diff --git a/src/inkwell/notes/__init__.py b/src/inkwell/notes/__init__.py
index aea60f9..6149f2d 100644
--- a/src/inkwell/notes/__init__.py
+++ b/src/inkwell/notes/__init__.py
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ The bulk of the shared logic lives in cohesive sibling modules — serialization
 (`serialize`), #tags (`tags`), recurring reminders (`recurrence`),
 small text/query helpers (`helpers`), and export/import (`import_export`). The
 route handlers themselves stay here so blueprint registration is in one place, and
-`bp` is defined in `_bp` so every module can import it without a cycle.
-
-External callers import from `inkwell.notes` (see `__all__`); those names are
-re-exported here so the package is a drop-in replacement for the old module."""
+`bp` is defined in `_bp` so every module can import it without a cycle."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import io
@@ -20,7 +17,6 @@ from quart import Response, g, jsonify, request, send_file
 from sqlalchemy import func, literal_column, select
 
 from ..auth import login_required
-from ..colors import normalize_color
 from ..common import coerce_bool, iso, parse_dt
 from ..config import Config
 from ..db import session_scope
@@ -41,15 +37,12 @@ from .body import write_body
 from .helpers import (
     ALLOWED_IMAGE_MIMES,
     VALID_FILTERS,
-    _attachment_ext,
     _get_editable,
     _get_owned,
     _get_visible,
     _header_filename,
-    _safe_filename,
     _slugify,
     apply_filter,
-    derive_display_title,
     is_empty_note,
     note_visible,
     store_attachment,
@@ -62,40 +55,12 @@ from .import_export import (
     _ImportTooLarge,
     _OverStorageLimit,
     _create_imported_note,
-    _keep_spec,
-    _native_spec,
     _note_markdown,
     _read_import_specs,
-    _usec_to_dt,
-)
-from .tags import (
-    _lift_and_reconcile_tags,
-    parse_tags,
 )
 from .recurrence import REMINDER_RECURRENCES, next_occurrence, normalize_recurrence
 from .serialize import _labels_for_notes, _serialize_note, _serialize_notes
 
-__all__ = [
-    "bp",
-    "derive_display_title",
-    "is_empty_note",
-    "parse_list_items",
-    "parse_tags",
-    "normalize_color",
-    "normalize_recurrence",
-    "next_occurrence",
-    "_lift_and_reconcile_tags",
-    "_serialize_notes",
-    "_safe_filename",
-    "_attachment_ext",
-    "_header_filename",
-    "_slugify",
-    "_keep_spec",
-    "_native_spec",
-    "_usec_to_dt",
-]
-
-
 @bp.get("")
 @login_required
 async def list_notes():
diff --git a/src/inkwell/sync.py b/src/inkwell/sync.py
index 396febf..9504acf 100644
--- a/src/inkwell/sync.py
+++ b/src/inkwell/sync.py
@@ -18,26 +18,23 @@ import uuid
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 from quart import Blueprint, g, jsonify, request
-from sqlalchemy import delete as sa_delete
-from sqlalchemy import func, select
+from sqlalchemy import select
 
 from .auth import login_required
+from .colors import normalize_color
 from .common import iso, parse_dt
 from .db import session_scope
-from .labeling import live, named, reconcile_manual_labels, resolve_owned_label_ids, tombstone_label
-from .models.label import Label, NoteLabel
+from .labeling import named, reconcile_manual_labels, resolve_owned_label_ids, tombstone_label
+from .models.label import Label
 from .models.note import Note
 from .models.note_attachment import NoteAttachment
 from .models.note_link_preview import NoteLinkPreview
 from .models.share_revocation import ShareRevocation
 from .note_state import OWN_FIELDS, join_state, revision_for, set_own_state
-from .notes import (
-    _serialize_notes,
-    normalize_color,
-    normalize_recurrence,
-)
 from .notes.body import write_body
 from .notes.helpers import _get_editable, _get_visible, note_visible, store_attachment
+from .notes.recurrence import normalize_recurrence
+from .notes.serialize import _serialize_notes
 from .responses import json_error, not_found, parse_uuid
 from .retention import purge_note
 from .serialize import serialize_label_sync
diff --git a/tests/test_notes.py b/tests/test_notes.py
index fe695ee..34e2b33 100644
--- a/tests/test_notes.py
+++ b/tests/test_notes.py
@@ -11,27 +11,27 @@ from inkwell.colors import NOTE_COLORS
 from inkwell.models.note import Note
 from inkwell.notes.checklist import append_item, parse_items, set_item_checked, strip_marker
 from inkwell.unfurl_queue import detect_urls
-from inkwell.notes import (
-    _ImportBudget,
+from inkwell.colors import normalize_color
+from inkwell.notes.helpers import (
     _attachment_ext,
     _header_filename,
+    _safe_filename,
+    _slugify,
+    derive_display_title,
+    is_empty_note,
+    parse_list_items,
+)
+from inkwell.notes.import_export import (
+    NATIVE_APP_MARKERS,
+    _ImportBudget,
     _keep_spec,
     _native_spec,
     _note_markdown,
     _read_import_specs,
-    _safe_filename,
-    _slugify,
     _usec_to_dt,
-    derive_display_title,
-    is_empty_note,
-    next_occurrence,
-    normalize_color,
-    normalize_recurrence,
-    parse_list_items,
-    parse_tags,
 )
-from inkwell.notes.import_export import NATIVE_APP_MARKERS
-from inkwell.notes.tags import split_body_tags
+from inkwell.notes.recurrence import next_occurrence, normalize_recurrence
+from inkwell.notes.tags import parse_tags, split_body_tags
 
 
 @pytest.fixture