diff --git a/include/ircd/m/dbs/dbs.h b/include/ircd/m/dbs/dbs.h
index b9f55c2b8..4e21a8661 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/dbs/dbs.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/dbs/dbs.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ namespace ircd::m::dbs
 	void blacklist(db::txn &, const event::id &, const write_opts &);
 }
 
-#include "ref.h"
+#include "event_refs.h"
 #include "appendix.h"
 #include "write_opts.h"
 #include "util.h"
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/dbs/desc.h b/include/ircd/m/dbs/desc.h
index d95330063..c5c7caea6 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/dbs/desc.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/dbs/desc.h
@@ -92,15 +92,6 @@ namespace ircd::m::dbs::desc
 	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_json__bloom__bits;
 	extern const db::descriptor events__event_json;
 
-	// events graphing
-	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__block__size;
-	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__meta_block__size;
-	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__cache__size;
-	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__cache_comp__size;
-	extern const db::prefix_transform events__event_refs__pfx;
-	extern const db::comparator events__event_refs__cmp;
-	extern const db::descriptor events__event_refs;
-
 	// event horizon
 	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_horizon__block__size;
 	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_horizon__meta_block__size;
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/dbs/ref.h b/include/ircd/m/dbs/event_refs.h
similarity index 59%
rename from include/ircd/m/dbs/ref.h
rename to include/ircd/m/dbs/event_refs.h
index 496a78d4a..014827e5f 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/dbs/ref.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/dbs/event_refs.h
@@ -9,7 +9,51 @@
 // full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
 
 #pragma once
-#define HAVE_IRCD_M_DBS_REF_H
+#define HAVE_IRCD_M_DBS_EVENT_REFS_H
+
+namespace ircd::m::dbs
+{
+	constexpr size_t EVENT_REFS_KEY_MAX_SIZE
+	{
+		sizeof(event::idx) + sizeof(event::idx)
+	};
+
+	constexpr size_t ref_shift
+	{
+		8 * (sizeof(event::idx) - sizeof(ref))
+	};
+
+	constexpr event::idx ref_mask
+	{
+		0xFFUL << ref_shift
+	};
+
+	// event_idx | ref_type, event_idx
+	extern db::index event_refs;
+
+	string_view
+	event_refs_key(const mutable_buffer &out,
+	               const event::idx &tgt,
+	               const ref &type,
+	               const event::idx &referer);
+
+	std::tuple<ref, event::idx>
+	event_refs_key(const string_view &amalgam);
+
+	string_view
+	reflect(const ref &);
+}
+
+namespace ircd::m::dbs::desc
+{
+	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__block__size;
+	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__meta_block__size;
+	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__cache__size;
+	extern conf::item<size_t> events__event_refs__cache_comp__size;
+	extern const db::prefix_transform events__event_refs__pfx;
+	extern const db::comparator events__event_refs__cmp;
+	extern const db::descriptor events__event_refs;
+}
 
 /// Types of references indexed by event_refs. This is a single byte integer,
 /// which should be plenty of namespace. Internally event_refs_key() and
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/dbs/util.h b/include/ircd/m/dbs/util.h
index c3cccf499..6920e15f0 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/dbs/util.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/dbs/util.h
@@ -13,13 +13,6 @@
 
 namespace ircd::m::dbs
 {
-	constexpr size_t EVENT_REFS_KEY_MAX_SIZE {sizeof(event::idx) + sizeof(event::idx)};
-	constexpr size_t ref_shift {8 * (sizeof(event::idx) - sizeof(ref))};
-	constexpr event::idx ref_mask {0xFFUL << ref_shift};
-	string_view event_refs_key(const mutable_buffer &out, const event::idx &tgt, const ref &type, const event::idx &referer);
-	std::tuple<ref, event::idx> event_refs_key(const string_view &amalgam);
-	string_view reflect(const ref &);
-
 	constexpr size_t EVENT_HORIZON_KEY_MAX_SIZE {id::MAX_SIZE + 1 + 8};
 	string_view event_horizon_key(const mutable_buffer &out, const id::event &, const event::idx &);
 	string_view event_horizon_key(const mutable_buffer &out, const id::event &);