diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
index 415e3aaaafc..e766b79ef7a 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ import (
 	ipld "gx/ipfs/QmRSU5EqqWVZSNdbU51yXmVoF1uNw3JgTNB6RaiL7DZM16/go-ipld-node"
 )
 
+type CoreAPI struct {
+	node *core.IpfsNode
+}
+
+func NewCoreAPI(n *core.IpfsNode) coreiface.CoreAPI {
+	api := &CoreAPI{n}
+	return api
+}
+
+func (api *CoreAPI) Unixfs() coreiface.UnixfsAPI {
+	return (*UnixfsAPI)(api)
+}
+
 func resolve(ctx context.Context, n *core.IpfsNode, p string) (ipld.Node, error) {
 	pp, err := path.ParsePath(p)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
index cf64719476e..cb62b53042b 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
@@ -9,11 +9,6 @@ import (
 	cid "gx/ipfs/QmcTcsTvfaeEBRFo1TkFgT8sRmgi1n1LTZpecfVP8fzpGD/go-cid"
 )
 
-// type CoreAPI interface {
-// 	ID() CoreID
-// 	Version() CoreVersion
-// }
-
 type Link ipld.Link
 
 type Reader interface {
@@ -21,6 +16,10 @@ type Reader interface {
 	io.Closer
 }
 
+type CoreAPI interface {
+	Unixfs() UnixfsAPI
+}
+
 type UnixfsAPI interface {
 	Add(context.Context, io.Reader) (*cid.Cid, error)
 	Cat(context.Context, string) (Reader, error)
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
index 3eddd9d1d68..45a0cbe1164 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"io"
 
-	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
 	coreunix "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreunix"
 	uio "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs/io"
@@ -12,14 +11,7 @@ import (
 	cid "gx/ipfs/QmcTcsTvfaeEBRFo1TkFgT8sRmgi1n1LTZpecfVP8fzpGD/go-cid"
 )
 
-type UnixfsAPI struct {
-	node *core.IpfsNode
-}
-
-func NewUnixfsAPI(n *core.IpfsNode) coreiface.UnixfsAPI {
-	api := &UnixfsAPI{n}
-	return api
-}
+type UnixfsAPI CoreAPI
 
 func (api *UnixfsAPI) Add(ctx context.Context, r io.Reader) (*cid.Cid, error) {
 	k, err := coreunix.AddWithContext(ctx, api.node, r)
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
index 61270551045..3cda629afd6 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func makeAPI(ctx context.Context) (*core.IpfsNode, coreiface.UnixfsAPI, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	api := coreapi.NewUnixfsAPI(node)
+	api := coreapi.NewCoreAPI(node).Unixfs()
 	return node, api, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway.go b/core/corehttp/gateway.go
index caa8311b8b6..b35f3ecf809 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func GatewayOption(writable bool, paths ...string) ServeOption {
 			Headers:      cfg.Gateway.HTTPHeaders,
 			Writable:     writable,
 			PathPrefixes: cfg.Gateway.PathPrefixes,
-		}, coreapi.NewUnixfsAPI(n))
+		}, coreapi.NewCoreAPI(n))
 
 		for _, p := range paths {
 			mux.Handle(p+"/", gateway)
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
index c2844089d5a..7122b0124e1 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ const (
 type gatewayHandler struct {
 	node   *core.IpfsNode
 	config GatewayConfig
-	api    coreiface.UnixfsAPI
+	api    coreiface.CoreAPI
 }
 
-func newGatewayHandler(n *core.IpfsNode, c GatewayConfig, api coreiface.UnixfsAPI) *gatewayHandler {
+func newGatewayHandler(n *core.IpfsNode, c GatewayConfig, api coreiface.CoreAPI) *gatewayHandler {
 	i := &gatewayHandler{
 		node:   n,
 		config: c,
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 		ipnsHostname = true
 	}
 
-	dr, err := i.api.Cat(ctx, urlPath)
+	dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, urlPath)
 	dir := false
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 		return
 	}
 
-	links, err := i.api.Ls(ctx, urlPath)
+	links, err := i.api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, urlPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		internalWebError(w, err)
 		return
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 			}
 
 			// return index page instead.
-			dr, err := i.api.Cat(ctx, p.String())
+			dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, p.String())
 			if err != nil {
 				internalWebError(w, err)
 				return
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 }
 
 func (i *gatewayHandler) postHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	k, err := i.api.Add(ctx, r.Body)
+	k, err := i.api.Unixfs().Add(ctx, r.Body)
 	if err != nil {
 		internalWebError(w, err)
 		return