diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/database.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/database.c
index e2362f8f081ce700b17fbcffb08db95f035955e1..5ea178141582535e85a6b1a303519d3feba6866c 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/database.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/database.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "defs.h"
+#include "database.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/database.h b/common/utils/T/tracer/database.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4ca4606c157cbcc6119a65f92d3b068dc981b29a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/database.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef _DATABASE_H_
+#define _DATABASE_H_
+
+/* returns an opaque pointer - truly a 'database *', see database.c */
+void *parse_database(char *filename);
+void dump_database(void *database);
+void list_ids(void *database);
+void list_groups(void *database);
+void on_off(void *d, char *item, int *a, int onoff);
+
+#endif /* _DATABASE_H_ */
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/defs.h b/common/utils/T/tracer/defs.h
index 7c519f8878f08b43ab4c0c122feb94b53f981966..7a6f57b312b0a26fd3a0cc413e83692af385b4d5 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/defs.h
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/defs.h
@@ -16,13 +16,6 @@ void iq_plot_set_sized(void *_plot, short *data, int len, int pp);
 void iq_plot_add_iq_point_loop(void *_plot, short i, short q, int pp);
 void iq_plot_add_energy_point_loop(void *_plot, int e, int pp);
 
-/* returns an opaque pointer - truly a 'database *', see t_data.c */
-void *parse_database(char *filename);
-void dump_database(void *database);
-void list_ids(void *database);
-void list_groups(void *database);
-void on_off(void *d, char *item, int *a, int onoff);
-
 void *forwarder(char *ip, int port);
 void forward(void *forwarder, char *buf, int size);
 void forward_start_client(void *forwarder, int socket);
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c
index 225db809b7c66849f8540dfd9ed7031769199262..4988bd336ebfa01cce0f4296037bdd405789bf34 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/remote.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 
 #include "defs.h"
+#include "database.h"
 
 #define DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT 2020