diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 27f70e3..937adbc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 export type { ConnectionSource, ResolvedConnection, SshConfig } from './config/baseSchema.js'
 export { baseConnectionShape, sshConfigSchema } from './config/baseSchema.js'
+export { errorMessage, fail, ok } from './mcp/respond.js'
+export type { Tunnel } from './net/tunnel.js'
+export { buildSshAuth, expandHome, openTunnel } from './net/tunnel.js'
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/respond.ts b/packages/core/src/mcp/respond.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/respond.ts
rename to packages/core/src/mcp/respond.ts
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/net/tunnel.ts b/packages/core/src/net/tunnel.ts
similarity index 98%
rename from packages/dbmole-mcp/src/net/tunnel.ts
rename to packages/core/src/net/tunnel.ts
index 94db9f5..54249a4 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/net/tunnel.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/net/tunnel.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import net from 'node:net'
 import { homedir } from 'node:os'
 import { Client, type ConnectConfig } from 'ssh2'
-import type { SshConfig } from '../config/types.js'
+import type { SshConfig } from '../config/baseSchema.js'
 
 export type Tunnel = {
     localHost: string
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts b/packages/core/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts
similarity index 99%
rename from packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts
rename to packages/core/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts
index e7df2b5..e9e8f93 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/unit/net/tunnel.test.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ vi.mock('ssh2', () => ({
     }
 }))
 
-import type { SshConfig } from '../../../src/config/types.js'
+import type { SshConfig } from '../../../src/config/baseSchema.js'
 import { buildSshAuth, expandHome, openTunnel } from '../../../src/net/tunnel.js'
 
 const sshConfig = (extra: Partial<SshConfig> = {}): SshConfig => ({
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/db/manager.ts b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/db/manager.ts
index 1d20eb5..00be663 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/db/manager.ts
+++ b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/db/manager.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+import { openTunnel, type Tunnel } from '@dbmole/core'
 import type { Registry } from '../config/registry.js'
 import { type ConnectionConfig, type ConnectionSource, defaultPort } from '../config/types.js'
-import { openTunnel, type Tunnel } from '../net/tunnel.js'
 import type { Driver, DriverTarget } from './driver.js'
 import { createMysqlDriver } from './mysql.js'
 import { createPostgresDriver } from './postgres.js'
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/connections.ts b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/connections.ts
index 23dfe43..1f53c09 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/connections.ts
+++ b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/connections.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { errorMessage, fail, ok } from '@dbmole/core'
 import type { McpServer } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js'
 import * as z from 'zod'
 import type { Registry } from '../config/registry.js'
@@ -10,7 +11,6 @@ import {
 import { DriverDisposedError } from '../db/driver.js'
 import type { Manager } from '../db/manager.js'
 import { formatDbError } from '../format.js'
-import { errorMessage, fail, ok } from './respond.js'
 
 const patchSchema = z
     .object({
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/managed.ts b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/managed.ts
index 502ee30..c6f5c70 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/managed.ts
+++ b/packages/dbmole-mcp/src/tools/managed.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
+import { errorMessage, fail, ok } from '@dbmole/core'
 import type { CallToolResult } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/types.js'
 import { DriverDisposedError } from '../db/driver.js'
 import type { ManagedConnection, Manager } from '../db/manager.js'
 import { formatDbError } from '../format.js'
-import { errorMessage, fail, ok } from './respond.js'
 
 // One transparent retry when the driver was disposed under the caller (a
 // concurrent invalidate/rotation ended its pools). manager.get on the retry
diff --git a/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/db/manager.test.ts b/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/db/manager.test.ts
index e10db02..a59c6e9 100644
--- a/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/db/manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/dbmole-mcp/test/unit/db/manager.test.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
+import type { Tunnel } from '@dbmole/core'
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type { Registry } from '../../../src/config/registry.js'
 import type { ConnectionConfig, ResolvedConnection, SshConfig } from '../../../src/config/types.js'
 import type { Driver, DriverTarget } from '../../../src/db/driver.js'
 import { createManager } from '../../../src/db/manager.js'
-import type { Tunnel } from '../../../src/net/tunnel.js'
 
 const config = (extra: Partial<ConnectionConfig> = {}): ConnectionConfig => ({
     name: 'c',