diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1928e0238..992a4e1f1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ set(libtorrent_include_files
 	http_tracker_connection
 	i2p_stream
 	identify_client
-	instantiate_connection
 	invariant_check
 	io
 	io_service
@@ -226,6 +225,7 @@ set(libtorrent_aux_include_files
 	ffs
 	file_progress
 	has_block
+	instantiate_connection
 	io
 	ip_notifier
 	listen_socket_handle
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/Makefile.am b/include/libtorrent/Makefile.am
index 27940789f..28d4fc75c 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/libtorrent/Makefile.am
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ nobase_include_HEADERS = \
   http_tracker_connection.hpp  \
   i2p_stream.hpp               \
   identify_client.hpp          \
-  instantiate_connection.hpp   \
   invariant_check.hpp          \
   io.hpp                       \
   io_service.hpp               \
@@ -215,6 +214,7 @@ nobase_include_HEADERS = \
   aux_/ip_notifier.hpp              \
   aux_/noexcept_movable.hpp         \
   aux_/torrent_impl.hpp             \
+  aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp   \
   \
   extensions/smart_ban.hpp          \
   extensions/ut_metadata.hpp        \
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp
similarity index 96%
rename from include/libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp
rename to include/libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp
index 427c6a58d..fc2070da4 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp
@@ -37,14 +37,10 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace libtorrent {
 
-	namespace aux {
-
-		struct proxy_settings;
-		struct socket_type;
-	}
-
 	struct utp_socket_manager;
 
+namespace aux {
+
 	// instantiate a socket_type (s) according to the specified criteria
 	TORRENT_EXTRA_EXPORT bool instantiate_connection(io_service& ios
 		, aux::proxy_settings const& ps, aux::socket_type& s
@@ -52,6 +48,6 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 		, utp_socket_manager* sm
 		, bool peer_connection
 		, bool tracker_connection);
-}
+}}
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/http_connection.cpp b/src/http_connection.cpp
index 9e0fc95fb..2ff1c5bf7 100644
--- a/src/http_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/http_connection.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "libtorrent/http_connection.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/aux_/escape_string.hpp"
-#include "libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/gzip.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/parse_url.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/socket.hpp"
diff --git a/src/instantiate_connection.cpp b/src/instantiate_connection.cpp
index 6143adc8c..0b4349025 100644
--- a/src/instantiate_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/instantiate_connection.cpp
@@ -33,12 +33,11 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/socket.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/aux_/socket_type.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/utp_socket_manager.hpp"
-#include "libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp"
 
-namespace libtorrent {
+namespace libtorrent { namespace aux {
 
 	// TODO: 2 peer_connection and tracker_connection should probably be flags
-	// TODO: 2 move this function into libtorrent::aux namespace
 	bool instantiate_connection(io_service& ios
 		, aux::proxy_settings const& ps, aux::socket_type& s
 		, void* ssl_context
@@ -143,4 +142,4 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 		return true;
 	}
 
-}
+}}
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index 76363caea..d85c776ad 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/upnp.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/natpmp.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/lsd.hpp"
-#include "libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/peer_info.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/random.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/magnet_uri.hpp"
diff --git a/src/torrent.cpp b/src/torrent.cpp
index 3cd82c6a7..1e856eaa2 100644
--- a/src/torrent.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/alert_types.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/extensions.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/aux_/session_interface.hpp"
-#include "libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/assert.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/broadcast_socket.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/kademlia/dht_tracker.hpp"
diff --git a/src/utp_socket_manager.cpp b/src/utp_socket_manager.cpp
index 1faafd639..5c8338e19 100644
--- a/src/utp_socket_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/utp_socket_manager.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/utp_stream.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/udp_socket.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/utp_socket_manager.hpp"
-#include "libtorrent/instantiate_connection.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/instantiate_connection.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/socket_io.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/socket.hpp" // for TORRENT_HAS_DONT_FRAGMENT
 #include "libtorrent/broadcast_socket.hpp" // for is_teredo
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace libtorrent {
 
-	using namespace libtorrent::aux;
-
 	utp_socket_manager::utp_socket_manager(
 		send_fun_t const& send_fun
 		, incoming_utp_callback_t const& cb
@@ -216,7 +214,7 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 			// create the new socket with this ID
 			m_new_connection = id;
 
-			instantiate_connection(m_ios, aux::proxy_settings(), *c
+			aux::instantiate_connection(m_ios, aux::proxy_settings(), *c
 				, m_ssl_context, this, true, false);
 
 			utp_stream* str = nullptr;