diff --git a/include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfile.h b/include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfile.h
index 2e495cd..8005941 100644
--- a/include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfile.h
+++ b/include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfile.h
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 // system includes
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 // library includes
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 
+// local includes
+#include "desktopfileentry.h"
+
 #pragma once
 
 namespace linuxdeploy {
@@ -12,7 +16,14 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
              * Parse and read desktop files.
              */
             class DesktopFile {
-                private:
+            public:
+                // describes a single section
+                typedef std::unordered_map<std::string, DesktopFileEntry> section_t;
+
+                // describes all sections in the desktop file
+                typedef std::unordered_map<std::string, section_t> sections_t;
+
+            private:
                     // private data class pattern
                     class PrivateData;
                     PrivateData* d;
diff --git a/src/core/desktopfileentry.h b/include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfileentry.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/core/desktopfileentry.h
rename to include/linuxdeploy/core/desktopfileentry.h
diff --git a/src/core/desktopfilereader.cpp b/src/core/desktopfilereader.cpp
index aa04620..31f1fe3 100644
--- a/src/core/desktopfilereader.cpp
+++ b/src/core/desktopfilereader.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 // local headers
 #include "linuxdeploy/util/util.h"
-#include "desktopfileentry.h"
+#include "linuxdeploy/core/desktopfileentry.h"
 #include "desktopfilereader.h"
 
 namespace bf = boost::filesystem;
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
             class DesktopFileReader::PrivateData {
             public:
                 bf::path path;
-                sections_t sections;
+                DesktopFile::sections_t sections;
 
             public:
                 bool isEmpty() {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
                                     auto title = line.substr(1, line.find(']') - 1);
 
                                     // set up the new section
-                                    sections.insert(std::make_pair(title, section_t()));
+                                    sections.insert(std::make_pair(title, DesktopFile::section_t()));
                                     currentSectionName = std::move(title);
                                 } else {
                                     // we require at least one section to be present in the desktop file
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
                 return d->path;
             }
 
-            DesktopFileReader::section_t DesktopFileReader::operator[](const std::string& name) {
+            DesktopFile::section_t DesktopFileReader::operator[](const std::string& name) {
                 auto it = d->sections.find(name);
 
                 // the map would lazy-initialize a new entry in case the section doesn't exist
diff --git a/src/core/desktopfilereader.h b/src/core/desktopfilereader.h
index d879cf7..7e3704c 100644
--- a/src/core/desktopfilereader.h
+++ b/src/core/desktopfilereader.h
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 // system includes
 #include <istream>
 #include <memory>
-#include <unordered_map>
 
 // library includes
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <linuxdeploy/core/desktopfile.h>
 
 // local includes
-#include "desktopfileentry.h"
+#include "linuxdeploy/core/desktopfileentry.h"
 
 namespace linuxdeploy {
     namespace core {
@@ -21,13 +21,6 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
 
                 std::shared_ptr<PrivateData> d;
 
-            public:
-                // describes a single section
-                typedef std::unordered_map<std::string, DesktopFileEntry> section_t;
-
-                // describes all sections in the desktop file
-                typedef std::unordered_map<std::string, section_t> sections_t;
-
             public:
                 // default constructor
                 DesktopFileReader();
@@ -62,7 +55,7 @@ namespace linuxdeploy {
 
                 // get a specific section from the parsed data
                 // throws std::range_error if section does not exist
-                section_t operator[](const std::string& name);
+                DesktopFile::section_t operator[](const std::string& name);
             };
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/core/test_desktopfileentry.cpp b/tests/core/test_desktopfileentry.cpp
index 0192664..c3d4407 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_desktopfileentry.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/test_desktopfileentry.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 // local headers
-#include "../../src/core/desktopfileentry.h"
+#include "linuxdeploy/core/desktopfileentry.h"
 
 using boost::bad_lexical_cast;
 using namespace linuxdeploy::core::desktopfile;