diff --git a/basis/concurrency/distributed/distributed-tests.factor b/basis/concurrency/distributed/distributed-tests.factor
index 1087823aa0..996e3db4c0 100644
--- a/basis/concurrency/distributed/distributed-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/concurrency/distributed/distributed-tests.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 IN: concurrency.distributed.tests
 USING: tools.test concurrency.distributed kernel io.files
-arrays io.sockets system combinators threads math sequences
-concurrency.messaging continuations accessors prettyprint ;
+io.files.temp io.directories arrays io.sockets system
+combinators threads math sequences concurrency.messaging
+continuations accessors prettyprint ;
 
 : test-node ( -- addrspec )
     {
diff --git a/basis/db/pools/pools-tests.factor b/basis/db/pools/pools-tests.factor
index 0a68db501b..7ff2a33d92 100644
--- a/basis/db/pools/pools-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/db/pools/pools-tests.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 IN: db.pools.tests
-USING: db.pools tools.test continuations io.files namespaces
-accessors kernel math destructors ;
+USING: db.pools tools.test continuations io.files io.files.temp
+io.directories namespaces accessors kernel math destructors ;
 
 \ <db-pool> must-infer
 
diff --git a/basis/db/sqlite/sqlite-tests.factor b/basis/db/sqlite/sqlite-tests.factor
index fe95980bcf..b816e414ba 100644
--- a/basis/db/sqlite/sqlite-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/db/sqlite/sqlite-tests.factor
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-USING: io io.files io.launcher kernel namespaces
-prettyprint tools.test db.sqlite db sequences
+USING: io io.files io.files.temp io.directories io.launcher
+kernel namespaces prettyprint tools.test db.sqlite db sequences
 continuations db.types db.tuples unicode.case ;
 IN: db.sqlite.tests
 
diff --git a/basis/db/tuples/tuples-tests.factor b/basis/db/tuples/tuples-tests.factor
index 0432f38683..b834c2c990 100644
--- a/basis/db/tuples/tuples-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/db/tuples/tuples-tests.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2008 Doug Coleman.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: io.files kernel tools.test db db.tuples classes
+USING: io.files io.files.temp kernel tools.test db db.tuples classes
 db.types continuations namespaces math math.ranges
 prettyprint calendar sequences db.sqlite math.intervals
 db.postgresql accessors random math.bitwise system
diff --git a/basis/furnace/auth/providers/db/db-tests.factor b/basis/furnace/auth/providers/db/db-tests.factor
index 3bcd82a15d..de7650d9ef 100644
--- a/basis/furnace/auth/providers/db/db-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/furnace/auth/providers/db/db-tests.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ furnace.auth.login
 furnace.auth.providers
 furnace.auth.providers.db tools.test
 namespaces db db.sqlite db.tuples continuations
-io.files accessors kernel ;
+io.files io.files.temp io.directories accessors kernel ;
 
 <action> "test" <login-realm> realm set
 
diff --git a/basis/furnace/sessions/sessions-tests.factor b/basis/furnace/sessions/sessions-tests.factor
index 907e657125..14cdce3811 100644
--- a/basis/furnace/sessions/sessions-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/furnace/sessions/sessions-tests.factor
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ IN: furnace.sessions.tests
 USING: tools.test http furnace.sessions furnace.actions
 http.server http.server.responses math namespaces make kernel
 accessors io.sockets io.servers.connection prettyprint
-io.streams.string io.files splitting destructors sequences db
-db.tuples db.sqlite continuations urls math.parser furnace
-furnace.utilities ;
+io.streams.string io.files io.files.temp io.directories
+splitting destructors sequences db db.tuples db.sqlite
+continuations urls math.parser furnace furnace.utilities ;
 
