diff --git a/core/src/components.d.ts b/core/src/components.d.ts
index 59ef8a3dde..d15e86fcad 100644
--- a/core/src/components.d.ts
+++ b/core/src/components.d.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ import {
   PopoverOptions,
   RangeInputChangeEvent,
   RouteID,
+  RouterDirection,
+  RouterEventDetail,
+  RouterIntent,
   RouterOutletOptions,
   RouteWrite,
   SelectInputChangeEvent,
@@ -82,10 +85,6 @@ import {
 import {
   ViewController,
 } from './components/nav/view-controller';
-import {
-  RouterDirection,
-  RouterEventDetail,
-} from './components/router/utils/interface';
 import {
   ScrollBaseDetail,
   ScrollDetail,
@@ -492,7 +491,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection': 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection': RouterDirection;
     }
   }
 
@@ -522,7 +521,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection'?: 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection'?: RouterDirection;
     }
   }
 }
@@ -839,7 +838,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection': 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection': RouterDirection;
       /**
        * The button shape. Possible values are: `"round"`.
        */
@@ -917,7 +916,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection'?: 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection'?: RouterDirection;
       /**
        * The button shape. Possible values are: `"round"`.
        */
@@ -2863,7 +2862,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection': 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection': RouterDirection;
     }
   }
 
@@ -2917,7 +2916,7 @@ declare global {
       /**
        * When using a router, it specifies the transition direction when navigating to another page using `href`.
        */
-      'routerDirection'?: 'forward' | 'back';
+      'routerDirection'?: RouterDirection;
     }
   }
 }
@@ -3862,7 +3861,7 @@ declare global {
       'rootParams': ComponentProps;
       'setPages': (views: any[], opts?: NavOptions | null | undefined, done?: TransitionDoneFn | undefined) => Promise<boolean>;
       'setRoot': (component: NavComponent, componentProps?: ComponentProps | null | undefined, opts?: NavOptions | null | undefined, done?: TransitionDoneFn | undefined) => Promise<boolean>;
-      'setRouteId': (id: string, params: any, direction: number) => Promise<RouteWrite>;
+      'setRouteId': (id: string, params: any, direction: RouterIntent) => Promise<RouteWrite>;
       'swipeBackEnabled': boolean;
     }
   }
@@ -5153,7 +5152,7 @@ declare global {
 
   namespace StencilComponents {
     interface IonRouter {
-      'navChanged': (direction: RouterDirection) => Promise<boolean>;
+      'navChanged': (intent: RouterIntent) => Promise<boolean>;
       'printDebug': () => void;
       'push': (url: string, direction?: RouterDirection) => Promise<boolean>;
       /**
diff --git a/core/src/components/anchor/anchor.tsx b/core/src/components/anchor/anchor.tsx
index c81fa08d33..47e1aa0bd6 100644
--- a/core/src/components/anchor/anchor.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/anchor/anchor.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, Prop } from '@stencil/core';
-import { RouterDirection, openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
+import { RouterDirection } from '../../interface';
+import { openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
 
 
 @Component({
diff --git a/core/src/components/button/button.tsx b/core/src/components/button/button.tsx
index 1ac820bad3..bdf925631f 100644
--- a/core/src/components/button/button.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/button/button.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, Element, Event, EventEmitter, Prop, State } from '@stencil/core';
-import { CssClassMap, Mode } from '../../interface';
-import { RouterDirection, getButtonClassMap, getElementClassMap, openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
+import { CssClassMap, Mode, RouterDirection } from '../../interface';
+import { getButtonClassMap, getElementClassMap, openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
 
 
 @Component({
diff --git a/core/src/components/item/item.tsx b/core/src/components/item/item.tsx
index c49ec17860..7404836cbd 100644
--- a/core/src/components/item/item.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/item/item.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, Element, Listen, Prop } from '@stencil/core';
-import { CssClassMap, Mode } from '../../interface';
-import { RouterDirection, createThemedClasses, getElementClassMap, openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
+import { CssClassMap, Mode, RouterDirection } from '../../interface';
+import { createThemedClasses, getElementClassMap, openURL } from '../../utils/theme';
 
