diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
index 820ab0ae..aa04a1c8 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace xo {
             /* find all event processors ep reachable from x (i.e. downstream from x).
              * report each such ep exactly once
              */
-            static std::vector<ref::rp<AbstractEventProcessor>> map_network(ref::rp<AbstractEventProcessor> const & x);
+            static std::vector<rp<AbstractEventProcessor>> map_network(rp<AbstractEventProcessor> const & x);
 
             /* visit direct downstream consumers c[i] of this event processor.
              * call ep(c[i]) for each such consumer.
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSink.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSink.hpp
index e855eda8..46e2bf0b 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSink.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSink.hpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace xo {
        * with a function thats calls a .notify_xxx() method
        * on this Sink
        */
-      virtual void attach_source(ref::rp<AbstractSource> const & src) = 0;
+      virtual void attach_source(rp<AbstractSource> const & src) = 0;
 
       /* accept incoming event,  given by tagged pointer */
       virtual void notify_ev_tp(TaggedPtr const & ev_tp) = 0;
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSource.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSource.hpp
index 4d995ab2..d98938ed 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSource.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/AbstractSource.hpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ namespace xo {
             /* set .trace_sim_flag */
             virtual void set_debug_sim_flag(bool x) = 0;
 
-            virtual CallbackId attach_sink(ref::rp<AbstractSink> const & sink) = 0;
+            virtual CallbackId attach_sink(rp<AbstractSink> const & sink) = 0;
             virtual void detach_sink(CallbackId id) = 0;
 
             /* endpoint for a websocket subscriber;
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ namespace xo {
             std::uint64_t deliver_all();
         }; /*AbstractSource*/
 
-        using AbstractSourcePtr = ref::rp<AbstractSource>;
+        using AbstractSourcePtr = rp<AbstractSource>;
 
     } /*namespace reactor*/
 } /*namespace xo*/
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/EventSource.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/EventSource.hpp
index 055c7d6b..bb08eca9 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/EventSource.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/EventSource.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace xo {
             using CallbackId = fn::CallbackId;
 
         public:
-            virtual CallbackId add_callback(ref::rp<Callback> const & cb) = 0;
+            virtual CallbackId add_callback(rp<Callback> const & cb) = 0;
             virtual void remove_callback(CallbackId id) = 0;
         }; /*EventSource*/
 
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/EventTimeFn2.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/EventTimeFn2.hpp
index 6d2b0170..9f68eb00 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/EventTimeFn2.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/EventTimeFn2.hpp
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ namespace xo {
         };
 
         template <typename T>
-        class EventTimeFn<xo::ref::rp<T>> {
+        class EventTimeFn<xo::rp<T>> {
         public:
             using utc_nanos = xo::time::utc_nanos;
-            using event_t = xo::ref::rp<T>;
+            using event_t = xo::rp<T>;
 
         public:
             static utc_nanos event_tm(event_t const & ev) { return ev->tm(); }
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
index 175836b3..1d1439d2 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/FifoQueue.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace xo {
             using utc_nanos = xo::time::utc_nanos;
 
         public:
-            static ref::rp<FifoQueue> make(EvTimeFn evtm_fn = EvTimeFn()) { return new FifoQueue(evtm_fn); }
+            static rp<FifoQueue> make(EvTimeFn evtm_fn = EvTimeFn()) { return new FifoQueue(evtm_fn); }
 
             // ----- inherited from Sink1<T> -----
 
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ namespace xo {
             virtual bool debug_sim_flag() const override { return debug_sim_flag_; }
             virtual void set_debug_sim_flag(bool x) override { this->debug_sim_flag_ = x; }
 
-            virtual CallbackId attach_sink(ref::rp<AbstractSink> const & sink) override {
-                ref::rp<EventSink> native_sink
+            virtual CallbackId attach_sink(rp<AbstractSink> const & sink) override {
+                rp<EventSink> native_sink
                     = EventSink::require_native("FifoQueue::attach_sink", sink);
 
                 if (native_sink) {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             // ----- inherited from EventSource -----
 
-            virtual CallbackId add_callback(ref::rp<EventSink> const & cb) override {
+            virtual CallbackId add_callback(rp<EventSink> const & cb) override {
                 return this->cb_set_.add_callback(cb);
             }
 
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
index 8cbe2c2f..be4dd028 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/PollingReactor.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace xo {
         class PollingReactor : public Reactor {
         public:
             /* named ctor idiom */
-            static ref::rp<PollingReactor> make() { return new PollingReactor(); }
+            static rp<PollingReactor> make() { return new PollingReactor(); }
 
