diff --git a/lib/python/common_extension.c b/lib/python/common_extension.c
index 556fea443..46ae9e560 100644
--- a/lib/python/common_extension.c
+++ b/lib/python/common_extension.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static PyMethodDef PyTask_methods[] = {
     {NULL} /* Sentinel */
 };
 
-static PyTypeObject PyTaskType = {
+PyTypeObject PyTaskType = {
     PyObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL) 0,  /* ob_size */
     "task.Task",                 /* tp_name */
     sizeof(PyTask),              /* tp_basicsize */
@@ -325,37 +325,3 @@ PyObject *check_simple_value(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
   }
   Py_RETURN_FALSE;
 }
-
-static PyMethodDef common_methods[] = {
-    {"check_simple_value", check_simple_value, METH_VARARGS,
-     "Should the object be passed by value?"},
-    {NULL} /* Sentinel */
-};
-
-#ifndef PyMODINIT_FUNC /* declarations for DLL import/export */
-#define PyMODINIT_FUNC void
-#endif
-
-PyMODINIT_FUNC initcommon(void) {
-  PyObject *m;
-
-  if (PyType_Ready(&PyTaskType) < 0)
-    return;
-
-  if (PyType_Ready(&PyObjectIDType) < 0)
-    return;
-
-  m = Py_InitModule3("common", common_methods,
-                     "Example module that creates an extension type.");
-
-  Py_INCREF(&PyTaskType);
-  PyModule_AddObject(m, "Task", (PyObject *) &PyTaskType);
-
-  Py_INCREF(&PyObjectIDType);
-  PyModule_AddObject(m, "ObjectID", (PyObject *) &PyObjectIDType);
-
-  char common_error[] = "common.error";
-  CommonError = PyErr_NewException(common_error, NULL, NULL);
-  Py_INCREF(CommonError);
-  PyModule_AddObject(m, "common_error", CommonError);
-}
diff --git a/lib/python/common_extension.h b/lib/python/common_extension.h
index 578c548d0..1fce38e42 100644
--- a/lib/python/common_extension.h
+++ b/lib/python/common_extension.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ typedef struct {
 
 extern PyTypeObject PyObjectIDType;
 
+extern PyTypeObject PyTaskType;
+
 int PyObjectToUniqueID(PyObject *object, object_id *objectid);
 
 PyObject *PyObjectID_make(object_id object_id);
diff --git a/lib/python/common_module.c b/lib/python/common_module.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5222cd87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/python/common_module.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <Python.h>
+#include "node.h"
+
+#include "common_extension.h"
+
+static PyMethodDef common_methods[] = {
+    {"check_simple_value", check_simple_value, METH_VARARGS,
+     "Should the object be passed by value?"},
+    {NULL} /* Sentinel */
+};
+
+#ifndef PyMODINIT_FUNC /* declarations for DLL import/export */
+#define PyMODINIT_FUNC void
+#endif
+
+PyMODINIT_FUNC initcommon(void) {
+  PyObject *m;
+
+  if (PyType_Ready(&PyTaskType) < 0)
+    return;
+
+  if (PyType_Ready(&PyObjectIDType) < 0)
+    return;
+
+  m = Py_InitModule3("common", common_methods,
+                     "A module for common types. This is used for testing.");
+
+  Py_INCREF(&PyTaskType);
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "Task", (PyObject *) &PyTaskType);
+
+  Py_INCREF(&PyObjectIDType);
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "ObjectID", (PyObject *) &PyObjectIDType);
+
+  char common_error[] = "common.error";
+  CommonError = PyErr_NewException(common_error, NULL, NULL);
+  Py_INCREF(CommonError);
+  PyModule_AddObject(m, "common_error", CommonError);
+}
diff --git a/lib/python/setup.py b/lib/python/setup.py
index db915b06b..8ef8a1abd 100644
--- a/lib/python/setup.py
+++ b/lib/python/setup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages, Extension
 
 common_module = Extension("common",
-                          sources=["common_extension.c"],
+                          sources=["common_module.c", "common_extension.c"],
                           include_dirs=["../../", "../../thirdparty"],
                           extra_objects=["../../build/libcommon.a"],
                           extra_compile_args=["--std=c99", "-Werror"])