diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 3a51e7492..c4cf2d5ff 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     crypto = require('crypto'),
     database = require('./database.js'),
     DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror.js'),
+    DataLayout = require('./datalayout.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:backups'),
     eventlog = require('./eventlog.js'),
     fs = require('fs'),
@@ -112,55 +113,6 @@ function api(provider) {
     }
 }
 
-class DataLayout {
-    constructor(localRoot, dirMap) {
-        assert.strictEqual(typeof localRoot, 'string');
-        assert(Array.isArray(dirMap), 'Expecting layout to be an array');
-
-        this._localRoot = localRoot;
-        this._dirMap = dirMap;
-        this._remoteRegexps = dirMap.map((l) => new RegExp('^\\./' + l.remoteDir + '/?'));
-        this._localRegexps = dirMap.map((l) => new RegExp('^' + l.localDir + '/?'));
-    }
-    toLocalPath(remoteName) {
-        assert.strictEqual(typeof remoteName, 'string');
-
-        for (let i = 0; i < this._remoteRegexps.length; i++) {
-            if (!remoteName.match(this._remoteRegexps[i])) continue;
-            return remoteName.replace(this._remoteRegexps[i], this._dirMap[i].localDir + '/'); // make paths absolute
-        }
-        return remoteName.replace(new RegExp('^\\.'), this._localRoot);
-    }
-    toRemotePath(localName) {
-        assert.strictEqual(typeof localName, 'string');
-
-        for (let i = 0; i < this._localRegexps.length; i++) {
-            if (!localName.match(this._localRegexps[i])) continue;
-            return localName.replace(this._localRegexps[i], './' + this._dirMap[i].remoteDir + '/'); // make paths relative
-        }
-        return localName.replace(new RegExp('^' + this._localRoot + '/?'), './');
-    }
-    localRoot() {
-        return this._localRoot;
-    }
-    getBasename() { // used to generate cache file names
-        return path.basename(this._localRoot);
-    }
-    toString() {
-        return JSON.stringify({ localRoot: this._localRoot, layout: this._dirMap });
-    }
-    localPaths() {
-        return [ this._localRoot ].concat(this._dirMap.map((l) => l.localDir));
-    }
-    directoryMap() {
-        return this._dirMap;
-    }
-    static fromString(str) {
-        const obj = JSON.parse(str);
-        return new DataLayout(obj.localRoot, obj.layout);
-    }
-}
-
 function testConfig(backupConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof backupConfig, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
diff --git a/src/datalayout.js b/src/datalayout.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb8305fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/datalayout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+'use strict';
+
+let assert = require('assert'),
+    path = require('path');
+
+class DataLayout {
+    constructor(localRoot, dirMap) {
+        assert.strictEqual(typeof localRoot, 'string');
+        assert(Array.isArray(dirMap), 'Expecting layout to be an array');
+
+        this._localRoot = localRoot;
+        this._dirMap = dirMap;
+        this._remoteRegexps = dirMap.map((l) => new RegExp('^\\./' + l.remoteDir + '/?'));
+        this._localRegexps = dirMap.map((l) => new RegExp('^' + l.localDir + '/?'));
+    }
+    toLocalPath(remoteName) {
+        assert.strictEqual(typeof remoteName, 'string');
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < this._remoteRegexps.length; i++) {
+            if (!remoteName.match(this._remoteRegexps[i])) continue;
+            return remoteName.replace(this._remoteRegexps[i], this._dirMap[i].localDir + '/'); // make paths absolute
+        }
+        return remoteName.replace(new RegExp('^\\.'), this._localRoot);
+    }
+    toRemotePath(localName) {
+        assert.strictEqual(typeof localName, 'string');
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < this._localRegexps.length; i++) {
+            if (!localName.match(this._localRegexps[i])) continue;
+            return localName.replace(this._localRegexps[i], './' + this._dirMap[i].remoteDir + '/'); // make paths relative
+        }
+        return localName.replace(new RegExp('^' + this._localRoot + '/?'), './');
+    }
+    localRoot() {
+        return this._localRoot;
+    }
+    getBasename() { // used to generate cache file names
+        return path.basename(this._localRoot);
+    }
+    toString() {
+        return JSON.stringify({ localRoot: this._localRoot, layout: this._dirMap });
+    }
+    localPaths() {
+        return [ this._localRoot ].concat(this._dirMap.map((l) => l.localDir));
+    }
+    directoryMap() {
+        return this._dirMap;
+    }
+    static fromString(str) {
+        const obj = JSON.parse(str);
+        return new DataLayout(obj.localRoot, obj.layout);
+    }
+}
+
+exports = module.exports = DataLayout;
diff --git a/src/syncer.js b/src/syncer.js
index 52bc890ee..65388b284 100644
--- a/src/syncer.js
+++ b/src/syncer.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 var assert = require('assert'),
     async = require('async'),
+    DataLayout = require('./datalayout.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:syncer'),
     fs = require('fs'),
     path = require('path'),
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ function ISFILE(x) {
 }
 
 function sync(dataLayout, taskProcessor, concurrency, callback) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof dataLayout, 'object'); // is a DataLayout
+    assert(dataLayout instanceof DataLayout, 'Expecting dataLayout to be a DataLayout');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof taskProcessor, 'function');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof concurrency, 'number');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');