diff --git a/common/CMakeLists.txt b/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 9075fc37..fa4ae58d 100644
--- a/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ endif()
 # public
 add_subdirectory(astl)
 add_subdirectory(xxhash-cpp)
-add_subdirectory(schema)
 
 if(AC_BUILD_TESTS OR AC_BUILD_EXAMPLES OR AC_BUILD_POC)
     add_subdirectory(ac-repo-root)
diff --git a/inference/dummy/local/code/ac/local/DummyModelSchema.hpp b/inference/dummy/local/code/ac/local/DummyModelSchema.hpp
index a817da6d..e44bcaef 100644
--- a/inference/dummy/local/code/ac/local/DummyModelSchema.hpp
+++ b/inference/dummy/local/code/ac/local/DummyModelSchema.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) Alpaca Core
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp>
 
 namespace ac::local::schema {
 
diff --git a/inference/dummy/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp b/inference/dummy/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
index 9faf6697..bcfe6942 100644
--- a/inference/dummy/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
+++ b/inference/dummy/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
 #include <ac/local/DummyModelSchema.hpp>
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     using namespace ac::local::schema;
diff --git a/inference/llama.cpp/local/code/ac/local/LlamaModelSchema.hpp b/inference/llama.cpp/local/code/ac/local/LlamaModelSchema.hpp
index a474bc09..0bec0dec 100644
--- a/inference/llama.cpp/local/code/ac/local/LlamaModelSchema.hpp
+++ b/inference/llama.cpp/local/code/ac/local/LlamaModelSchema.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) Alpaca Core
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp>
 
 namespace ac::local::schema {
 
diff --git a/inference/llama.cpp/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp b/inference/llama.cpp/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
index b9dd1fb3..4774acdd 100644
--- a/inference/llama.cpp/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
+++ b/inference/llama.cpp/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
 #include <ac/local/LlamaModelSchema.hpp>
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     using namespace ac::local::schema;
diff --git a/inference/whisper/local/code/ac/local/WhisperModelSchema.hpp b/inference/whisper/local/code/ac/local/WhisperModelSchema.hpp
index b8945a21..14a1d89d 100644
--- a/inference/whisper/local/code/ac/local/WhisperModelSchema.hpp
+++ b/inference/whisper/local/code/ac/local/WhisperModelSchema.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) Alpaca Core
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp>
 
 namespace ac::local::schema {
 
diff --git a/inference/whisper/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp b/inference/whisper/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
index 1ade1263..9d2e1fe2 100644
--- a/inference/whisper/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
+++ b/inference/whisper/local/tools/generate-schema.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
 #include <ac/local/WhisperModelSchema.hpp>
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp>
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     using namespace ac::local::schema;
diff --git a/local/CMakeLists.txt b/local/CMakeLists.txt
index 1cd8438d..72c2df56 100644
--- a/local/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/local/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 #
 add_subdirectory(code)
 ac_add_test_subdir()
+add_subdirectory(schema)
diff --git a/common/schema/CMakeLists.txt b/local/schema/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 85%
rename from common/schema/CMakeLists.txt
rename to local/schema/CMakeLists.txt
index a1ce532d..280c1efc 100644
--- a/common/schema/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/local/schema/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 # Copyright (c) Alpaca Core
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 #
-ac_dep(nl-json)
 ac_dep(magic_enum)
 
 add_library(ac-schema INTERFACE)
 add_library(ac::schema ALIAS ac-schema)
 target_link_libraries(ac-schema INTERFACE
-    nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
+    ac::dict
     magic_enum::magic_enum
 )
 target_include_directories(ac-schema INTERFACE code)
diff --git a/local/code/ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp b/local/schema/code/ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp
similarity index 99%
rename from local/code/ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp
rename to local/schema/code/ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp
index 6394d58d..77c6a968 100644
--- a/local/code/ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp
+++ b/local/schema/code/ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 //
 #pragma once
 #include <ac/Dict.hpp>
-#include <ac/schema/SchemaItem.hpp>
+#include "SchemaItem.hpp"
 #include <astl/tuple_util.hpp>
 
 // here we use tuples to define instances within a model and operations within an instance
diff --git a/local/code/ac/local/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp b/local/schema/code/ac/schema/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from local/code/ac/local/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp
rename to local/schema/code/ac/schema/ModelSchemaGenHelper.hpp
diff --git a/common/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaEnum.hpp b/local/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaEnum.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaEnum.hpp
rename to local/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaEnum.hpp
diff --git a/common/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaItem.hpp b/local/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaItem.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaItem.hpp
rename to local/schema/code/ac/schema/SchemaItem.hpp
diff --git a/common/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt b/local/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 89%
rename from common/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt
rename to local/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt
index e59a9fb1..e19f0177 100644
--- a/common/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/local/schema/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ endmacro()
 
 schema_test(SchemaItem)
 schema_test(SchemaEnum)
+schema_test(ModelSchema)
diff --git a/local/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp b/local/schema/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from local/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp
rename to local/schema/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp
index 8ec3835b..3ebb9961 100644
--- a/local/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp
+++ b/local/schema/test/t-ModelSchema.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) Alpaca Core
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 //
-#include <ac/local/ModelSchema.hpp>
+#include <ac/schema/ModelSchema.hpp>
 #include <doctest/doctest.h>
 
 using namespace ac::local::schema;
diff --git a/common/schema/test/t-SchemaEnum.cpp b/local/schema/test/t-SchemaEnum.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/schema/test/t-SchemaEnum.cpp
rename to local/schema/test/t-SchemaEnum.cpp
diff --git a/common/schema/test/t-SchemaItem.cpp b/local/schema/test/t-SchemaItem.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from common/schema/test/t-SchemaItem.cpp
rename to local/schema/test/t-SchemaItem.cpp
diff --git a/local/test/CMakeLists.txt b/local/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 21368832..a9b8c362 100644
--- a/local/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/local/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,4 +7,3 @@ endmacro()
 
 add_local_test(ProgressCb)
 add_local_test(ModelFactory)
-add_local_test(ModelSchema)