diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 78cc876c2..6c9dc2e17 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Config(object):
         """
         Gets the version string
         """
-        return "0.26.0.dev4"
+        return "0.26.0.dev5"
 
 
 config = Config()
@@ -333,12 +333,12 @@ for pi in glob.glob("src/plugins/*/db_plugin") + glob.glob("src/plugins/*/*/db_p
 
 tl_sources = glob.glob("src/pymod/tl/*.cc")
 
-tl = Extension(config.root + '.tl',
+tl = Extension(config.root + '.tlcore',
                define_macros=config.macros(),
                include_dirs=['src/tl/tl', 'src/gsi/gsi', 'src/pya/pya'],
                extra_objects=[config.path_of('_tl'), config.path_of(
                    '_gsi'), config.path_of('_pya')],
-               extra_link_args=config.link_args('tl'),
+               extra_link_args=config.link_args('tlcore'),
                sources=tl_sources)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -346,12 +346,12 @@ tl = Extension(config.root + '.tl',
 
 db_sources = glob.glob("src/pymod/db/*.cc")
 
-db = Extension(config.root + '.db',
+db = Extension(config.root + '.dbcore',
                define_macros=config.macros(),
                include_dirs=['src/db/db', 'src/tl/tl', 'src/gsi/gsi', 'src/pya/pya'],
                extra_objects=[config.path_of('_db'), config.path_of(
                    '_tl'), config.path_of('_gsi'), config.path_of('_pya')],
-               extra_link_args=config.link_args('db'),
+               extra_link_args=config.link_args('dbcore'),
                sources=db_sources)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -359,13 +359,13 @@ db = Extension(config.root + '.db',
 
 rdb_sources = glob.glob("src/pymod/rdb/*.cc")
 
-rdb = Extension(config.root + '.rdb',
+rdb = Extension(config.root + '.rdbcore',
                 define_macros=config.macros(),
                 include_dirs=['src/rdb/rdb', 'src/db/db',
                               'src/tl/tl', 'src/gsi/gsi', 'src/pya/pya'],
                 extra_objects=[config.path_of('_rdb'), config.path_of(
                     '_gsi'), config.path_of('_pya')],
-                extra_link_args=config.link_args('rdb'),
+                extra_link_args=config.link_args('rdbcore'),
                 sources=rdb_sources)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/pymod/db/dbMain.cc b/src/pymod/db/dbMain.cc
index 9a773e0e6..81a2b9421 100644
--- a/src/pymod/db/dbMain.cc
+++ b/src/pymod/db/dbMain.cc
@@ -33,4 +33,4 @@ static PyObject *db_module_init (const char *mod_name, const char *mod_descripti
   return module_init (mod_name, mod_description);
 }
 
-DEFINE_PYMOD_WITH_INIT(db, "db", "KLayout core module 'db'", db_module_init)
+DEFINE_PYMOD_WITH_INIT(dbcore, "dbcore", "KLayout core module 'dbcore'", db_module_init)
diff --git a/src/pymod/distutils_src/__init__.py b/src/pymod/distutils_src/__init__.py
index dce96f8e4..51c551f9b 100644
--- a/src/pymod/distutils_src/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pymod/distutils_src/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 
 # klayout library definition file
 
-__all__ = [ "tl", "db", "lay", "rdb" ]
-
+__all__ = ["tl", "db", "rdb"]
diff --git a/src/pymod/distutils_src/db.py b/src/pymod/distutils_src/db.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b4ae260c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pymod/distutils_src/db.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from dbcore import *
diff --git a/src/pymod/distutils_src/rdb.py b/src/pymod/distutils_src/rdb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6dd00e138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pymod/distutils_src/rdb.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from rdbcore import *
diff --git a/src/pymod/distutils_src/tl.py b/src/pymod/distutils_src/tl.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd1abfb00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pymod/distutils_src/tl.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from tlcore import *
diff --git a/src/pymod/rdb/rdbMain.cc b/src/pymod/rdb/rdbMain.cc
index e0008b22a..0da6e19c6 100644
--- a/src/pymod/rdb/rdbMain.cc
+++ b/src/pymod/rdb/rdbMain.cc
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@
 //  to force linking of the rdb module
 #include "../../rdb/rdb/rdbForceLink.h"
 
-DEFINE_PYMOD(rdb, "rdb", "KLayout core module 'rdb'")
+DEFINE_PYMOD(rdbcore, "rdbcore", "KLayout core module 'rdbcore'")
diff --git a/src/pymod/tl/tlMain.cc b/src/pymod/tl/tlMain.cc
index db6a278fb..cc75be08b 100644
--- a/src/pymod/tl/tlMain.cc
+++ b/src/pymod/tl/tlMain.cc
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@
 
 #include "../pymodHelper.h"
 
-DEFINE_PYMOD(tl, "tl", "KLayout core module 'tl'")
+DEFINE_PYMOD(tlcore, "tlcore", "KLayout core module 'tlcore'")