diff --git a/basis/editors/editors.factor b/basis/editors/editors.factor
index 38978d3dc2..b7a420c6d1 100644
--- a/basis/editors/editors.factor
+++ b/basis/editors/editors.factor
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ M: cannot-find-source error.
     definition>> pprint-short
     "''" print ;
 
+: edit-file ( path -- )
+    0 edit-location ;
+
+DEFER: edit
+
+: edit-vocab ( vocab -- )
+    dup lookup-vocab [ edit ] [ cannot-find-source ] ?if ;
+
 GENERIC: edit ( object -- )
 
 M: object edit
@@ -46,8 +54,7 @@ M: object edit
 
 M: link edit name>> edit ;
 
-M: string edit
-    dup lookup-vocab [ edit ] [ cannot-find-source ] ?if ;
+M: string edit edit-vocab ;
 
 : edit-error ( error -- )
     [ error-file ] [ error-line ] bi
diff --git a/basis/ui/tools/operations/operations.factor b/basis/ui/tools/operations/operations.factor
index 5ae86f4a13..fe8bb95623 100644
--- a/basis/ui/tools/operations/operations.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/tools/operations/operations.factor
@@ -69,9 +69,6 @@ IN: ui.tools.operations
     { +secondary+ t }
 } define-operation
 
-! Pathnames
-: edit-file ( pathname -- ) edit ;
-
 [ pathname? ] \ edit-file H{
     { +keyboard+ T{ key-down f { C+ } "b" } }
     { +primary+ t }