diff --git a/include/llarp/link_layer.hpp b/include/llarp/link_layer.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index b5e25a0b7..000000000
--- a/include/llarp/link_layer.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef LLARP_LINK_LAYER_HPP
-#define LLARP_LINK_LAYER_HPP
-#include <llarp/link/server.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link/session.hpp>
-constexpr size_t MAX_LINK_MSG_SIZE                = 8192;
-constexpr llarp_time_t DefaultLinkSessionLifetime = 10 * 1000;
-#endif
diff --git a/include/llarp/messages/dht_immediate.hpp b/include/llarp/messages/dht_immediate.hpp
index 528733eac..3241c1718 100644
--- a/include/llarp/messages/dht_immediate.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp/messages/dht_immediate.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_MESSAGES_DHT_IMMEDIATE_HPP
 #define LLARP_MESSAGES_DHT_IMMEDIATE_HPP
 #include <dht.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
+
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace llarp
diff --git a/include/llarp/messages/discard.hpp b/include/llarp/messages/discard.hpp
index 7b3126193..2f40233c4 100644
--- a/include/llarp/messages/discard.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp/messages/discard.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_MESSAGES_DISCARD_HPP
 #define LLARP_MESSAGES_DISCARD_HPP
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/routing/message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/bencode.hpp>
 #include <llarp/routing/handler.hpp>
diff --git a/include/llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp b/include/llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp
index daed42437..ae5e1497e 100644
--- a/include/llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_MESSAGES_LINK_INTRO_HPP
 #define LLARP_MESSAGES_LINK_INTRO_HPP
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/router_contact.hpp>
 namespace llarp
 {
diff --git a/include/llarp/messages/relay.hpp b/include/llarp/messages/relay.hpp
index f296019d4..722986c0a 100644
--- a/include/llarp/messages/relay.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp/messages/relay.hpp
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_MESSAGES_RELAY_HPP
 #define LLARP_MESSAGES_RELAY_HPP
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
 
 #include <crypto.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/encrypted.hpp>
 #include <llarp/path_types.hpp>
+
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace llarp
diff --git a/include/llarp/messages/relay_commit.hpp b/include/llarp/messages/relay_commit.hpp
index a93ee2a02..988d15939 100644
--- a/include/llarp/messages/relay_commit.hpp
+++ b/include/llarp/messages/relay_commit.hpp
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_RELAY_COMMIT_HPP
 #define LLARP_RELAY_COMMIT_HPP
 #include <crypto.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/encrypted_ack.hpp>
 #include <llarp/encrypted_frame.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/path_types.hpp>
 #include <llarp/pow.hpp>
+
 #include <array>
 
 namespace llarp
diff --git a/llarp/exit/obtain_exit.cpp b/llarp/exit/obtain_exit.cpp
index b28350c92..17b9049c0 100644
--- a/llarp/exit/obtain_exit.cpp
+++ b/llarp/exit/obtain_exit.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+#include <link_layer.hpp>
 #include <llarp/messages/exit.hpp>
 #include <llarp/routing/handler.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link_layer.hpp>
 
 namespace llarp
 {
diff --git a/llarp/link/curvecp.cpp b/llarp/link/curvecp.cpp
index 0bbbb29ad..35d197812 100644
--- a/llarp/link/curvecp.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/curvecp.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-#include <llarp/link/curvecp.hpp>
+#include <link/curvecp.hpp>
+#include <link/server.hpp>
 #include <llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp>
 
 namespace llarp
diff --git a/include/llarp/link/curvecp.hpp b/llarp/link/curvecp.hpp
similarity index 78%
rename from include/llarp/link/curvecp.hpp
rename to llarp/link/curvecp.hpp
index c34cd8a07..4f7fc82c3 100644
--- a/include/llarp/link/curvecp.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link/curvecp.hpp
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_LINK_CURVECP_HPP
 #define LLARP_LINK_CURVECP_HPP
 
