diff --git a/include/ircd/json/json.h b/include/ircd/json/json.h
index cb584338f..0e73b9a10 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/json.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/json.h
@@ -22,30 +22,13 @@ namespace ircd::json
 	IRCD_EXCEPTION(error, not_found);
 	IRCD_EXCEPTION(parse_error, recursion_limit);
 
-	struct value;
-	struct member;
-	struct string;
-	struct object;
-	struct array;
-	struct vector;
-	struct iov;
-
-	enum type
-	{
-		STRING  = 0,
-		OBJECT  = 1,
-		ARRAY   = 2,
-		NUMBER  = 3,
-		LITERAL = 4,
-	};
-	enum type type(const string_view &);
-	enum type type(const string_view &, std::nothrow_t);
-	string_view reflect(const enum type &);
-
-	template<class... T> string_view stringify(const mutable_buffer &&mb, T&&... t);
+	template<class... T>
+	string_view stringify(const mutable_buffer &&mb, T&&... t);
 }
 
+#include "type.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "string.h"
 #include "array.h"
 #include "object.h"
 #include "vector.h"
@@ -55,6 +38,7 @@ namespace ircd::json
 #include "strung.h"
 #include "tuple/tuple.h"
 #include "stack.h"
+#include "tool.h"
 
 namespace ircd
 {
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/string.h b/include/ircd/json/string.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e394c09c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ircd/json/string.h
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Matrix Construct
+//
+// Copyright (C) Matrix Construct Developers, Authors & Contributors
+// Copyright (C) 2016-2019 Jason Volk <jason@zemos.net>
+//
+// Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+// purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+// copyright notice and this permission notice is present in all copies. The
+// full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
+
+#pragma once
+#define HAVE_IRCD_JSON_STRING_H
+
+namespace ircd::json
+{
+	struct string;
+}
+
+/// Strong type representing quoted strings in JSON (which may be unquoted
+/// automatically when this type is encountered in a tuple etc).
+struct ircd::json::string
+:string_view
+{
+	string() = default;
+	string(json::string &&) = default;
+	string(const json::string &) = default;
+	string(const string_view &s);
+
+	string &operator=(json::string &&) = default;
+	string &operator=(const json::string &) = default;
+	string &operator=(const string_view &s);
+};
+
+inline
+ircd::json::string::string(const string_view &s)
+:string_view
+{
+	surrounds(s, '"')?
+		unquote(s):
+		s
+}
+{}
+
+inline ircd::json::string &
+ircd::json::string::operator=(const string_view &s)
+{
+	*static_cast<string_view *>(this) = surrounds(s, '"')?
+		unquote(s):
+		s;
+
+	return *this;
+}
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/tool.h b/include/ircd/json/tool.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9b21d375
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ircd/json/tool.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Matrix Construct
+//
+// Copyright (C) Matrix Construct Developers, Authors & Contributors
+// Copyright (C) 2016-2019 Jason Volk <jason@zemos.net>
+//
+// Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+// purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+// copyright notice and this permission notice is present in all copies. The
+// full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
+
+#pragma once
+#define HAVE_IRCD_JSON_TOOL_H
+
+namespace ircd::json
+{
+	strung remove(const strung &, const string_view &key);
+	strung remove(const strung &, const size_t &index);
+	strung insert(const strung &, const member &);
+}
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/type.h b/include/ircd/json/type.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ccb66f7a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ircd/json/type.h
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Matrix Construct
+//
+// Copyright (C) Matrix Construct Developers, Authors & Contributors
+// Copyright (C) 2016-2019 Jason Volk <jason@zemos.net>
+//
+// Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+// purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+// copyright notice and this permission notice is present in all copies. The
+// full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
+
+#pragma once
+#define HAVE_IRCD_JSON_TYPE_H
+
+namespace ircd::json
+{
+	enum type :uint8_t;
+	struct value;
+	struct member;
+	struct string;
+	struct object;
+	struct array;
+	struct vector;
+	struct iov;
+	using members = std::initializer_list<member>;
+
+	enum type type(const string_view &);
+	enum type type(const string_view &, std::nothrow_t);
+	string_view reflect(const enum type &);
+
+	extern const string_view literal_null;
+	extern const string_view literal_true;
+	extern const string_view literal_false;
+	extern const string_view empty_string;
+	extern const string_view empty_object;
+	extern const string_view empty_array;
+	extern const int64_t undefined_number;
+}
+
+enum ircd::json::type
+:uint8_t
+{
+	STRING  = 0,
+	OBJECT  = 1,
+	ARRAY   = 2,
+	NUMBER  = 3,
+	LITERAL = 4,
+};
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/util.h b/include/ircd/json/util.h
index 4282af3ef..29778cc39 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/util.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/util.h
@@ -11,21 +11,16 @@
 #pragma once
 #define HAVE_IRCD_JSON_UTIL_H
 
