
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	item(const json::members &members)
-	:conf::item<>{members}
-	,value{unquote(feature.get("default"))}
-	{}
+	item(const json::members &members);
 };
 
 template<>
@@ -134,36 +123,10 @@ struct ircd::conf::item<bool>
 :conf::item<>
 ,conf::value<bool>
 {
-	string_view get(const mutable_buffer &out) const override
-	{
-		return _value?
-			strlcpy(out, "true"_sv):
-			strlcpy(out, "false"_sv);
-	}
+	string_view get(const mutable_buffer &out) const override;
+	bool set(const string_view &s) override;
 
-	bool set(const string_view &s) override
-	{
-		switch(hash(s))
-		{
-			case "true"_:
-				_value = true;
-				return true;
-
-			case "false"_:
-				_value = false;
-				return true;
-
-			default: throw bad_value
-			{
-				"Conf item '%s' not assigned a bool literal", name
-			};
-		}
-	}
-
-	item(const json::members &members)
-	:conf::item<>{members}
-	,value{feature.get<bool>("default", false)}
-	{}
+	item(const json::members &members);
 };
 
 template<>
diff --git a/ircd/conf.cc b/ircd/conf.cc
index 41aec1c66..53e9e2f29 100644
--- a/ircd/conf.cc
+++ b/ircd/conf.cc
@@ -194,3 +194,70 @@ catch(const std::exception &e)
 
 	throw;
 }
+
+//
+// Non-inline template specialization definitions
+//
+
+//
+// std::string
+//
+
+ircd::conf::item<std::string>::item(const json::members &members)
+:conf::item<>{members}
+,value{unquote(feature.get("default"))}
+{
+}
+
+bool
+ircd::conf::item<std::string>::set(const string_view &s)
+{
+	_value = std::string{s};
+	return true;
+}
+
+ircd::string_view
+ircd::conf::item<std::string>::get(const mutable_buffer &out)
+const
+{
+	return { data(out), _value.copy(data(out), size(out)) };
+}
+
+//
+// bool
+//
+
+ircd::conf::item<bool>::item(const json::members &members)
+:conf::item<>{members}
+,value{feature.get<bool>("default", false)}
+{
+}
+
+bool
+ircd::conf::item<bool>::set(const string_view &s)
+{
+	switch(hash(s))
+	{
+		case "true"_:
+			_value = true;
+			return true;
+
+		case "false"_:
+			_value = false;
+			return true;
+
+		default: throw bad_value
+		{
+			"Conf item '%s' not assigned a bool literal", name
+		};
+	}
+}
+
+ircd::string_view
+ircd::conf::item<bool>::get(const mutable_buffer &out)
+const
+{
+	return _value?
+		strlcpy(out, "true"_sv):
+		strlcpy(out, "false"_sv);
+}