 
 @Component({
diff --git a/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx b/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
index b4d8029106..a852e7390f 100644
--- a/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { ViewLifecycle } from '../..';
 import {
   Animation, ComponentProps, Config, FrameworkDelegate, GestureDetail, Mode,
   NavComponent, NavOptions, NavOutlet, NavResult, QueueController, RouteID,
-  RouteWrite, RouterDirection, TransitionDoneFn, TransitionInstruction } from '../../interface';
+  RouteWrite, RouterIntent, TransitionDoneFn, TransitionInstruction } from '../../interface';
 import { assert } from '../../utils/helpers';
 import { TransitionOptions, lifecycle, transition } from '../../utils/transition';
 import { ViewController, ViewState, convertToViews, matches } from './view-controller';
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ export class Nav implements NavOutlet {
   }
 
   @Method()
-  setRouteId(id: string, params: any, direction: number): Promise<RouteWrite> {
+  setRouteId(id: string, params: any, direction: RouterIntent): Promise<RouteWrite> {
     const active = this.getActive();
     if (matches(active, id, params)) {
       return Promise.resolve({
@@ -310,8 +310,8 @@ export class Nav implements NavOutlet {
       const router = this.win.document.querySelector('ion-router');
       if (router) {
         const direction = (result.direction === 'back')
-          ? RouterDirection.Back
-          : RouterDirection.Forward;
+          ? RouterIntent.Back
+          : RouterIntent.Forward;
 
         router.navChanged(direction);
       }
diff --git a/core/src/components/router/router.tsx b/core/src/components/router/router.tsx
index 57360b44d1..2c7a53e860 100644
--- a/core/src/components/router/router.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/router/router.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import { Component, Element, Event, EventEmitter, Listen, Method, Prop } from '@stencil/core';
-import { Config, QueueController } from '../../interface';
+import { Config, QueueController, RouteChain, RouterDirection, RouterEventDetail, RouterIntent } from '../../interface';
 import { debounce } from '../../utils/helpers';
 import { printRedirects, printRoutes } from './utils/debug';
 import { readNavState, waitUntilNavNode, writeNavState } from './utils/dom';
-import { RouteChain, RouterDirection, RouterEventDetail } from './utils/interface';
 import { routeRedirect, routerIDsToChain, routerPathToChain } from './utils/matching';
 import { readRedirects, readRoutes } from './utils/parser';
 import { chainToPath, generatePath, parsePath, readPath, writePath } from './utils/path';
@@ -73,12 +72,13 @@ export class Router {
   }
 
   @Method()
-  push(url: string, direction = RouterDirection.Forward) {
+  push(url: string, direction: RouterDirection = 'forward') {
     const path = parsePath(url);
+    const intent = DIRECTION_TO_INTENT[direction];
     console.debug('[ion-router] URL pushed -> updating nav', url, direction);
 
-    this.setPath(path, direction);
-    return this.writeNavStateRoot(path, direction);
+    this.setPath(path, intent);
+    return this.writeNavStateRoot(path, intent);
   }
 
   @Method()
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export class Router {
   }
 
   @Method()
-  async navChanged(direction: RouterDirection): Promise<boolean> {
+  async navChanged(intent: RouterIntent): Promise<boolean> {
     if (this.busy) {
       return false;
     }
@@ -109,21 +109,21 @@ export class Router {
     }
 
     console.debug('[ion-router] nav changed -> update URL', ids, path);
-    this.setPath(path, direction);
+    this.setPath(path, intent);
 