 : with-session
     [
diff --git a/basis/http/http-tests.factor b/basis/http/http-tests.factor
index 6e93d5ee3a..92a296c2d3 100644
--- a/basis/http/http-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/http/http-tests.factor
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ Set-Cookie: oo="bar; a=b"; comment="your mom"; httponly=yes
 ! Live-fire exercise
 USING: http.server http.server.static furnace.sessions furnace.alloy
 furnace.actions furnace.auth furnace.auth.login furnace.db http.client
-io.servers.connection io.files io io.encodings.ascii
+io.servers.connection io.files io.files.temp io.directories io io.encodings.ascii
 accessors namespaces threads
 http.server.responses http.server.redirection furnace.redirection
 http.server.dispatchers db.tuples ;
diff --git a/basis/io/directories/windows/tags.txt b/basis/io/directories/windows/tags.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bf68304bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/io/directories/windows/tags.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+unportable
diff --git a/basis/io/files/info/windows/nt/nt.factor b/basis/io/files/info/windows/nt/nt.factor
deleted file mode 100755
index 19ea0864ed..0000000000
--- a/basis/io/files/info/windows/nt/nt.factor
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-! Copyright (C) 2008 Doug Coleman.
-! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-IN: io.files.info.windows.nt
-
diff --git a/basis/io/files/info/windows/tags.txt b/basis/io/files/info/windows/tags.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bf68304bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/io/files/info/windows/tags.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+unportable
diff --git a/basis/io/files/types/types-docs.factor b/basis/io/files/types/types-docs.factor
index 48df9b2328..a6402851ea 100644
--- a/basis/io/files/types/types-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/io/files/types/types-docs.factor
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ USING: help.markup help.syntax ;
 IN: io.files.types
 
 HELP: +regular-file+
-{ $description "A regular file. This type exists on all platforms. See " { $link "file-streams" } " for words operating on files." } ;
+{ $description "A regular file. This type exists on all platforms. See " { $link "io.files" } " for words operating on files." } ;
 
 HELP: +directory+
-{ $description "A directory. This type exists on all platforms. See " { $link "directories" } " for words operating on directories." } ;
+{ $description "A directory. This type exists on all platforms. See " { $link "io.directories" } " for words operating on directories." } ;
 
 HELP: +symbolic-link+
-{ $description "A symbolic link file.  This type is currently implemented on Unix platforms only. See " { $link "symbolic-links" } " for words operating on symbolic links." } ;
+{ $description "A symbolic link file.  This type is currently implemented on Unix platforms only. See " { $link "io.files.links" } " for words operating on symbolic links." } ;
 
 HELP: +character-device+
 { $description "A Unix character device file. This type exists on Unix platforms only." } ;
diff --git a/basis/io/monitors/linux/linux-tests.factor b/basis/io/monitors/linux/linux-tests.factor
index 8e2cebc3a4..67558942f8 100644
--- a/basis/io/monitors/linux/linux-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/io/monitors/linux/linux-tests.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 IN: io.monitors.linux.tests
-USING: io.monitors tools.test io.files system sequences
-continuations namespaces concurrency.count-downs kernel io
-threads calendar prettyprint destructors io.timeouts ;
+USING: io.monitors tools.test io.files io.files.temp
+io.directories system sequences continuations namespaces
+concurrency.count-downs kernel io threads calendar prettyprint
+destructors io.timeouts ;
 
 ! On Linux, a notification on the directory itself would report an invalid
 ! path name
diff --git a/basis/io/monitors/recursive/recursive-tests.factor b/basis/io/monitors/recursive/recursive-tests.factor
index fba879a6d2..ace93ace44 100644
--- a/basis/io/monitors/recursive/recursive-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/io/monitors/recursive/recursive-tests.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 USING: accessors math kernel namespaces continuations
 io.files io.monitors io.monitors.recursive io.backend
-concurrency.mailboxes tools.test destructors ;
+concurrency.mailboxes tools.test destructors io.files.info
+io.pathnames io.files.temp io.directories.hierarchy ;
 IN: io.monitors.recursive.tests
 
 \ pump-thread must-infer
diff --git a/basis/mime/multipart/multipart-tests.factor b/basis/mime/multipart/multipart-tests.factor
index 1445af8309..1fb2530705 100644
--- a/basis/mime/multipart/multipart-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/mime/multipart/multipart-tests.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 USING: accessors checksums checksums.md5 io io.encodings.ascii
-io.encodings.binary io.files io.streams.byte-array
-io.streams.string kernel make mime.multipart
-mime.multipart.private multiline sequences strings tools.test ;
+io.encodings.binary io.files io.files.temp io.files.info
+io.streams.byte-array io.streams.string kernel make
+mime.multipart mime.multipart.private multiline sequences
+strings tools.test ;
 IN: mime.multipart.tests
 
