diff --git a/common/include/villas/utils.hpp b/common/include/villas/utils.hpp
index cd7288f2e..564ce4771 100644
--- a/common/include/villas/utils.hpp
+++ b/common/include/villas/utils.hpp
@@ -219,5 +219,3 @@ std::string decode(unsigned char *input, size_t len);
 } /* namespace base64 */
 } /* namespace utils */
 } /* namespace villas */
-
-using namespace villas::utils;
diff --git a/common/lib/advio.cpp b/common/lib/advio.cpp
index 118a5f363..4f7d20917 100644
--- a/common/lib/advio.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/advio.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include <villas/config.h>
 #include <villas/advio.h>
 
+using namespace villas::utils;
+
 #define BAR_WIDTH 60 /**< How wide you want the progress meter to be. */
 
 static int advio_trace(CURL * /* handle */, curl_infotype type, char *data, size_t size, void * /* userp */)
diff --git a/common/lib/hist.cpp b/common/lib/hist.cpp
index dd7b9e014..c559931e2 100644
--- a/common/lib/hist.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/hist.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 #include <villas/config.h>
 #include <villas/table.hpp>
 
+using namespace villas::utils;
+
 #define VAL(h, i)	((h)->low + (i) * (h)->resolution)
 #define INDEX(h, v)	round((v - (h)->low) / (h)->resolution)
 
diff --git a/common/lib/kernel/pci.cpp b/common/lib/kernel/pci.cpp
index 61a3cc21b..5a21886a0 100644
--- a/common/lib/kernel/pci.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/kernel/pci.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <villas/config.h>
 #include <villas/kernel/pci.h>
 
+using namespace villas::utils;
+
 int pci_init(struct pci *p)
 {
 	struct dirent *e;
diff --git a/common/lib/log_legacy.cpp b/common/lib/log_legacy.cpp
index fe0e3b00a..5e4904265 100644
--- a/common/lib/log_legacy.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/log_legacy.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wunused-result"
 
 using namespace villas;
+using namespace villas::utils;
 
 int log_get_width()
 {
diff --git a/common/lib/table.cpp b/common/lib/table.cpp
index 91ef0965c..bfd4d44b6 100644
--- a/common/lib/table.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/table.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #include <villas/boxes.hpp>
 #include <villas/log.h>
 
+using namespace villas::utils;
+
 int Table::resize(int w)
 {
 	int norm, flex, fixed, total;
diff --git a/common/tests/unit/advio.cpp b/common/tests/unit/advio.cpp
index 1a4197d46..b7cedd970 100644
--- a/common/tests/unit/advio.cpp
+++ b/common/tests/unit/advio.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include <criterion/criterion.h>
 
-#include <villas/utils.hpp>
 #include <villas/utils.hpp>
 #include <villas/advio.h>