diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/MetaDataProducerHelper.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/MetaDataProducerHelper.java
index 54c7ae4b..ac68cfd2 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/MetaDataProducerHelper.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/MetaDataProducerHelper.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata;
 
 
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -30,14 +29,12 @@ import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
-import com.google.common.reflect.ClassPath;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QException;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.QLogger;
-import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.MetaDataProducerInterface;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.dashboard.QWidgetMetaData;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.joins.QJoinMetaData;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.layout.QAppMetaData;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.ClassPathUtils;
 import static com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.LogUtils.logPair;
 
 
@@ -51,8 +48,6 @@ public class MetaDataProducerHelper
    private static Map<Class<?>, Integer> comparatorValuesByType = new HashMap<>();
    private static Integer                defaultComparatorValue;
 
-   private static ImmutableSet<ClassPath.ClassInfo> topLevelClasses;
-
    static
    {
       ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -87,7 +82,7 @@ public class MetaDataProducerHelper
          ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
          // find all the meta data producer classes in (and under) the package //
          ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-         classesInPackage = getClassesInPackage(packageName);
+         classesInPackage = ClassPathUtils.getClassesInPackage(packageName);
       }
       catch(Exception e)
       {
@@ -176,51 +171,4 @@ public class MetaDataProducerHelper
 
    }
 
-
-
-   /*******************************************************************************
-    ** from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/520328/can-you-find-all-classes-in-a-package-using-reflection
-    ** (since the original, from ChatGPT, didn't work in jars, despite GPT hallucinating that it would)
-    *******************************************************************************/
-   private static List<Class<?>> getClassesInPackage(String packageName) throws IOException
-   {
-      List<Class<?>> classes = new ArrayList<>();
-      ClassLoader    loader  = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
-
-      for(ClassPath.ClassInfo info : getTopLevelClasses(loader))
-      {
-         if(info.getName().startsWith(packageName))
-         {
-            classes.add(info.load());
-         }
-      }
-
-      return (classes);
-   }
-
-
-
-   /*******************************************************************************
-    **
-    *******************************************************************************/
-   private static ImmutableSet<ClassPath.ClassInfo> getTopLevelClasses(ClassLoader loader) throws IOException
-   {
-      if(topLevelClasses == null)
-      {
-         topLevelClasses = ClassPath.from(loader).getTopLevelClasses();
-      }
-
-      return (topLevelClasses);
-   }
-
-
-
-   /*******************************************************************************
-    **
-    *******************************************************************************/
-   public static void clearTopLevelClassCache()
-   {
-      topLevelClasses = null;
-   }
-
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ClassPathUtils.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ClassPathUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4b90666f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ClassPathUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2024.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils;
+
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
+import com.google.common.reflect.ClassPath;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** Utilities for reading classes - e.g., finding all in a package
+ *******************************************************************************/
+@SuppressWarnings("ALL") // the api we're using here, from google, is marked Beta
+public class ClassPathUtils
+{
+   private static ImmutableSet<ClassPath.ClassInfo> topLevelClasses;
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/520328/can-you-find-all-classes-in-a-package-using-reflection
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public static List<Class<?>> getClassesInPackage(String packageName) throws IOException
+   {
+      List<Class<?>> classes = new ArrayList<>();
+      ClassLoader    loader  = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+
+      for(ClassPath.ClassInfo info : getTopLevelClasses(loader))
+      {
+         if(info.getName().startsWith(packageName))
+         {
+            classes.add(info.load());
+         }
+      }
+
+      return (classes);
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   private static ImmutableSet<ClassPath.ClassInfo> getTopLevelClasses(ClassLoader loader) throws IOException
+   {
+      if(topLevelClasses == null)
+      {
+         topLevelClasses = ClassPath.from(loader).getTopLevelClasses();
+      }
+
+      return (topLevelClasses);
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public static void clearTopLevelClassCache()
+   {
+      topLevelClasses = null;
+   }
+
+}