diff --git a/tractor/__init__.py b/tractor/__init__.py
index 3bfda133..fe046e77 100644
--- a/tractor/__init__.py
+++ b/tractor/__init__.py
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ from ._root import (
     run_daemon as run_daemon,
     open_root_actor as open_root_actor,
 )
-from ._ipc import Channel as Channel
+from .ipc import Channel as Channel
 from ._portal import Portal as Portal
 from ._runtime import Actor as Actor
diff --git a/tractor/_context.py b/tractor/_context.py
index 4a20c2b3..7df7de34 100644
--- a/tractor/_context.py
+++ b/tractor/_context.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ from .msg import (
     pretty_struct,
     _ops as msgops,
 )
-from ._ipc import (
+from .ipc import (
     Channel,
 )
 from ._streaming import (
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ from ._state import (
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ._portal import Portal
     from ._runtime import Actor
-    from ._ipc import MsgTransport
+    from .ipc import MsgTransport
     from .devx._frame_stack import (
         CallerInfo,
     )
diff --git a/tractor/_discovery.py b/tractor/_discovery.py
index a681c63b..1c3cbff0 100644
--- a/tractor/_discovery.py
+++ b/tractor/_discovery.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
 
 from tractor.log import get_logger
 from .trionics import gather_contexts
-from ._ipc import _connect_chan, Channel
+from .ipc import _connect_chan, Channel
 from ._portal import (
     Portal,
     open_portal,
diff --git a/tractor/_exceptions.py b/tractor/_exceptions.py
index 89ea21ad..88950c31 100644
--- a/tractor/_exceptions.py
+++ b/tractor/_exceptions.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ._context import Context
     from .log import StackLevelAdapter
     from ._stream import MsgStream
-    from ._ipc import Channel
+    from .ipc import Channel
 
 log = get_logger('tractor')
 
diff --git a/tractor/_portal.py b/tractor/_portal.py
index f5a66836..803efa44 100644
--- a/tractor/_portal.py
+++ b/tractor/_portal.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ from .trionics import maybe_open_nursery
 from ._state import (
     current_actor,
 )
-from ._ipc import Channel
+from .ipc import Channel
 from .log import get_logger
 from .msg import (
     # Error,
diff --git a/tractor/_root.py b/tractor/_root.py
index e10b02ef..10484780 100644
--- a/tractor/_root.py
+++ b/tractor/_root.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ from .devx import _debug
 from . import _spawn
 from . import _state
 from . import log
-from ._ipc import _connect_chan
+from .ipc import _connect_chan
 from ._exceptions import is_multi_cancelled
 
 
diff --git a/tractor/_rpc.py b/tractor/_rpc.py
index 1849cf6d..713991e8 100644
--- a/tractor/_rpc.py
+++ b/tractor/_rpc.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from trio import (
     TaskStatus,
 )
 
-from ._ipc import Channel
+from .ipc import Channel
 from ._context import (
     Context,
 )
diff --git a/tractor/_runtime.py b/tractor/_runtime.py
index d734530a..fd8f5607 100644
--- a/tractor/_runtime.py
+++ b/tractor/_runtime.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ from tractor.msg import (
     pretty_struct,
     types as msgtypes,
 )
-from ._ipc import Channel
+from .ipc import Channel
 from ._context import (
     mk_context,
     Context,
diff --git a/tractor/_streaming.py b/tractor/_streaming.py
index bc87164e..49291bee 100644
--- a/tractor/_streaming.py
+++ b/tractor/_streaming.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ from tractor.msg import (
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ._runtime import Actor
     from ._context import Context
-    from ._ipc import Channel
+    from .ipc import Channel
 
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
diff --git a/tractor/devx/_debug.py b/tractor/devx/_debug.py
index 04df000f..bf63b7ed 100644
--- a/tractor/devx/_debug.py
+++ b/tractor/devx/_debug.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ from tractor._state import (
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from trio.lowlevel import Task
     from threading import Thread
-    from tractor._ipc import Channel
+    from tractor.ipc import Channel
     from tractor._runtime import (
         Actor,
     )
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/__init__.py b/tractor/ipc/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d056acaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tractor/ipc/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from ._chan import (
+    _connect_chan,
+    MsgTransport,
+    Channel
+)
+
+__all__ = [
+    '_connect_chan',
+    'MsgTransport',
+    'Channel'
+]
diff --git a/tractor/_ipc.py b/tractor/ipc/_chan.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tractor/_ipc.py
rename to tractor/ipc/_chan.py
diff --git a/tractor/log.py b/tractor/log.py
index 74e0321b..48b5cbd4 100644
--- a/tractor/log.py
+++ b/tractor/log.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class StackLevelAdapter(LoggerAdapter):
     ) -> None:
         '''
         IPC transport level msg IO; generally anything below
-        `._ipc.Channel` and friends.
+        `.ipc.Channel` and friends.
 
         '''
         return self.log(5, msg)
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def get_logger(
         # NOTE: for handling for modules that use ``get_logger(__name__)``
         # we make the following stylistic choice:
         # - always avoid duplicate project-package token
-        #   in msg output: i.e. tractor.tractor _ipc.py in header
+        #   in msg output: i.e. tractor.tractor.ipc._chan.py in header
         #   looks ridiculous XD
         # - never show the leaf module name in the {name} part
         #   since in python the {filename} is always this same