+// This section contains utilities which are useful other parts of ircd::json
+// or developers directly. This interface itself (though not its definition)
+// has little dependence on other headers in ircd::json. In contrast, a suite
+// of rich developer tools which depend on various assets in ircd::json are
+// found in tool.h instead.
 namespace ircd::json
 {
-	struct string;
 	template<size_t SIZE> struct buffer;
+
 	using name_hash_t = size_t;
-	using members = std::initializer_list<member>;
-
-	extern const string_view literal_null;
-	extern const string_view literal_true;
-	extern const string_view literal_false;
-	extern const string_view empty_string;
-	extern const string_view empty_object;
-	extern const string_view empty_array;
-	extern const int64_t undefined_number;
-
 	constexpr name_hash_t name_hash(const string_view name);
 	constexpr name_hash_t operator ""_(const char *const name, const size_t len);
 
@@ -45,34 +40,6 @@ namespace ircd::json
 	string_view escape(const mutable_buffer &out, const string_view &in);
 }
 
-/// Strong type representing quoted strings in JSON (which may be unquoted
-/// automatically when this type is encountered in a tuple etc)
-struct ircd::json::string
-:string_view
-{
-	string() = default;
-	string(json::string &&) = default;
-	string(const json::string &) = default;
-	string(const string_view &s)
-	:string_view
-	{
-		surrounds(s, '"')?
-			unquote(s):
-			s
-	}{}
-
-	string &operator=(json::string &&) = default;
-	string &operator=(const json::string &) = default;
-	string &operator=(const string_view &s)
-	{
-		*static_cast<string_view *>(this) = surrounds(s, '"')?
-			unquote(s):
-			s;
-
-		return *this;
-	}
-};
-
 /// Alternative to `json::strung` which uses a fixed array rather than an
 /// allocated string as the target.
 template<size_t SIZE>
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/value.h b/include/ircd/json/value.h
index 4afcf8a21..f2de8675b 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/value.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/value.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ struct ircd::json::value
 	};
 
 	uint64_t len     : 57;      ///< length indicator
-	enum type type   : 3;       ///< json::type indicator
+	uint64_t type    : 3;       ///< json::type indicator
 	uint64_t serial  : 1;       ///< only *string is used. type indicates JSON
 	uint64_t alloc   : 1;       ///< indicates the pointer for type is owned
 	uint64_t floats  : 1;       ///< for NUMBER type, integer or floating
diff --git a/ircd/json.cc b/ircd/json.cc
index d96e55a23..c5115be28 100644
--- a/ircd/json.cc
+++ b/ircd/json.cc
@@ -400,6 +400,88 @@ ircd::json::input::throws_exceeded()
 	};
 }
 
