diff --git a/src/cs_util.cc b/src/cs_util.cc
index 3f17370..3d3f108 100644
--- a/src/cs_util.cc
+++ b/src/cs_util.cc
@@ -286,6 +286,51 @@ char *cs_strman::alloc_buf(std::size_t len) const {
     return strp;
 };
 
+/* strref */
+
+cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_shared_state &cs, ostd::string_range str):
+    p_state{&cs}
+{
+    p_str = cs.strman->add(str);
+}
+
+cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_state &cs, ostd::string_range str):
+    p_state{cs.p_state}
+{
+    p_str = p_state->strman->add(str);
+}
+
+cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_strref const &ref): p_state{ref.p_state}, p_str{ref.p_str}
+{
+    p_state->strman->ref(p_str);
+}
+
+/* this can be used by friends to do quick cs_strref creation */
+cs_strref::cs_strref(char const *p, cs_shared_state &cs):
+    p_state{&cs}
+{
+    p_str = p_state->strman->ref(p);
+}
+
+cs_strref::~cs_strref() {
+    p_state->strman->unref(p_str);
+}
+
+cs_strref &cs_strref::operator=(cs_strref const &ref) {
+    p_str = ref.p_str;
+    p_state = ref.p_state;
+    p_state->strman->ref(p_str);
+    return *this;
+}
+
+cs_strref::operator ostd::string_range() const {
+    return p_state->strman->get(p_str);
+}
+
+bool cs_strref::operator==(cs_strref const &s) const {
+    return p_str == s.p_str;
+}
+
 namespace util {
     OSTD_EXPORT ostd::string_range parse_string(
         cs_state &cs, ostd::string_range str, size_t &nlines
diff --git a/src/cs_vm.cc b/src/cs_vm.cc
index df55658..493baa2 100644
--- a/src/cs_vm.cc
+++ b/src/cs_vm.cc
@@ -7,49 +7,6 @@
 
 namespace cscript {
 
-cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_shared_state &cs, ostd::string_range str):
-    p_state{&cs}
-{
-    p_str = cs.strman->add(str);
-}
-
-cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_state &cs, ostd::string_range str):
-    p_state{cs.p_state}
-{
-    p_str = p_state->strman->add(str);
-}
-
-cs_strref::cs_strref(cs_strref const &ref): p_state{ref.p_state}, p_str{ref.p_str}
-{
-    p_state->strman->ref(p_str);
-}
-
-/* this can be used by friends to do quick cs_strref creation */
-cs_strref::cs_strref(char const *p, cs_shared_state &cs):
-    p_state{&cs}
-{
-    p_str = p_state->strman->ref(p);
-}
-
-cs_strref::~cs_strref() {
-    p_state->strman->unref(p_str);
-}
-
-cs_strref &cs_strref::operator=(cs_strref const &ref) {
-    p_str = ref.p_str;
-    p_state = ref.p_state;
-    p_state->strman->ref(p_str);
-    return *this;
-}
-
-cs_strref::operator ostd::string_range() const {
-    return p_state->strman->get(p_str);
-}
-
-bool cs_strref::operator==(cs_strref const &s) const {
-    return p_str == s.p_str;
-}
-
 struct cs_cmd_internal {
     static void call(
         cs_state &cs, cs_command *c, cs_value_r args, cs_value &ret