diff --git a/dpctl/backend.pxd b/dpctl/_backend.pxd
similarity index 100%
rename from dpctl/backend.pxd
rename to dpctl/_backend.pxd
diff --git a/dpctl/_memory.pxd b/dpctl/_memory.pxd
index 3c868125ca..2ab5066c8d 100644
--- a/dpctl/_memory.pxd
+++ b/dpctl/_memory.pxd
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 # distutils: language = c++
 # cython: language_level=3
 
-from .backend cimport DPPLSyclUSMRef
+from ._backend cimport DPPLSyclUSMRef
 from ._sycl_core cimport SyclQueue
 
 
diff --git a/dpctl/_memory.pyx b/dpctl/_memory.pyx
index 1671d3bb7c..96259b0451 100644
--- a/dpctl/_memory.pyx
+++ b/dpctl/_memory.pyx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 # cython: language_level=3
 
 import dpctl
-from dpctl.backend cimport *
+from dpctl._backend cimport *
 from ._sycl_core cimport SyclContext, SyclQueue
 
 from cpython cimport Py_buffer
diff --git a/dpctl/_sycl_core.pxd b/dpctl/_sycl_core.pxd
index 2d7fbc01fa..7ecf1adbb4 100644
--- a/dpctl/_sycl_core.pxd
+++ b/dpctl/_sycl_core.pxd
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 # distutils: language = c++
 # cython: language_level=3
 
-from .backend cimport *
+from ._backend cimport *
 
 
 cdef class SyclContext:
diff --git a/dpctl/sycl_core.pyx b/dpctl/_sycl_core.pyx
similarity index 99%
rename from dpctl/sycl_core.pyx
rename to dpctl/_sycl_core.pyx
index c9524a1d29..cc5b928f1f 100644
--- a/dpctl/sycl_core.pyx
+++ b/dpctl/_sycl_core.pyx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 from enum import Enum, auto
 import logging
-from .backend cimport *
+from ._backend cimport *
 from ._memory cimport Memory
 from libc.stdlib cimport malloc, free
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4fac02c671..a9de5932d1 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ def extensions():
         Extension(
             "dpctl._sycl_core",
             [
-                os.path.join("dpctl", "sycl_core.pyx"),
+                os.path.join("dpctl", "_sycl_core.pyx"),
             ],
             **extension_args
         ),