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// json/tool.h
+//
+
+ircd::json::strung
+ircd::json::insert(const strung &s,
+                   const json::member &m)
+{
+	if(!empty(s) && type(s) != type::OBJECT)
+		throw type_error
+		{
+			"Cannot insert member into JSON of type %s",
+			reflect(type(s))
+		};
+
+	size_t mctr {0};
+	thread_local std::array<member, iov::max_size> mb;
+	for(const object::member &m : object{s})
+		mb.at(mctr++) = member{m};
+
+	mb.at(mctr++) = m;
+	return strung
+	{
+		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
+	};
+}
+
+ircd::json::strung
+ircd::json::remove(const strung &s,
+                   const string_view &key)
+{
+	if(empty(s))
+		return s;
+
+	if(type(s) != type::OBJECT)
+		throw type_error
+		{
+			"Cannot remove object member '%s' from JSON of type %s",
+			key,
+			reflect(type(s))
+		};
+
+	size_t mctr {0};
+	thread_local std::array<object::member, iov::max_size> mb;
+	for(const object::member &m : object{s})
+		if(m.first != key)
+			mb.at(mctr++) = m;
+
+	return strung
+	{
+		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
+	};
+}
+
+ircd::json::strung
+ircd::json::remove(const strung &s,
+                   const size_t &idx)
+{
+	if(empty(s))
+		return s;
+
+	if(type(s) != type::ARRAY)
+		throw type_error
+		{
+			"Cannot remove array element [%zu] from JSON of type %s",
+			idx,
+			reflect(type(s))
+		};
+
+	size_t mctr{0}, i{0};
+	thread_local std::array<string_view, iov::max_size> mb;
+	for(const string_view &m : array{s})
+		if(i++ != idx)
+			mb.at(mctr++) = m;
+
+	return strung
+	{
+		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
+	};
+}
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // json/stack.h
@@ -1762,83 +1844,6 @@ ircd::json::iov::defaults::defaults(iov &iov,
 // json/strung.h
 //
 
-ircd::json::strung
-ircd::json::insert(const strung &s,
-                   const json::member &m)
-{
-	if(!empty(s) && type(s) != type::OBJECT)
-		throw type_error
-		{
-			"Cannot insert member into JSON of type %s",
-			reflect(type(s))
-		};
-
-	size_t mctr {0};
-	thread_local std::array<member, iov::max_size> mb;
-	for(const object::member &m : object{s})
-		mb.at(mctr++) = member{m};
-
-	mb.at(mctr++) = m;
-	return strung
-	{
-		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
-	};
-}
-
-ircd::json::strung
-ircd::json::remove(const strung &s,
-                   const string_view &key)
-{
-	if(empty(s))
-		return s;
-
-	if(type(s) != type::OBJECT)
-		throw type_error
-		{
-			"Cannot remove object member '%s' from JSON of type %s",
-			key,
-			reflect(type(s))
-		};
-
-	size_t mctr {0};
-	thread_local std::array<object::member, iov::max_size> mb;
-	for(const object::member &m : object{s})
-		if(m.first != key)
-			mb.at(mctr++) = m;
-
-	return strung
-	{
-		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
-	};
-}
-
-ircd::json::strung
-ircd::json::remove(const strung &s,
-                   const size_t &idx)
-{
-	if(empty(s))
-		return s;
-
-	if(type(s) != type::ARRAY)
-		throw type_error
-		{
-			"Cannot remove array element [%zu] from JSON of type %s",
-			idx,
-			reflect(type(s))
-		};
-
-	size_t mctr{0}, i{0};
-	thread_local std::array<string_view, iov::max_size> mb;
-	for(const string_view &m : array{s})
-		if(i++ != idx)
-			mb.at(mctr++) = m;
-
-	return strung
-	{
-		mb.data(), mb.data() + mctr
-	};
-}
-
 ircd::json::strung::operator
 json::array()
 const
@@ -3196,7 +3201,7 @@ ircd::json::defined(const value &a)
 enum ircd::json::type
 ircd::json::type(const value &a)
 {
-	return a.type;
+	return static_cast<enum json::type>(a.type);
 }
 
 //