             // ----- inherited from Reactor -----
 
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
index 60ec4ccf..e5e56c69 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/PolyAdapterSink.hpp
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ namespace xo {
 
         public:
             /* named ctor idiom */
-            static ref::rp<PolyAdapterSink> make(ref::rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink) {
+            static rp<PolyAdapterSink> make(rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink) {
                 //xo::scope lscope("PolyAdapterSink::make");
 
-                ref::rp<PolyAdapterSink> retval(new PolyAdapterSink(poly_sink));
+                rp<PolyAdapterSink> retval(new PolyAdapterSink(poly_sink));
 
                 //lscope.log("adapter", (void*)retval.get());
 
@@ -80,11 +80,11 @@ namespace xo {
             } /*display*/
 
         private:
-            PolyAdapterSink(ref::rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink) : poly_sink_{std::move(poly_sink)} {}
+            PolyAdapterSink(rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink) : poly_sink_{std::move(poly_sink)} {}
 
         private:
             /* mandate: .poly_sink.allow_polymorphic_source() is true */
-            ref::rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink_;
+            rp<AbstractSink> poly_sink_;
         }; /*PolyAdapterSink*/
     } /*namespace reactor*/
 } /*namespace xo*/
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/ReactorSource.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/ReactorSource.hpp
index 8b217a4b..bdcc9db4 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/ReactorSource.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/ReactorSource.hpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ namespace xo {
             uint64_t online_advance_until(utc_nanos tm, bool replay_flag);
         }; /*ReactorSource*/
 
-        using ReactorSourcePtr = ref::rp<ReactorSource>;
+        using ReactorSourcePtr = rp<ReactorSource>;
     } /*namespace reactor*/
 } /*namespace xo*/
 
diff --git a/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp b/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
index 51d71268..dab326f9 100644
--- a/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reactor/Sink.hpp
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ namespace xo {
             /* convenience:  convert abstract sink to Sink1<T>*,
              * or throw
              */
-            static ref::rp<Sink1<T>> require_native(std::string_view caller,
-                                                    ref::rp<AbstractSink> const & sink)
+            static rp<Sink1<T>> require_native(std::string_view caller,
+                                               rp<AbstractSink> const & sink)
                 {
                     using xo::scope;
                     using xo::xtag;
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ namespace xo {
             /* Sink1<T> only allows source providing T */
             virtual bool allow_polymorphic_source() const override { return false; }
 
-            virtual void attach_source(ref::rp<AbstractSource> const & src) override {
+            virtual void attach_source(rp<AbstractSource> const & src) override {
                 src->attach_sink(this);
             } /*attach_source*/
 
diff --git a/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp b/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
index 4b1bcc52..55939ab1 100644
--- a/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
+++ b/src/reactor/AbstractEventProcessor.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include <map>
 
 namespace xo {
-    using ref::rp;
     using ref::brw;
     using xo::tostr;
     using std::uint32_t;
diff --git a/src/reactor/AbstractSource.cpp b/src/reactor/AbstractSource.cpp
index 973ec4c6..bbad859d 100644
--- a/src/reactor/AbstractSource.cpp
+++ b/src/reactor/AbstractSource.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 namespace xo {
     using xo::web::StreamEndpointDescr;
     using xo::reactor::AbstractSink;
-    using xo::ref::rp;
-    //using xo::scope;
-    //using xo::tostr;
 
     namespace reactor {
         StreamEndpointDescr
diff --git a/utest/PollingReactor.test.cpp b/utest/PollingReactor.test.cpp
index 106acaf6..bcdf861f 100644
--- a/utest/PollingReactor.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/PollingReactor.test.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ namespace xo {
     using xo::reactor::PollingReactor;
     using xo::reactor::FifoQueue;
     using xo::reactor::SinkToFunction;
-    using xo::ref::rp;
     using xo::time::timeutil;
     using xo::time::seconds;
     using xo::time::utc_nanos;
diff --git a/utest/Sink.test.cpp b/utest/Sink.test.cpp
index 160530a0..524b821e 100644
--- a/utest/Sink.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/Sink.test.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ namespace xo {
     using xo::reactor::SinkEndpoint;
     using xo::reactor::SinkToConsole;
     using xo::time::utc_nanos;
-    using xo::ref::rp;
 
     namespace {
         class TestSink : public SinkEndpoint<int> {