diff --git a/src/syndicate.nim b/src/syndicate.nim
index 9b104d5..95809ec 100644
--- a/src/syndicate.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate.nim
@@ -34,6 +34,69 @@ export Assertion, Facet, Handle, Ref, Symbol, Turn, TurnAction, `$`, `?`,
     bootDataspace, connectStdio, connectUnix, drop, facet, grab, message,
     newDataspace, publish, retract, replace, run, stop, unembed
 
+proc `?`*[T](val: T): Pattern =
+  ## Construct a `Pattern` from value of type `T`.
+  when T is Pattern: result = val
+  elif T is Ref:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.embedded,
+        embedded: embed(val))))
+  # elif T is Preserve[Ref]:
+  #   result = grab()
+  # TODO
+  elif T is ptr | ref:
+    if system.`==`(val, nil): result = ?(Symbol "null")
+    else: result = ?(val[])
+  elif T is bool:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.bool,
+        bool: val)))
+  elif T is float32:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.float,
+        float: val)))
+  elif T is float64:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.double,
+        double: val)))
+  elif T is SomeInteger:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.int,
+        int: AnyAtomInt val)))
+  elif T is string:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.string,
+        string: val)))
+  elif T is seq[byte]:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.bytes,
+        bytes: val)))
+  elif T is enum or T is Symbol:
+    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
+      value: AnyAtom(
+        orKind: AnyAtomKind.symbol,
+        symbol: Symbol $val)))
+  elif T.hasPreservesRecordPragma:
+    var
+      label = T.recordLabel.tosymbol(Ref)
+      fields = newSeq[Pattern]()
+    for f in fields(val):
+      fields.add ?f
+    result = ?DCompound(
+      orKind: DCompoundKind.rec,
+      rec: DCompoundRec(
+        label: label, fields: fields))
+  else:
+    {.error: "cannot derive literal pattern from " & $T.}
+
+
 proc `?`*(T: static typedesc): Pattern =
   ## Construct a `Pattern` from type `T`.
   runnableExamples:
diff --git a/src/syndicate/patterns.nim b/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
index c2557bd..9b2b948 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/patterns.nim
@@ -62,65 +62,6 @@ proc `?*`*(): Pattern = grab()
 proc `?`*[A, B](table: TableRef[A,B]): Pattern =
   raiseAssert "not implemented"
 
-proc `?`*[T](val: T): Pattern =
-  ## Construct a `Pattern` from value of type `T`.
-  when T is Pattern: result = val
-  elif T is Ref:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.embedded,
-        embedded: embed(val))))
-  elif T is ptr | ref:
-    if system.`==`(val, nil): result = ?(Symbol "null")
-    else: result = ?(val[])
-  elif T is bool:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.bool,
-        bool: val)))
-  elif T is float32:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.float,
-        float: val)))
-  elif T is float64:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.double,
-        double: val)))
-  elif T is SomeInteger:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.int,
-        int: AnyAtomInt val)))
-  elif T is string:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.string,
-        string: val)))
-  elif T is seq[byte]:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.bytes,
-        bytes: val)))
-  elif T is enum or T is Symbol:
-    result = Pattern(orKind: PatternKind.DLit, dlit: DLit(
-      value: AnyAtom(
-        orKind: AnyAtomKind.symbol,
-        symbol: Symbol $val)))
-  elif T.hasPreservesRecordPragma:
-    var
-      label = T.recordLabel.tosymbol(Ref)
-      fields = newSeq[Pattern]()
-    for f in fields(val):
-      fields.add ?f
-    result = ?DCompound(
-      orKind: DCompoundKind.rec,
-      rec: DCompoundRec(
-        label: label, fields: fields))
-  else:
-    {.error: "cannot derive pattern from " & $T.}
-
 proc recordPattern*(label: Preserve[Ref], fields: varargs[Pattern]): Pattern =
   ?DCompoundRec(label: label, fields: fields.toSeq)