-    await this.writeNavState(outlet, chain, RouterDirection.None, path, null, ids.length);
+    await this.writeNavState(outlet, chain, RouterIntent.None, path, null, ids.length);
     return true;
   }
 
   private onRedirectChanged() {
     const path = this.getPath();
     if (path && routeRedirect(path, readRedirects(this.el))) {
-      this.writeNavStateRoot(path, RouterDirection.None);
+      this.writeNavStateRoot(path, RouterIntent.None);
     }
   }
 
   private onRoutesChanged() {
-    return this.writeNavStateRoot(this.getPath(), RouterDirection.None);
+    return this.writeNavStateRoot(this.getPath(), RouterIntent.None);
   }
 
   private historyDirection() {
@@ -137,16 +137,16 @@ export class Router {
     this.lastState = state;
 
     if (state > lastState) {
-      return RouterDirection.Forward;
+      return RouterIntent.Forward;
     } else if (state < lastState) {
-      return RouterDirection.Back;
+      return RouterIntent.Back;
     } else {
-      return RouterDirection.None;
+      return RouterIntent.None;
     }
   }
 
 
-  private async writeNavStateRoot(path: string[]|null, direction: RouterDirection): Promise<boolean> {
+  private async writeNavStateRoot(path: string[]|null, intent: RouterIntent): Promise<boolean> {
     if (this.busy) {
       return false;
     }
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export class Router {
     const redirect = routeRedirect(path, redirects);
     let redirectFrom: string[]|null = null;
     if (redirect) {
-      this.setPath(redirect.to, direction);
+      this.setPath(redirect.to, intent);
       redirectFrom = redirect.from;
       path = redirect.to;
     }
@@ -174,11 +174,11 @@ export class Router {
     }
 
     // write DOM give
-    return this.writeNavState(this.win.document.body, chain, direction, path, redirectFrom);
+    return this.writeNavState(this.win.document.body, chain, intent, path, redirectFrom);
   }
 
   private async writeNavState(
-    node: HTMLElement|undefined, chain: RouteChain, direction: RouterDirection,
+    node: HTMLElement|undefined, chain: RouteChain, intent: RouterIntent,
     path: string[], redirectFrom: string[] | null,
     index = 0
   ): Promise<boolean> {
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export class Router {
     const routeEvent = this.routeChangeEvent(path, redirectFrom);
     routeEvent && this.ionRouteWillChange.emit(routeEvent);
 
-    const changed = await writeNavState(node, chain, direction, index);
+    const changed = await writeNavState(node, chain, intent, index);
     this.busy = false;
 
     if (changed) {
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ export class Router {
     return changed;
   }
 
-  private setPath(path: string[], direction: RouterDirection) {
+  private setPath(path: string[], intent: RouterIntent) {
     this.state++;
-    writePath(this.win.history, this.root, this.useHash, path, direction, this.state);
+    writePath(this.win.history, this.root, this.useHash, path, intent, this.state);
   }
 
   private getPath(): string[] | null {
@@ -228,3 +228,9 @@ export class Router {
     };
   }
 }
+
+const DIRECTION_TO_INTENT = {
+  'back': RouterIntent.Back,
+  'root': RouterIntent.None,
+  'forward': RouterIntent.Forward
+};
diff --git a/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts b/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
index 925d65c6cf..6f49ecc638 100644
--- a/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { NavOutletElement, RouteChain, RouteID, RouterDirection } from './interface';
+import { NavOutletElement, RouteChain, RouteID, RouterIntent } from '../../../interface';
 
-export async function writeNavState(root: HTMLElement | undefined, chain: RouteChain, direction: RouterDirection, index: number, changed = false): Promise<boolean> {
+export async function writeNavState(root: HTMLElement | undefined, chain: RouteChain, intent: RouterIntent, index: number, changed = false): Promise<boolean> {
   try {
     // find next navigation outlet in the DOM
     const outlet = searchNavNode(root);
@@ -12,17 +12,17 @@ export async function writeNavState(root: HTMLElement | undefined, chain: RouteC
     await outlet.componentOnReady();
 
     const route = chain[index];
-    const result = await outlet.setRouteId(route.id, route.params, direction);
+    const result = await outlet.setRouteId(route.id, route.params, intent);
 
     // if the outlet changed the page, reset navigation to neutral (no direction)
     // this means nested outlets will not animate
     if (result.changed) {
-      direction = RouterDirection.None;
+      intent = RouterIntent.None;
       changed = true;
     }
 
