diff --git a/sequencer/src/block2.rs b/sequencer/src/block2.rs
index 44c2ea9d99..00e6e676bf 100644
--- a/sequencer/src/block2.rs
+++ b/sequencer/src/block2.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ mod tables;
 pub mod tx_iterator;
 
 use crate::block2::entry::TxTableEntryWord;
-use crate::block2::payload::NameSpaceTable;
+use crate::block2::tables::NameSpaceTable;
 use payload::Payload;
 
 impl BlockPayload for Payload<TxTableEntryWord> {
diff --git a/sequencer/src/block2/payload.rs b/sequencer/src/block2/payload.rs
index 22b8873e07..53b7c0852a 100644
--- a/sequencer/src/block2/payload.rs
+++ b/sequencer/src/block2/payload.rs
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ use num_traits::PrimInt;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use snafu::OptionExt;
 use std::default::Default;
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt::Display, ops::Range};
 
+use crate::block2::tables::NameSpaceTable;
 use trait_set::trait_set;
 
 trait_set! {
@@ -59,23 +59,15 @@ pub(super) struct NamespaceInfo {
     pub(crate) tx_table_len: TxTableEntry,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, Derivative, Deserialize, Eq, Serialize, Default)]
-#[derivative(Hash, PartialEq)]
-// TODO store only a reference to raw_payload.
-pub struct NameSpaceTable<TableWord: TableWordTraits> {
-    pub(crate) raw_payload: Vec<u8>,
-    pub phantom: PhantomData<TableWord>,
-}
-
 #[allow(dead_code)] // TODO temporary
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Derivative, Deserialize, Eq, Serialize)]
 #[derivative(Hash, PartialEq)]
-pub struct Payload<TableWord: TableWordTraits> {
+pub(super) struct Payload<TableWord: TableWordTraits> {
     // Sequence of bytes representing the concatenated payloads for each namespace
     pub(super) raw_payload: Vec<u8>,
 
     // Sequence of bytes representing the namespace table
-    pub ns_table: NameSpaceTable<TableWord>,
+    pub(super) ns_table: NameSpaceTable<TableWord>,
 
     // cache frequently used items
     //
@@ -868,8 +860,8 @@ mod test {
 
     mod helpers {
         use crate::block2::entry::TxTableEntry;
-        use crate::block2::payload::{NameSpaceTable, TableWordTraits};
-        use crate::block2::tables::{Table, TxTableTest};
+        use crate::block2::payload::TableWordTraits;
+        use crate::block2::tables::{NameSpaceTable, Table, TxTableTest};
         use crate::VmId;
         use rand::RngCore;
 
diff --git a/sequencer/src/block2/queryable.rs b/sequencer/src/block2/queryable.rs
index c939a20b63..3ec7b1b837 100644
--- a/sequencer/src/block2/queryable.rs
+++ b/sequencer/src/block2/queryable.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::block2::entry::TxTableEntryWord;
-use crate::block2::payload::{test_vid_factory, NameSpaceTable, Payload, RangeProof};
-use crate::block2::tables::TxTable;
+use crate::block2::payload::{test_vid_factory, Payload, RangeProof};
+use crate::block2::tables::{NameSpaceTable, TxTable};
 use hotshot_query_service::availability::QueryablePayload;
 use jf_primitives::vid::payload_prover::{PayloadProver, Statement};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
diff --git a/sequencer/src/block2/tables.rs b/sequencer/src/block2/tables.rs
index 06fa2c0cf0..8b1663e860 100644
--- a/sequencer/src/block2/tables.rs
+++ b/sequencer/src/block2/tables.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use crate::block2::entry::TxTableEntry;
-use crate::block2::payload::{NameSpaceTable, Payload, TableWordTraits};
+use crate::block2::payload::{Payload, TableWordTraits};
 use crate::{BlockBuildingSnafu, Error, VmId};
+use derivative::Derivative;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use snafu::OptionExt;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::mem::size_of;
@@ -40,6 +42,14 @@ impl<TableWord: TableWordTraits> Table<TableWord> for NameSpaceTable<TableWord>
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Derivative, Deserialize, Eq, Serialize, Default)]
+#[derivative(Hash, PartialEq)]
+// TODO store only a reference to raw_payload.
+pub(super) struct NameSpaceTable<TableWord: TableWordTraits> {
+    pub(super) raw_payload: Vec<u8>,
+    pub(super) phantom: PhantomData<TableWord>,
+}
+
 impl<TableWord: TableWordTraits> NameSpaceTable<TableWord> {
     pub fn from_vec(v: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
         Self {
diff --git a/sequencer/src/block2/tx_iterator.rs b/sequencer/src/block2/tx_iterator.rs
index eb88825be3..8714fbdda6 100644
--- a/sequencer/src/block2/tx_iterator.rs
+++ b/sequencer/src/block2/tx_iterator.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::ops::Range;
 
-use crate::block2::payload::{NameSpaceTable, Payload, TableWordTraits};
-use crate::block2::tables::TxTable;
+use crate::block2::payload::{Payload, TableWordTraits};
+use crate::block2::tables::{NameSpaceTable, TxTable};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 /// TODO do we really need `PartialOrd`, `Ord` here?
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ pub struct TxIterator<'a, TableWord: TableWordTraits> {
 }
 
 impl<'a, TableWord: TableWordTraits> TxIterator<'a, TableWord> {
-    pub fn new(ns_table: NameSpaceTable<TableWord>, block_payload: &'a Payload<TableWord>) -> Self {
+    pub(super) fn new(
+        ns_table: NameSpaceTable<TableWord>,
+        block_payload: &'a Payload<TableWord>,
+    ) -> Self {
         Self {
             ns_idx: 0, // arbitrary value, changed in first call to next()
             ns_iter: 0..ns_table.len(),