 [ { "a" } ] [
diff --git a/basis/tools/deploy/deploy-tests.factor b/basis/tools/deploy/deploy-tests.factor
index d5cb4ab387..0275f7fdf0 100644
--- a/basis/tools/deploy/deploy-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/tools/deploy/deploy-tests.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ USING: tools.test system io.files io.files.temp kernel
 tools.deploy.config tools.deploy.config.editor
 tools.deploy.backend math sequences io.launcher arrays
 namespaces continuations layouts accessors io.encodings.ascii
-urls math.parser ;
+urls math.parser io.directories ;
 
 : shake-and-bake ( vocab -- )
     [ "test.image" temp-file delete-file ] ignore-errors
diff --git a/core/io/pathnames/pathnames-docs.factor b/core/io/pathnames/pathnames-docs.factor
index 3ba864d471..8ef0de86b7 100644
--- a/core/io/pathnames/pathnames-docs.factor
+++ b/core/io/pathnames/pathnames-docs.factor
@@ -6,20 +6,20 @@ HELP: path-separator?
 { $description "Tests if the code point is a platform-specific path separator." }
 { $examples
     "On Unix:"
-    { $example "USING: io.files prettyprint ;" "CHAR: / path-separator? ." "t" }
+    { $example "USING: io.pathnames prettyprint ;" "CHAR: / path-separator? ." "t" }
 } ;
 
 HELP: parent-directory
 { $values { "path" "a pathname string" } { "parent" "a pathname string" } }
 { $description "Strips the last component off a pathname." }
-{ $examples { $example "USING: io io.files ;" "\"/etc/passwd\" parent-directory print" "/etc/" } } ;
+{ $examples { $example "USING: io io.pathnames ;" "\"/etc/passwd\" parent-directory print" "/etc/" } } ;
 
 HELP: file-name
 { $values { "path" "a pathname string" } { "string" string } }
 { $description "Outputs the last component of a pathname string." }
 { $examples
-    { $example "USING: io.files prettyprint ;" "\"/usr/bin/gcc\" file-name ." "\"gcc\"" }
-    { $example "USING: io.files prettyprint ;" "\"/usr/libexec/awk/\" file-name ." "\"awk\"" }
+    { $example "USING: io.pathnames prettyprint ;" "\"/usr/bin/gcc\" file-name ." "\"gcc\"" }
+    { $example "USING: io.pathnames prettyprint ;" "\"/usr/libexec/awk/\" file-name ." "\"awk\"" }
 } ;
 
 HELP: append-path
diff --git a/core/syntax/syntax-docs.factor b/core/syntax/syntax-docs.factor
index c1e12ea133..7a1cb5fd92 100644
--- a/core/syntax/syntax-docs.factor
+++ b/core/syntax/syntax-docs.factor
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ ARTICLE: "syntax-byte-arrays" "Byte array syntax"
 
 ARTICLE: "syntax-pathnames" "Pathname syntax"
 { $subsection POSTPONE: P" }
-"Pathnames are documented in " { $link "pathnames" } "." ;
+"Pathnames are documented in " { $link "io.pathnames" } "." ;
 
 ARTICLE: "syntax-literals" "Literals"
 "Many different types of objects can be constructed at parse time via literal syntax. Numbers are a special case since support for reading them is built-in to the parser. All other literals are constructed via parsing words."
diff --git a/extra/mason/common/common-tests.factor b/extra/mason/common/common-tests.factor
index ed6ffecdd1..095cbd1a80 100644
--- a/extra/mason/common/common-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/mason/common/common-tests.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 IN: mason.common.tests
 USING: prettyprint mason.common mason.config
-namespaces calendar tools.test io.files io.encodings.utf8 ;
+namespaces calendar tools.test io.files io.files.temp io.encodings.utf8 ;
 
 [ "00:01:01" ] [ 61000 milli-seconds>time ] unit-test
 
diff --git a/extra/system-info/linux/linux.factor b/extra/system-info/linux/linux.factor
index d7f53fb9fb..d9c39ca6cf 100644
--- a/extra/system-info/linux/linux.factor
+++ b/extra/system-info/linux/linux.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2008 Doug Coleman.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: unix alien alien.c-types kernel math sequences strings
-io.unix.backend splitting ;
+io.backend.unix splitting ;
 IN: system-info.linux
 
 : (uname) ( buf -- int )