     // recursivelly set nested outlets
-    changed = await writeNavState(result.element, chain, direction, index + 1, changed);
+    changed = await writeNavState(result.element, chain, intent, index + 1, changed);
 
     // once all nested outlets are visible let's make the parent visible too,
     // using markVisible prevents flickering
diff --git a/core/src/components/router/utils/interface.ts b/core/src/components/router/utils/interface.ts
index 5e89504521..aebeb2f2cf 100644
--- a/core/src/components/router/utils/interface.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/router/utils/interface.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 export interface NavOutlet {
-  setRouteId(id: string, data: any, direction: number): Promise<RouteWrite>;
+  setRouteId(id: string, data: any, direction: RouterIntent): Promise<RouteWrite>;
   getRouteId(): RouteID|undefined;
 }
 
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ export interface RouterEventDetail {
   to: string;
 }
 
-export const enum RouterDirection {
+export type RouterDirection = 'forward' | 'back' | 'root';
+
+export const enum RouterIntent {
   None = 0,
   Forward = 1,
   Back = -1,
diff --git a/core/src/components/router/utils/path.ts b/core/src/components/router/utils/path.ts
index eb2339fd76..4c7e8b58c9 100644
--- a/core/src/components/router/utils/path.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/router/utils/path.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { RouteChain, RouterDirection } from './interface';
+import { RouteChain, RouterIntent } from '../../../interface';
 
 export function generatePath(segments: string[]): string {
   const path = segments
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function chainToPath(chain: RouteChain): string[]|null {
   return path;
 }
 
-export function writePath(history: History, root: string, useHash: boolean, path: string[], direction: RouterDirection, state: number) {
+export function writePath(history: History, root: string, useHash: boolean, path: string[], intent: RouterIntent, state: number) {
   let url = generatePath([
     ...parsePath(root),
     ...path
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function writePath(history: History, root: string, useHash: boolean, path
   if (useHash) {
     url = '#' + url;
   }
-  if (direction === RouterDirection.Forward) {
+  if (intent === RouterIntent.Forward) {
     history.pushState(state, '', url);
   } else {
     history.replaceState(state, '', url);
diff --git a/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx b/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
index 026ee1390b..914539418f 100644
--- a/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Build, Component, Element, Event, EventEmitter, Listen, Method, Prop, State } from '@stencil/core';
-import { Config, NavOutlet, RouteID, RouteWrite, RouterDirection } from '../../interface';
+import { Config, NavOutlet, RouteID, RouteWrite, RouterIntent } from '../../interface';
 import { TabbarLayout, TabbarPlacement } from '../tabbar/tabbar';
 
 
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
     if (this.useRouter) {
       const router = this.doc.querySelector('ion-router');
       if (router) {
-        return router.navChanged(RouterDirection.Forward);
+        return router.navChanged(RouterIntent.Forward);
       }
     }
     return Promise.resolve(false);
diff --git a/core/src/utils/theme.ts b/core/src/utils/theme.ts
index ed2e9ce8e3..8572bbf4b5 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/theme.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/theme.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { CssClassMap, Mode } from '../interface';
+import { CssClassMap, Mode, RouterDirection } from '../interface';
 
 /**
  * Create the mode and color classes for the component based on the classes passed in
@@ -64,22 +64,14 @@ export function getClassMap(classes: string | string[] | undefined): CssClassMap
   return map;
 }
 
-export type RouterDirection = 'forward' | 'back' | 'root';
-
-export async function openURL(win: Window, url: string|undefined, ev: Event, direction: RouterDirection = 'forward') {
+export async function openURL(win: Window, url: string|undefined, ev: Event, direction?: RouterDirection) {
   if (url && url[0] !== '#' && url.indexOf('://') === -1) {
     const router = win.document.querySelector('ion-router');
     if (router) {
       ev && ev.preventDefault();
       await router.componentOnReady();
-      return router.push(url, DIRECTION_MAP[direction]);
+      return router.push(url, direction);
     }
   }
   return Promise.resolve();
 }
-
-const DIRECTION_MAP = {
-  'back': -1,
-  'root': 0,
-  'forward': 1
-};