diff --git a/include/ircd/versions.h b/include/ircd/versions.h
index b69fbe67e..952817860 100644
--- a/include/ircd/versions.h
+++ b/include/ircd/versions.h
@@ -73,16 +73,9 @@ struct ircd::versions
 	~versions() noexcept;
 };
 
-namespace ircd
-{
-	template<>
-	decltype(versions::allocator)
-	instance_list<versions>::allocator;
-
-	template<>
-	decltype(versions::list)
-	instance_list<versions>::list;
-}
+template<>
+decltype(ircd::versions::list)
+ircd::instance_list<ircd::versions>::list;
 
 inline ircd::versions::operator
 const long &()
diff --git a/ircd/versions.cc b/ircd/versions.cc
index 16c71a5ca..b3019d54f 100644
--- a/ircd/versions.cc
+++ b/ircd/versions.cc
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@
 //
 
 template<>
-decltype(ircd::util::instance_list<ircd::versions>::allocator)
+decltype(ircd::versions::allocator)
 ircd::util::instance_list<ircd::versions>::allocator
 {};
 
 template<>
-decltype(ircd::util::instance_list<ircd::versions>::list)
+decltype(ircd::versions::list)
 ircd::util::instance_list<ircd::versions>::list
 {
 	allocator