diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/chunky_texture.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/chunky_texture.h
similarity index 90%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/chunky_texture.h
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/chunky_texture.h
index f7564da22..5c33790fa 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/chunky_texture.h
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/chunky_texture.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
-#ifndef _CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_
-#define _CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_
 
 #include <os/surface.h>
 #include <os/attached_ram_dataspace.h>
@@ -59,4 +59,4 @@ class Chunky_texture : Genode::Attached_ram_dataspace, public Genode::Texture<PT
 		{ }
 };
 
-#endif /* _CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_ */
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__CHUNKY_TEXTURE_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/file.h
similarity index 88%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.h
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/file.h
index bf32b5b90..083bd5b17 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.h
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/file.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
-#ifndef _FILE_H_
-#define _FILE_H_
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__FILE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__FILE_H_
 
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <base/allocator.h>
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ class File
 		Genode::size_t size() const { return _file_size; }
 };
 
-#endif /* _FILE_H_ */
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__FILE_H_ */
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/png_image.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/png_image.h
similarity index 94%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/png_image.h
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/png_image.h
index 4a9900269..86e32ebde 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/png_image.h
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/png_image.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
-#ifndef _PNG_IMAGE_H_
-#define _PNG_IMAGE_H_
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__PNG_IMAGE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__PNG_IMAGE_H_
 
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <os/texture.h>
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 /* libpng include */
 #include <png.h>
 
-/* local includes */
-#include "chunky_texture.h"
-#include "texture_utils.h"
+/* gems includes */
+#include <gems/chunky_texture.h>
+#include <gems/texture_utils.h>
 
 class Png_image
 {
@@ -178,4 +178,4 @@ class Png_image
 		}
 };
 
-#endif /* _PNG_IMAGE_H_ */
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__PNG_IMAGE_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture.cc b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb565.h
similarity index 62%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture.cc
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb565.h
index 0ecdf26b5..7159980eb 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb565.h
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB565_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB565_H_
+
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <os/texture.h>
 #include <os/pixel_rgb565.h>
-#include <os/pixel_rgb888.h>
 #include <util/dither_matrix.h>
 
 namespace Genode {
@@ -47,33 +49,6 @@ namespace Genode {
 				dst_alpha[i] = min(a, 255);
 		}
 	}
-
-
-	template <>
-	void
-	Texture<Pixel_rgb888>::rgba(unsigned char const *rgba, unsigned len, int y)
-	{
-		if (len > size().w()) len = size().w();
-		if (y < 0 || y >= (int)size().h()) return;
-
-		Pixel_rgb888  *dst_pixel = pixel() + y*size().w();
-		unsigned char *dst_alpha = alpha() ? alpha() + y*size().w() : 0;
-
-		for (unsigned i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-
-			int r = *rgba++;
-			int g = *rgba++;
-			int b = *rgba++;
-			int a = *rgba++;
-
-			dst_pixel[i].rgba(r, g, b);
-
-			if (dst_alpha)
-				dst_alpha[i] = min(a, 255);
-		}
-	}
 }
 
-
-template class Genode::Texture<Genode::Pixel_rgb565>;
-template class Genode::Texture<Genode::Pixel_rgb888>;
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB565_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb888.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb888.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a0a79ffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_rgb888.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Support for Genode::Texture
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2014-08-14
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB888_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB888_H_
+
+/* Genode includes */
+#include <os/texture.h>
+#include <os/pixel_rgb888.h>
+
+namespace Genode {
+
+	template <>
+	void
+	Texture<Pixel_rgb888>::rgba(unsigned char const *rgba, unsigned len, int y)
+	{
+		if (len > size().w()) len = size().w();
+		if (y < 0 || y >= (int)size().h()) return;
+
+		Pixel_rgb888  *dst_pixel = pixel() + y*size().w();
+		unsigned char *dst_alpha = alpha() ? alpha() + y*size().w() : 0;
+
+		for (unsigned i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+
+			int r = *rgba++;
+			int g = *rgba++;
+			int b = *rgba++;
+			int a = *rgba++;
+
+			dst_pixel[i].rgba(r, g, b);
+
+			if (dst_alpha)
+				dst_alpha[i] = min(a, 255);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_RGB888_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture_utils.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_utils.h
similarity index 95%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture_utils.h
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/texture_utils.h
index e8fbf1159..f0f1551cc 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/texture_utils.h
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/texture_utils.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
-#ifndef _TEXTURE_UTILS_H_
-#define _TEXTURE_UTILS_H_
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_UTILS_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_UTILS_H_
 
 #include <os/texture.h>
 
@@ -94,4 +94,4 @@ static void convert_pixel_format(Genode::Texture<SRC_PT> const &src,
 	Genode::env()->heap()->free(row, row_num_bytes);
 }
 
-#endif /* _TEXTURE_UTILS_H_ */
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__TEXTURE_UTILS_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/xml_anchor.h b/repos/gems/include/gems/xml_anchor.h
similarity index 93%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/xml_anchor.h
rename to repos/gems/include/gems/xml_anchor.h
index 2b42dbea6..c5144981a 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/xml_anchor.h
+++ b/repos/gems/include/gems/xml_anchor.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
  */
 
-#ifndef _XML_ANCHOR_H_
-#define _XML_ANCHOR_H_
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__GEMS__XML_ANCHOR_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__GEMS__XML_ANCHOR_H_
 
 #include <util/xml_node.h>
 
@@ -68,4 +68,4 @@ class Anchor
 		}
 };
 
-#endif /* _XML_ANCHOR_H_ */
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__GEMS__XML_ANCHOR_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/lib/mk/file.mk b/repos/gems/lib/mk/file.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0451d4d99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/gems/lib/mk/file.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+SRC_CC = file.cc
+LIBS  += libc
+
+vpath file.cc $(REP_DIR)/src/lib/file
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/main.cc
index 6a9bd4c8e..d542f1da4 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/main.cc
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@
 #include <nitpicker_gfx/texture_painter.h>
 #include <os/attached_dataspace.h>
 #include <util/volatile_object.h>
-#include <os/pixel_rgb565.h>
-#include <os/pixel_rgb888.h>
 
-/* local includes */
-#include "png_image.h"
-#include "file.h"
-#include "xml_anchor.h"
-#include "texture_utils.h"
+/* gems includes */
+#include <gems/png_image.h>
+#include <gems/file.h>
+#include <gems/xml_anchor.h>
+#include <gems/texture_utils.h>
+#include <gems/texture_rgb565.h>
+#include <gems/texture_rgb888.h>
 
 using namespace Genode;
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/target.mk b/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/target.mk
index c7a61f941..3e087f3f7 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/target.mk
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/target.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-TARGET  = backdrop
-SRC_CC  = main.cc file.cc texture.cc
-LIBS    = base config libc libpng zlib blit
+TARGET = backdrop
+SRC_CC = main.cc
+LIBS   = base config libc libpng zlib blit file
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.cc b/repos/gems/src/lib/file/file.cc
similarity index 95%
rename from repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.cc
rename to repos/gems/src/lib/file/file.cc
index 23fc98734..ac07a3dcd 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/backdrop/file.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/lib/file/file.cc
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <base/printf.h>
 
-/* local includes */
-#include "file.h"
+/* gems includes */
+#include <gems/file.h>
 
 /* libc includes */
 #include <sys/types.h>