diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
index aa04a1c8..e955a40c 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace xo {
             /* visit direct downstream consumers c[i] of this event processor.
              * call ep(c[i]) for each such consumer.
              */
-            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (ref::brw<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) = 0;
+            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (bp<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) = 0;
 
             /* write representation to stream */
             virtual void display(std::ostream & os) const = 0;
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
index 1d1439d2..8f0b48a4 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace xo {
                 if (reactor) {
                     if (is_priming) {
                         /* reactor/simulator takes delivery/sequencing responsibility from here */
-                        reactor->notify_source_primed(ref::brw<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
+                        reactor->notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
                     }
                 } else {
                     /* if no reactor,  deliver immediately */
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ namespace xo {
             virtual std::string const & name() const override { return name_; }
             virtual void set_name(std::string const & x) override { this->name_ = x; }
 
-            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (ref::brw<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
+            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (bp<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
                 for (auto x : this->cb_set_)
                     fn(x.fn_.borrow());
             } /*visit_direct_consumers*/
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
index be4dd028..2a0aca80 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ namespace xo {
 
             // ----- inherited from Reactor -----
 
-            virtual bool add_source(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) override;
-            virtual bool remove_source(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) override;
-            virtual void notify_source_primed(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) override;
+            virtual bool add_source(bp<ReactorSource> src) override;
+            virtual bool remove_source(bp<ReactorSource> src) override;
+            virtual void notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource> src) override;
             virtual std::uint64_t run_one() override;
 
         private:
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
index e5e56c69..9104ddc2 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             virtual std::string const & name() const override { return this->poly_sink_->name(); }
             virtual void set_name(std::string const & x) override { this->poly_sink_->set_name(x); }
-            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (ref::brw<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
+            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (bp<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
                 this->poly_sink_->visit_direct_consumers(fn);
             }
             virtual void display(std::ostream & os) const override {
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Reactor.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Reactor.hpp
index 229b7421..4b0d6bc9 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Reactor.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Reactor.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace xo {
              *
              * returns true if source added;  false if already present
              */
-            virtual bool add_source(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
+            virtual bool add_source(bp<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
 
             /* remove source src from this reactor.
              * source must previously have been added by
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ namespace xo {
              *
              * returns true if source removed;  false if not present
              */
-            virtual bool remove_source(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
+            virtual bool remove_source(bp<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
 
             /* notification when non-primed source (source with no known events)
              * becomes primed (source with at least one event)
              */
-            virtual void notify_source_primed(ref::brw<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
+            virtual void notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource> src) = 0;
 
             /* dispatch one reactor event,  borrowing the calling thread
              * amount of work this represents is Source/Sink specific.
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/SecondarySource.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/SecondarySource.hpp
index 5b186b83..00459e98 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/SecondarySource.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/SecondarySource.hpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ namespace xo {
                     if (reactor) {
                         if (is_priming) {
                             /* reactor/simulator takes responsibility for delivering events */
-                            reactor->notify_source_primed(ref::brw<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
+                            reactor->notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
                         }
                     } else {
                         /* special case if no reactor:  deliver immediately */
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ namespace xo {
             virtual std::string const & name() const override { return name_; }
             virtual void set_name(std::string const & x) override { this->name_ = x; }
 
-            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (ref::brw<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
+            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (bp<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)> const & fn) override {
 
                 for(auto x : this->cb_set_)
                     fn(x.fn_.borrow());
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ namespace xo {
                 if (reactor) {
                     if (is_priming) {
                         /* reactor/simulator takes responsibility for delivering events */
-                        reactor->notify_source_primed(ref::brw<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
+                        reactor->notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource>::from_native(this));
                     }
                 } else {
                     /* if no reactor,  deliver immediately */
diff --git a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
index a5f29a03..8a37ffd2 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ namespace xo {
             virtual std::string const & name() const override { return name_; }
             virtual void set_name(std::string const & x) override { name_ = x; }
 
-            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (ref::brw<AbstractEventProcessor>)> const &) override {
+            virtual void visit_direct_consumers(std::function<void (bp<AbstractEventProcessor>)> const &) override {
                 /* *this is not an event source */
             } /*visit_direct_consumers*/
 
diff --git a/xo-reactor/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp b/xo-reactor/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
index 55939ab1..824024cf 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include <map>
 
 namespace xo {
-    using ref::brw;
     using xo::tostr;
     using std::uint32_t;
 
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ namespace xo {
              * add to *m;
              */
             void
-            map_network_helper(brw<AbstractEventProcessor> x,
+            map_network_helper(bp<AbstractEventProcessor> x,
                                uint32_t * tsort_ix,
                                std::unordered_map<AbstractEventProcessor*, uint32_t> * m)
             {
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ namespace xo {
                     return;
 
                 auto fn = [tsort_ix, m]
-                    (brw<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)
+                    (bp<AbstractEventProcessor> ep)
                     {
                         map_network_helper(ep, tsort_ix, m);
                     };
diff --git a/xo-reactor/src/reactor/PollingReactor.cpp b/xo-reactor/src/reactor/PollingReactor.cpp
index c8c9fe66..08316748 100644
--- a/xo-reactor/src/reactor/PollingReactor.cpp
+++ b/xo-reactor/src/reactor/PollingReactor.cpp
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@
 #include "PollingReactor.hpp"
 
 namespace xo {
-    using ref::brw;
     using std::size_t;
     using std::uint64_t;
     using std::int64_t;
 
     namespace reactor {
         bool
-        PollingReactor::add_source(brw<ReactorSource> src)
+        PollingReactor::add_source(bp<ReactorSource> src)
         {
             /* make sure src does not already appear in .source_v[] */
             for(ReactorSourcePtr const & x : this->source_v_) {
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ namespace xo {
         } /*add_source*/
 
         bool
-        PollingReactor::remove_source(brw<ReactorSource> src)
+        PollingReactor::remove_source(bp<ReactorSource> src)
         {
             auto ix = std::find(this->source_v_.begin(),
                                 this->source_v_.end(),
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ namespace xo {
         } /*remove_source*/
 
         void
-        PollingReactor::notify_source_primed(brw<ReactorSource>) {
+        PollingReactor::notify_source_primed(bp<ReactorSource>) {
             /* nothing to do here -- all sources always checked by polling loop */
         } /*notify_source_primed*/
 
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             /* search sources [ix .. z) */
             for(size_t ix = start_ix; ix < z; ++ix) {
-                brw<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
+                bp<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
 
                 if(src->is_nonempty())
                     return ix;
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             /* search source [0 .. ix) */
             for(size_t ix = 0, n = std::min(start_ix, z); ix < n; ++ix) {
-                brw<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
+                bp<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
 
                 if(src->is_nonempty())
                     return ix;
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ namespace xo {
             uint64_t retval = 0;
 
             if(ix >= 0) {
-                brw<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
+                bp<ReactorSource> src = this->source_v_[ix];
 
                 log && log(xtag("src.name", src->name()));