diff --git a/c/Makefile.no-autoconfig b/c/Makefile.no-autoconfig
index a7342ea85..b4f6de86d 100644
--- a/c/Makefile.no-autoconfig
+++ b/c/Makefile.no-autoconfig
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ TEST_ARGPARSE_SRCS = \
   cli/argparse.c \
   containers/slls.c \
   containers/sllv.c \
-  containers/string_array.c \
+  lib/string_array.c \
   unit_test/test_argparse.c
 
 TEST_BYTE_READERS_SRCS = \
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ TEST_MULTIPLE_CONTAINERS_SRCS = \
   containers/lrec.c containers/header_keeper.c containers/sllv.c \
   containers/slls.c \
   containers/rslls.c \
-  containers/string_array.c \
+  lib/string_array.c \
   containers/hss.c \
   containers/lhmsi.c \
   containers/lhmss.c \
diff --git a/c/cli/argparse.h b/c/cli/argparse.h
index 4b200dcca..c15b78f60 100644
--- a/c/cli/argparse.h
+++ b/c/cli/argparse.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #define ARGPARSE_H
 #include "containers/slls.h"
 #include "containers/sllv.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 
 typedef struct _ap_state_t {
 	sllv_t* pflag_defs;
diff --git a/c/containers/Makefile.am b/c/containers/Makefile.am
index bb19f8661..1e1c0e3e8 100644
--- a/c/containers/Makefile.am
+++ b/c/containers/Makefile.am
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ libcontainers_la_SOURCES=	\
 			slls.h \
 			sllv.c \
 			sllv.h \
-			string_array.c \
-			string_array.h \
 			top_keeper.c \
 			top_keeper.h
 libcontainers_la_LIBADD=	\
diff --git a/c/containers/mixutil.h b/c/containers/mixutil.h
index 15125c22b..51e6fe13a 100644
--- a/c/containers/mixutil.h
+++ b/c/containers/mixutil.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include "containers/lrec.h"
 #include "containers/slls.h"
 #include "containers/hss.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 
 // Makes a list with values pointing to the lrec's keys. slls_free() will
 // respect that and not corrupt the lrec. However, the slls values will be
diff --git a/c/lib/Makefile.am b/c/lib/Makefile.am
index 57dc8b339..a35b69f1b 100644
--- a/c/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/c/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ libmlr_la_SOURCES=	minunit.h \
 			context.h \
 			mtrand.c \
 			mtrand.h \
+			string_array.c \
+			string_array.h \
 			string_builder.c \
 			string_builder.h \
 			mlr_test_util.c \
diff --git a/c/containers/string_array.c b/c/lib/string_array.c
similarity index 100%
rename from c/containers/string_array.c
rename to c/lib/string_array.c
diff --git a/c/containers/string_array.h b/c/lib/string_array.h
similarity index 100%
rename from c/containers/string_array.h
rename to c/lib/string_array.h
diff --git a/c/mapping/lrec_evaluator.h b/c/mapping/lrec_evaluator.h
index 859220f4c..64d29de91 100644
--- a/c/mapping/lrec_evaluator.h
+++ b/c/mapping/lrec_evaluator.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "containers/lrec.h"
 #include "containers/lhmsv.h"
 #include "containers/mlrval.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 
 struct _lrec_evaluator_t; // forward reference for method declarations
 // xxx comment here
diff --git a/c/mapping/mapper_bar.c b/c/mapping/mapper_bar.c
index 21c222be7..e72df17e0 100644
--- a/c/mapping/mapper_bar.c
+++ b/c/mapping/mapper_bar.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "lib/mlrutil.h"
 #include "lib/string_builder.h"
 #include "containers/lrec.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 #include "containers/mixutil.h"
 #include "mapping/mappers.h"
 #include "cli/argparse.h"
diff --git a/c/mapping/mapper_stats1.c b/c/mapping/mapper_stats1.c
index cfee66f17..3358fe589 100644
--- a/c/mapping/mapper_stats1.c
+++ b/c/mapping/mapper_stats1.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "cli/argparse.h"
 #include "containers/sllv.h"
 #include "containers/slls.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 #include "containers/lhmslv.h"
 #include "containers/lhmsv.h"
 #include "containers/mixutil.h"
diff --git a/c/mapping/mapper_stats2.c b/c/mapping/mapper_stats2.c
index 8423768e3..3ba7b49a1 100644
--- a/c/mapping/mapper_stats2.c
+++ b/c/mapping/mapper_stats2.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "lib/mlrstat.h"
 #include "containers/sllv.h"
 #include "containers/slls.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 #include "containers/lhmslv.h"
 #include "containers/lhms2v.h"
 #include "containers/lhmsv.h"
diff --git a/c/mapping/mapper_step.c b/c/mapping/mapper_step.c
index 02bda4073..44c9497e9 100644
--- a/c/mapping/mapper_step.c
+++ b/c/mapping/mapper_step.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "lib/mlr_globals.h"
 #include "containers/sllv.h"
 #include "containers/slls.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 #include "containers/lhmslv.h"
 #include "containers/lhmsv.h"
 #include "containers/mixutil.h"
diff --git a/c/unit_test/test_multiple_containers.c b/c/unit_test/test_multiple_containers.c
index f9df176bb..4151f75fa 100644
--- a/c/unit_test/test_multiple_containers.c
+++ b/c/unit_test/test_multiple_containers.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "containers/slls.h"
 #include "containers/rslls.h"
 #include "containers/sllv.h"
-#include "containers/string_array.h"
+#include "lib/string_array.h"
 #include "containers/hss.h"
 #include "containers/lhmsi.h"
 #include "containers/lhmss.h"