diff --git a/config.lisp b/config.lisp
index d54c919..4cb651f 100644
--- a/config.lisp
+++ b/config.lisp
@@ -4,30 +4,10 @@
 
 (defpackage :scopes/config
   (:use :common-lisp)
-  (:export #:base #:make-system-path #:override-keys
-           #:config-path #:file-path 
-           #:relative-path #:runtime-path #:system-path #:test-path))
+  (:export #:base #:make-system-path #:override-keys))
 
 (in-package :scopes/config)
 
-(defun relative-path (name &rest dirs)
-  (let* ((parts (str:rsplit "." name :limit 2)) 
-         (n (pop parts))
-         (type (car parts)))
-    (when (string= n "")
-      (setf n name)
-      (setf type nil))
-    (make-pathname :name n :type type :directory (cons :relative dirs))))
-
-(defun system-path (sys name &rest dirs)
-  (asdf:system-relative-pathname sys (apply #'relative-path name dirs)))
-
-(defun test-path (sys name &rest more-dirs)
-  (apply #'system-path sys name "test" more-dirs))
-
-(defun runtime-path (name &rest dirs)
-  (merge-pathnames (apply #'relative-path name dirs)))
-
 (defclass base () 
   ((override-keys :reader override-keys 
                   :initform nil 
diff --git a/scopes-core.asd b/scopes-core.asd
index 44dc066..f168d81 100644
--- a/scopes-core.asd
+++ b/scopes-core.asd
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
   :homepage "https://www.cyberconcepts.org"
   :description "Core packages of the scopes project."
   :depends-on (:alexandria :com.inuoe.jzon :local-time :log4cl :str)
-  :components ((:file "config")
+  :components ((:file "config" :depends-on ("util"))
                (:file "forge/forge")
-               (:file "testing")
+               (:file "util")
+               (:file "testing" :depends-on ("util"))
                (:file "test/test-config" :depends-on ("testing" "config"))
                (:file "test/test-forge" :depends-on ("testing" "forge/forge")))
   :long-description "scopes/core: The core packages of the scopes project."
diff --git a/scopes.asd b/scopes.asd
index fa79568..af98815 100644
--- a/scopes.asd
+++ b/scopes.asd
@@ -8,11 +8,12 @@
   :description "Generic data processing."
   :depends-on (:alexandria :chanl :cl-dotenv :com.inuoe.jzon :dbi 
                :local-time :log4cl :str :sxql)
-  :components ((:file "config")
+  :components ((:file "config" :depends-on ("util"))
                (:file "forge/forge")
                (:file "storage/storage")
                (:file "storage/tracking" :depends-on ("storage/storage"))
-               (:file "testing")
+               (:file "util")
+               (:file "testing" :depends-on ("util"))
                (:file "test/test-config" :depends-on ("testing" "config"))
                (:file "test/test-forge" :depends-on ("testing" "forge/forge"))
                (:file "test/test-storage" 
diff --git a/test/test-config.lisp b/test/test-config.lisp
index 61ba6be..4fd5c22 100644
--- a/test/test-config.lisp
+++ b/test/test-config.lisp
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 
 (defpackage :scopes/test-config
   (:use :common-lisp)
-  (:local-nicknames (:config :scopes/config) 
+  (:local-nicknames (:config :scopes/config)
+                    (:util :scopes/util)
                     (:t :scopes/testing))
   (:export #:run)
   (:import-from :scopes/testing #:deftest #:==))
@@ -24,12 +25,12 @@
     (t:show-result)))
 
 (t:deftest test-make-path ()
-  (format t "~&relative-path: ~s" (config:relative-path "config" "app" "etc"))
-  (format t "~%system-path: ~s" (config:system-path :scopes "config" "test"))
-  (format t "~%test-path (config): ~s" (config:test-path :scopes "config"))
-  (format t "~%test-path (data): ~s" (config:test-path :scopes "test.db" "data"))
-  (format t "~%runtime-path: ~s" (config:runtime-path "config" "app" "etc"))
-  (format t "~%runtime-path (.env): ~s" (config:runtime-path ".env" "app")))
+  (format t "~&relative-path: ~s" (util:relative-path "config" "app" "etc"))
+  (format t "~&system-path: ~s" (util:system-path :scopes "config" "test"))
+  (format t "~&test-path (config): ~s" (t:test-path :scopes "config"))
+  (format t "~&test-path (data): ~s" (t:test-path :scopes "test.db" "data"))
+  (format t "~&runtime-path: ~s" (util:runtime-path "config" "app" "etc"))
+  (format t "~&runtime-path (.env): ~s" (util:runtime-path ".env" "app")))
 
 (t:deftest test-env-override ()
-  (format t "~%override-keys: ~s" (config:override-keys *config*)))
+  (format t "~&override-keys: ~s~%" (config:override-keys *config*)))
diff --git a/testing.lisp b/testing.lisp
index c2ac9dd..a946c97 100644
--- a/testing.lisp
+++ b/testing.lisp
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:export #:*test-suite*
            #:test-suite #:deftest #:show-result
-           #:test #:==))
+           #:test #:==
+           #:test-path))
 
 (in-package :scopes/testing)
 
@@ -41,3 +42,10 @@
   `(defun ,name ,args
    (push '(,name) (result *test-suite*))
    ,@body))
+
+;;;; utilities
+
+(defun test-path (sys name &rest dirs)
+  (apply #'scopes/util:system-path sys name "test" dirs))
+
+
diff --git a/util.lisp b/util.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed88370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+;;;; clscopes/util
+
+;;;; Common utilities for the scopes project.
+
+(defpackage :scopes/util
+  (:use :common-lisp)
+  (:export #:relative-path #:runtime-path #:system-path))
+
+(in-package :scopes/util)
+
+(defun relative-path (name &rest dirs)
+  (let* ((parts (str:rsplit "." name :limit 2)) 
+         (n (pop parts))
+         (type (car parts)))
+    (when (string= n "")
+      (setf n name)
+      (setf type nil))
+    (make-pathname :name n :type type :directory (cons :relative dirs))))
+
+(defun runtime-path (name &rest dirs)
+  (merge-pathnames (apply #'relative-path name dirs)))
+
+(defun system-path (sys name &rest dirs)
+  (asdf:system-relative-pathname sys (apply #'relative-path name dirs)))