diff --git a/src/jsx_decoder.hrl b/src/jsx_decoder.hrl
index 2b8fdde..1b8b9fb 100644
--- a/src/jsx_decoder.hrl
+++ b/src/jsx_decoder.hrl
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 %%   this file should take that into account
 
 
+-export([decoder/1]).
+
 %% exported solely to facilitate stupid trick i shouldn't be using
 -export([start/4,
     maybe_done/4,
@@ -63,22 +65,11 @@
 ]).
 
 
-
-%% opts record for decoder
--record(opts, {
-    multi_term = false,
-    loose_unicode = false,
-    encoding = auto,
-    escape_forward_slash = false,   %% does nothing, used by encoder
-    iterate = false
-}).
+-include("jsx_opts.hrl").
 
 
-
--export([decoder/1]).
 -spec decoder(OptsList::jsx_opts()) -> jsx_decoder().
 
-
 decoder(OptsList) ->
     case parse_opts(OptsList) of 
         {error, badopt} -> {error, badopt}
@@ -90,25 +81,6 @@ decoder(OptsList) ->
     end.
 
 
-
-%% converts a proplist into a tuple
-parse_opts(Opts) ->
-    parse_opts(Opts, #opts{}).
-
-parse_opts([], Opts) ->
-    Opts;
-parse_opts([multi_term|Rest], Opts) ->
-    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{multi_term=true});
-parse_opts([loose_unicode|Rest], Opts) ->
-    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{loose_unicode=true});
-parse_opts([iterate|Rest], Opts) ->
-    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{iterate=true});
-parse_opts([{encoding, _}|Rest], Opts) ->
-    parse_opts(Rest, Opts);
-parse_opts(_, _) ->
-    {error, badarg}.
-
-
 %% whitespace
 -define(space, 16#20).
 -define(tab, 16#09).
@@ -280,11 +252,9 @@ emit([Event|Events], {State, Rest, T, Args}) ->
     emit(Events, {State, Rest, [Event] ++ T, Args}).
 
 
-
 bad_json(Stream, _) -> {error, {badjson, Stream}}.
 
 
-
 start(<<S/?utfx, Rest/binary>>, T, Stack, Opts) when ?is_whitespace(S) -> 
     start(Rest, T, Stack, Opts);
 start(<<?start_object/?utfx, Rest/binary>>, T, Stack, Opts) ->
diff --git a/src/jsx_opts.hrl b/src/jsx_opts.hrl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ca7076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/jsx_opts.hrl
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+%% The MIT License
+
+%% Copyright (c) 2010 Alisdair Sullivan <alisdairsullivan@yahoo.ca>
+
+%% Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+%% of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+%% in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+%% to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+%% copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+%% furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+%% The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+%% all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+%% THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+%% IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+%% FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+%% AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+%% LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+%% OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+%% THE SOFTWARE.
+
+
+%% opts record for decoder/encoder
+-record(opts, {
+    multi_term = false,
+    loose_unicode = false,
+    encoding = auto,
+    escape_forward_slash = false,   %% does nothing, used by encoder
+    iterate = false
+}).
+
+
+
+parse_opts(Opts) ->
+    parse_opts(Opts, #opts{}).
+
+parse_opts([], Opts) ->
+    Opts;
+parse_opts([multi_term|Rest], Opts) ->
+    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{multi_term=true});
+parse_opts([loose_unicode|Rest], Opts) ->
+    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{loose_unicode=true});
+parse_opts([iterate|Rest], Opts) ->
+    parse_opts(Rest, Opts#opts{iterate=true});
+parse_opts([{encoding, _}|Rest], Opts) ->
+    parse_opts(Rest, Opts);
+parse_opts(_, _) ->
+    {error, badarg}.
\ No newline at end of file