diff --git a/main-helper.rkt b/main-helper.rkt
index 91b8fd8..b82bc80 100644
--- a/main-helper.rkt
+++ b/main-helper.rkt
@@ -4,20 +4,10 @@
 (require (for-syntax racket/rerequire pollen/tools pollen/world))
 (require pollen/tools pollen/world)
 
-(provide (except-out (all-defined-out) top~)
-         (rename-out (top~ #%top)))
+(provide (all-defined-out))
 
 (module+ test (require rackunit))
 
-(define-syntax-rule (top~ . id)
-  (λ x `(id ,@x)))
-
-(define-syntax (bound/c stx)
-   (syntax-case stx ()
-     [(_ x)
-      (if (identifier-binding #'x )
-          #'x
-          #'(#%top . x))]))
 
 (define-for-syntax (put-file-in-require-form file)
   `(file ,(->string file)))
diff --git a/main-imports.rkt b/main-imports.rkt
index 582f81d..c329d3d 100644
--- a/main-imports.rkt
+++ b/main-imports.rkt
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@
 ;; so they can be imported into the render.rkt namespace
 ;; and cached for the benefit of the render eval function.
 
-
 (require racket/list
          pollen/tools 
          pollen/main-helper
+         pollen/top
          (only-in pollen/ptree ptree-source-decode path->pnode ptree?))
 
 (provide (all-from-out racket/list
                        pollen/tools 
                        pollen/main-helper
+                       pollen/top
                        pollen/ptree))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.rkt b/main.rkt
index ddd8acd..6949cc7 100644
--- a/main.rkt
+++ b/main.rkt
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@
    (module pollen-inner pollen/lang/doclang2_raw
      ;; use same requires as top of main.rkt 
      ;; (can't import them from surrounding module due to submodule rules)
-     (require pollen/tools pollen/main-helper)
+     ;; todo: how to keep these two lists in sync?
+     ;; and why doesn't this work:
+     ;;     (require pollen/main-imports)
+     ;;     (provide (all-from-out pollen/main-imports))
+     (require pollen/tools pollen/main-helper pollen/top pollen/ptree)
      (require-and-provide-extras) ; brings in the project require files
      
      expr ... ; body of module  
diff --git a/render.rkt b/render.rkt
index b2a81ec..f17102a 100644
--- a/render.rkt
+++ b/render.rkt
@@ -350,7 +350,8 @@
       ;; for include-template (used below)
       (require web-server/templates)
       ;; for ptree navigation functions, and template commands
-      (require pollen/debug pollen/ptree pollen/template pollen/main-helper)
+      ;; todo: main-helper is here for #%top and bound/c — should they go elsewhere?
+      (require pollen/debug pollen/ptree pollen/template pollen/top)
       ;; import source into eval space. This sets up main & metas
       (require ,(->string source-name))
       (parameterize ([current-ptree (make-project-ptree ,PROJECT_ROOT)]
diff --git a/top.rkt b/top.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27d65a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/top.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#lang racket
+
+(provide (except-out (all-defined-out) top~)
+         (rename-out (top~ #%top)))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (top~ . id)
+  (λ x `(id ,@x)))
+
+(define-syntax (bound/c stx)
+   (syntax-case stx ()
+     [(_ x)
+      (if (identifier-binding #'x )
+          #'x
+          #'(#%top . x))]))