-#include <llarp/link_layer.hpp>
+#include <memory>
 
 namespace llarp
 {
+  struct ILinkLayer;
+  struct Router;
+
   namespace curvecp
   {
     std::unique_ptr< ILinkLayer >
diff --git a/llarp/link/server.cpp b/llarp/link/server.cpp
index dea52170a..b1ecb5b1a 100644
--- a/llarp/link/server.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/server.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#include <llarp/link/server.hpp>
-#include "fs.hpp"
+#include <fs.hpp>
+#include <link/server.hpp>
 
 namespace llarp
 {
diff --git a/include/llarp/link/server.hpp b/llarp/link/server.hpp
similarity index 98%
rename from include/llarp/link/server.hpp
rename to llarp/link/server.hpp
index f5f3a2f0f..73e0da9d2 100644
--- a/include/llarp/link/server.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link/server.hpp
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_LINK_SERVER_HPP
 #define LLARP_LINK_SERVER_HPP
-#include <unordered_map>
-#include <llarp/threading.hpp>
-#include <llarp/router_contact.hpp>
 #include <crypto.hpp>
-#include <llarp/net.hpp>
+#include <link/session.hpp>
 #include <llarp/ev.h>
-#include <llarp/link/session.hpp>
 #include <llarp/logic.hpp>
+#include <llarp/net.hpp>
+#include <llarp/router_contact.hpp>
+#include <llarp/threading.hpp>
+
 #include <list>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 namespace llarp
 {
diff --git a/include/llarp/link/session.hpp b/llarp/link/session.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from include/llarp/link/session.hpp
rename to llarp/link/session.hpp
diff --git a/llarp/link/utp.cpp b/llarp/link/utp.cpp
index b1e32d71e..22394b10d 100644
--- a/llarp/link/utp.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/utp.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <buffer.hpp>
+#include <link/server.hpp>
+#include <link/utp.hpp>
 #include <llarp/endian.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link/utp.hpp>
 #include <llarp/messages/discard.hpp>
 #include <llarp/messages/link_intro.hpp>
 #include <router.hpp>
diff --git a/include/llarp/link/utp.hpp b/llarp/link/utp.hpp
similarity index 77%
rename from include/llarp/link/utp.hpp
rename to llarp/link/utp.hpp
index f1cb33424..a64d1c72e 100644
--- a/include/llarp/link/utp.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link/utp.hpp
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_LINK_UTP_HPP
 #define LLARP_LINK_UTP_HPP
 
-#include <llarp/link_layer.hpp>
+#include <memory>
 
 namespace llarp
 {
+  struct ILinkLayer;
+  struct Router;
+
   namespace utp
   {
     std::unique_ptr< ILinkLayer >
diff --git a/llarp/link_layer.hpp b/llarp/link_layer.hpp
index e69de29bb..d6da5343f 100644
--- a/llarp/link_layer.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link_layer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef LLARP_LINK_LAYER_HPP
+#define LLARP_LINK_LAYER_HPP
+#include <llarp/types.hpp>
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+constexpr size_t MAX_LINK_MSG_SIZE                = 8192;
+constexpr llarp_time_t DefaultLinkSessionLifetime = 10 * 1000;
+#endif
diff --git a/include/llarp/link_message.hpp b/llarp/link_message.hpp
similarity index 97%
rename from include/llarp/link_message.hpp
rename to llarp/link_message.hpp
index c9bcd7fc0..d9e9e0323 100644
--- a/include/llarp/link_message.hpp
+++ b/llarp/link_message.hpp
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_LINK_MESSAGE_HPP
 #define LLARP_LINK_MESSAGE_HPP
 
+#include <link/session.hpp>
 #include <llarp/bencode.hpp>
 #include <llarp/router_id.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link/session.hpp>
 
 #include <queue>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/llarp/router.cpp b/llarp/router.cpp
index e32b1f638..2197bcd84 100644
--- a/llarp/router.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router.cpp
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-#include <llarp/proto.hpp>
+#include <buffer.hpp>
+#include <encode.hpp>
+#include <link/server.hpp>
+#include <link/utp.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/iwp.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link/utp.hpp>
+#include <llarp/net.hpp>
+#include <llarp/proto.hpp>
 #include <llarp/rpc.hpp>
-
-#include "buffer.hpp"
-#include "encode.hpp"
-#include "llarp/net.hpp"
-#include "logger.hpp"
-#include "router.hpp"
-#include "str.hpp"
+#include <logger.hpp>
+#include <router.hpp>
+#include <str.hpp>
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <cstdlib>
diff --git a/llarp/router.hpp b/llarp/router.hpp
index 901b28aa0..1c7301397 100644
--- a/llarp/router.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router.hpp
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 #include <exit.hpp>
 #include <fs.hpp>
 #include <handlers/tun.hpp>
+#include <link_layer.hpp>
+#include <link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/buffer.h>
 #include <llarp/config.h>
 #include <llarp/establish_job.hpp>
 #include <llarp/ev.h>
-#include <llarp/link_layer.hpp>
-#include <llarp/link_message.hpp>
 #include <llarp/logic.hpp>
 #include <llarp/nodedb.hpp>
 #include <llarp/path.hpp>