diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index fd18e5527..c6ab76ab7 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package core
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 
 	context "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/go.net/context"
 	b58 "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-base58"
@@ -19,8 +18,6 @@ import (
 	bsnet "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/exchange/bitswap/network"
 	offline "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/exchange/offline"
 	mount "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/fuse/mount"
-	importer "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/importer"
-	chunk "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/importer/chunk"
 	merkledag "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	namesys "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/namesys"
 	ic "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/crypto"
@@ -32,8 +29,6 @@ import (
 	pin "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/pin"
 	routing "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/routing"
 	dht "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/routing/dht"
-	uio "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/unixfs/io"
-	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
 	ds2 "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/datastore2"
 	debugerror "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/debugerror"
 	eventlog "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/eventlog"
@@ -281,34 +276,6 @@ func (n *IpfsNode) Bootstrap(ctx context.Context, peers []peer.PeerInfo) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// TODO we may not want to add these methods to the core. Maybe they should be
-// defined as free functions in another package that use public fields on the
-// node.
-//
-// e.g. reader, err := unix.Cat(node)
-
-func (n *IpfsNode) Cat(k u.Key) (io.Reader, error) {
-	catterdag := n.DAG
-	nodeCatted, err := (&path.Resolver{catterdag}).ResolvePath(k.String())
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return uio.NewDagReader(nodeCatted, catterdag)
-}
-
-func (n *IpfsNode) Add(r io.Reader) (u.Key, error) {
-	nodeAdded, err := importer.BuildDagFromReader(
-		r,
-		n.DAG,
-		nil,
-		chunk.DefaultSplitter,
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return nodeAdded.Key()
-}
-
 func (n *IpfsNode) loadID() error {
 	if n.Identity != "" {
 		return debugerror.New("identity already loaded")
diff --git a/core/io/add.go b/core/io/add.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..384cbba90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/io/add.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package core_io
+
+// TODO rename package to something that doesn't conflict with io/ioutil.
+// Pretty names are hard to find.
+//
+// Candidates:
+//
+// go-ipfs/core/unix
+// go-ipfs/core/io
+// go-ipfs/core/ioutil
+// go-ipfs/core/coreio
+// go-ipfs/core/coreunix
+
+import (
+	"io"
+
+	core "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
+	importer "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/importer"
+	chunk "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/importer/chunk"
+	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
+)
+
+func Add(n *core.IpfsNode, r io.Reader) (u.Key, error) {
+	// TODO more attractive function signature importer.BuildDagFromReader
+	dagNode, err := importer.BuildDagFromReader(
+		r,
+		n.DAG,
+		nil,
+		chunk.DefaultSplitter,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return dagNode.Key()
+}
diff --git a/core/io/cat.go b/core/io/cat.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29dacf9d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/io/cat.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package core_io
+
+// TODO rename package to something that doesn't conflict with io/ioutil.
+// Pretty names are hard to find.
+//
+// Candidates:
+//
+// go-ipfs/core/unix
+// go-ipfs/core/io
+// go-ipfs/core/ioutil
+// go-ipfs/core/coreio
+// go-ipfs/core/coreunix
+
+import (
+	"io"
+
+	core "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
+	path "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/path"
+	uio "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/unixfs/io"
+	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
+)
+
+func Cat(n *core.IpfsNode, k u.Key) (io.Reader, error) {
+	dag := n.DAG
+	dagNode, err := (&path.Resolver{dag}).ResolvePath(k.String())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return uio.NewDagReader(dagNode, dag)
+}
diff --git a/test/epictest/addcat_test.go b/test/epictest/addcat_test.go
index fa92bb943..d3a99e932 100644
--- a/test/epictest/addcat_test.go
+++ b/test/epictest/addcat_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	context "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/go.net/context"
 	random "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-random"
 	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
+	core_io "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core/io"
 	mocknet "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/net/mock"
 	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
 	errors "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/debugerror"
@@ -114,12 +115,12 @@ func DirectAddCat(data []byte, conf testutil.LatencyConfig) error {
 	catter.Bootstrap(ctx, []peer.PeerInfo{adder.Peerstore.PeerInfo(adder.Identity)})
 	adder.Bootstrap(ctx, []peer.PeerInfo{catter.Peerstore.PeerInfo(catter.Identity)})
 
-	keyAdded, err := adder.Add(bytes.NewReader(data))
+	keyAdded, err := core_io.Add(adder, bytes.NewReader(data))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	readerCatted, err := catter.Cat(keyAdded)
+	readerCatted, err := core_io.Cat(catter, keyAdded)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/test/epictest/three_legged_cat_test.go b/test/epictest/three_legged_cat_test.go
index 3ec6cbde3..b33b07077 100644
--- a/test/epictest/three_legged_cat_test.go
+++ b/test/epictest/three_legged_cat_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	context "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/code.google.com/p/go.net/context"
-	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
+	core "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
+	core_io "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core/io"
 	mocknet "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/net/mock"
 	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
 	errors "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/debugerror"
@@ -61,12 +62,12 @@ func RunThreeLeggedCat(data []byte, conf testutil.LatencyConfig) error {
 	adder.Bootstrap(ctx, []peer.PeerInfo{boostrapInfo})
 	catter.Bootstrap(ctx, []peer.PeerInfo{boostrapInfo})
 
-	keyAdded, err := adder.Add(bytes.NewReader(data))
+	keyAdded, err := core_io.Add(adder, bytes.NewReader(data))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	readerCatted, err := catter.Cat(keyAdded)
+	readerCatted, err := core_io.Cat(catter, keyAdded)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}