diff --git a/include/meson.build b/include/meson.build
index 6c0e46cc6..d060ae1e8 100644
--- a/include/meson.build
+++ b/include/meson.build
@@ -17,15 +17,3 @@ headers = [
 ]
 
 install_headers(headers, subdir:'kiwix')
-
-install_headers(
-  'tools/base64.h',
-  'tools/networkTools.h',
-  'tools/otherTools.h',
-  'tools/pathTools.h',
-  'tools/regexTools.h',
-  'tools/stringTools.h',
-  'tools/archiveTools.h',
-  subdir:'kiwix/tools'
-)
-
diff --git a/include/opds_dumper.h b/include/opds_dumper.h
index 230d094a1..db6026ef8 100644
--- a/include/opds_dumper.h
+++ b/include/opds_dumper.h
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 
 #include <pugixml.hpp>
 
-#include "tools/base64.h"
-#include "tools/pathTools.h"
-#include "tools/regexTools.h"
 #include "library.h"
 #include "reader.h"
 
diff --git a/include/reader.h b/include/reader.h
index d288338b2..938e3efbf 100644
--- a/include/reader.h
+++ b/include/reader.h
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 #include <string>
 #include "common.h"
 #include "entry.h"
-#include "tools/pathTools.h"
-#include "tools/stringTools.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
diff --git a/include/searcher.h b/include/searcher.h
index 8c72953b4..f9cdb4a4c 100644
--- a/include/searcher.h
+++ b/include/searcher.h
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <memory>
 #include <vector>
-#include "tools/pathTools.h"
-#include "tools/stringTools.h"
 
 #include <zim/search.h>
 
diff --git a/src/book.cpp b/src/book.cpp
index 02c82a735..285766049 100644
--- a/src/book.cpp
+++ b/src/book.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include "tools/regexTools.h"
 #include "tools/networkTools.h"
 #include "tools/otherTools.h"
+#include "tools/stringTools.h"
+#include "tools/pathTools.h"
 
 #include <pugixml.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/opds_dumper.cpp b/src/opds_dumper.cpp
index 9d6fdfd5e..8426a34d1 100644
--- a/src/opds_dumper.cpp
+++ b/src/opds_dumper.cpp
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@
 #include "opds_dumper.h"
 #include "book.h"
 
-#include "tools/otherTools.h"
-
 #include "kiwixlib-resources.h"
 #include <mustache.hpp>
 
+#include "tools/stringTools.h"
+#include "tools/otherTools.h"
+
 namespace kiwix
 {
 
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 20a341731..214a2603b 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include <zim/item.h>
 #include <zim/error.h>
 
+#include "tools/stringTools.h"
+#include "tools/pathTools.h"
 #include "tools/otherTools.h"
 #include "tools/archiveTools.h"
 
diff --git a/src/search_renderer.cpp b/src/search_renderer.cpp
index 66bb3b429..f3b2ac14b 100644
--- a/src/search_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/search_renderer.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <mustache.hpp>
 #include "kiwixlib-resources.h"
-
+#include "tools/stringTools.h"
 
 namespace kiwix
 {
@@ -155,4 +155,4 @@ std::string SearchRenderer::getHtml()
   return ss.str();
 }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/searcher.cpp b/src/searcher.cpp
index e8b41caa1..56ffb3d4e 100644
--- a/src/searcher.cpp
+++ b/src/searcher.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 
-#include <cmath>
 
 #include "searcher.h"
 #include "reader.h"
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <zim/search.h>
 
 #include <mustache.hpp>
+#include <cmath>
+#include "tools/stringTools.h"
 #include "kiwixlib-resources.h"
 
 #define MAX_SEARCH_LEN 140
diff --git a/src/tools/archiveTools.cpp b/src/tools/archiveTools.cpp
index 3608357ab..72b708d85 100644
--- a/src/tools/archiveTools.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/archiveTools.cpp
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
  * MA 02110-1301, USA.
  */
 
-#include <tools/archiveTools.h>
-#include <tools/pathTools.h>
-#include <tools/otherTools.h>
-#include <tools/stringTools.h>
+#include "archiveTools.h"
+#include "pathTools.h"
+#include "otherTools.h"
+#include "stringTools.h"
 
 #include <zim/error.h>
 #include <zim/item.h>
diff --git a/include/tools/archiveTools.h b/src/tools/archiveTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/archiveTools.h
rename to src/tools/archiveTools.h
diff --git a/include/tools/base64.h b/src/tools/base64.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/base64.h
rename to src/tools/base64.h
diff --git a/include/tools/networkTools.h b/src/tools/networkTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/networkTools.h
rename to src/tools/networkTools.h
diff --git a/include/tools/otherTools.h b/src/tools/otherTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/otherTools.h
rename to src/tools/otherTools.h
diff --git a/include/tools/pathTools.h b/src/tools/pathTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/pathTools.h
rename to src/tools/pathTools.h
diff --git a/include/tools/regexTools.h b/src/tools/regexTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/regexTools.h
rename to src/tools/regexTools.h
diff --git a/include/tools/stringTools.h b/src/tools/stringTools.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/tools/stringTools.h
rename to src/tools/stringTools.h
diff --git a/test/manager.cpp b/test/manager.cpp
index c2f8f6103..bd9ea7177 100644
--- a/test/manager.cpp
+++ b/test/manager.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "../include/manager.h"
 #include "../include/library.h"
 #include "../include/book.h"
+#include "../src/tools/pathTools.h"
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
 
diff --git a/test/pathTools.cpp b/test/pathTools.cpp
index 64079fcc5..f3896896e 100644
--- a/test/pathTools.cpp
+++ b/test/pathTools.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
-#include "../include/tools/pathTools.h"
+#include "../src/tools/pathTools.h"
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 # define S "\\"
diff --git a/test/regex.cpp b/test/regex.cpp
index e70bd1670..0d83055b0 100644
--- a/test/regex.cpp
+++ b/test/regex.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 
-#include "../include/tools/regexTools.h"
+#include "../src/tools/regexTools.h"
 
 namespace
 {
diff --git a/test/server.cpp b/test/server.cpp
index 87f1d47b3..21c527d4c 100644
--- a/test/server.cpp
+++ b/test/server.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "../include/manager.h"
 #include "../include/server.h"
 #include "../include/name_mapper.h"
-
+#include "../src/tools/pathTools.h"
 
 using TestContextImpl = std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string> >;
 struct TestContext : TestContextImpl {