diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a6c65ab5..59408908 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ services/clipboard/Makefile
 services/datastore/Makefile
 shell/Makefile
 shell/data/Makefile
+shell/hardware/Makefile
 shell/view/Makefile
 shell/view/devices/Makefile
 shell/view/frame/Makefile
diff --git a/shell/hardware/Makefile.am b/shell/hardware/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86cc0c75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/hardware/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+sugardir = $(pkgdatadir)/shell/hardware
+sugar_PYTHON =				\
+	__init__.py			\
+	hardwaremanager.py
diff --git a/shell/hardware/__init__.py b/shell/hardware/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/shell/view/hardwaremanager.py b/shell/hardware/hardwaremanager.py
similarity index 73%
rename from shell/view/hardwaremanager.py
rename to shell/hardware/hardwaremanager.py
index 30b65b0a..39ae767f 100644
--- a/shell/view/hardwaremanager.py
+++ b/shell/hardware/hardwaremanager.py
@@ -18,20 +18,22 @@ import logging
 
 import dbus
 
-HARDWARE_MANAGER_INTERFACE = 'org.laptop.HardwareManager'
-HARDWARE_MANAGER_SERVICE = 'org.laptop.HardwareManager'
-HARDWARE_MANAGER_OBJECT_PATH = '/org/laptop/HardwareManager'
+from _sugar import AudioManager
+
+_HARDWARE_MANAGER_INTERFACE = 'org.laptop.HardwareManager'
+_HARDWARE_MANAGER_SERVICE = 'org.laptop.HardwareManager'
+_HARDWARE_MANAGER_OBJECT_PATH = '/org/laptop/HardwareManager'
+
+COLOR_MODE = 0
+B_AND_W_MODE = 1
 
 class HardwareManager(object):
-    COLOR_MODE = 0
-    B_AND_W_MODE = 1
-
     def __init__(self):
         try:
             bus = dbus.SystemBus()
-            proxy = bus.get_object(HARDWARE_MANAGER_SERVICE,
-                                   HARDWARE_MANAGER_OBJECT_PATH)
-            self._service = dbus.Interface(proxy, HARDWARE_MANAGER_INTERFACE)
+            proxy = bus.get_object(_HARDWARE_MANAGER_SERVICE,
+                                   _HARDWARE_MANAGER_OBJECT_PATH)
+            self._service = dbus.Interface(proxy, _HARDWARE_MANAGER_INTERFACE)
         except dbus.DBusException:
             self._service = None
             logging.error('Hardware manager service not found.')
@@ -56,3 +58,12 @@ class HardwareManager(object):
             self._service.set_keyboard_brightness(False)
         else:
             self._service.set_keyboard_brightness(True)            
+
+def get_hardware_manager():
+    return _hardware_manager
+
+def get_audio_manager():
+    return _audio_manager
+
+_hardware_manager = HardwareManager()
+_audio_manager = AudioManager()
diff --git a/shell/view/Makefile.am b/shell/view/Makefile.am
index c463084c..7b571ec3 100644
--- a/shell/view/Makefile.am
+++ b/shell/view/Makefile.am
@@ -11,5 +11,4 @@ sugar_PYTHON =				\
 	clipboardmenu.py		\
 	keyhandler.py			\
 	OverlayWindow.py		\
-	Shell.py			\
-	hardwaremanager.py
+	Shell.py
diff --git a/shell/view/Shell.py b/shell/view/Shell.py
index 812698fb..c032831d 100644
--- a/shell/view/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/view/Shell.py
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ from view.ActivityHost import ActivityHost
 from sugar.activity import activityfactory
 from view.frame.frame import Frame
 from view.keyhandler import KeyHandler
-from view.hardwaremanager import HardwareManager
-from _sugar import AudioManager
 import sugar
 
 class Shell(gobject.GObject):
@@ -40,9 +38,6 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
         self._current_host = None
         self._screen_rotation = 0
 
-        self._hw_manager = HardwareManager()
-        self._audio_manager = AudioManager()
-
         self._home_window = HomeWindow(self)
         self._home_window.show()
         self.set_zoom_level(sugar.ZOOM_HOME)
@@ -88,12 +83,6 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
         if self._current_host:
             self._current_host.set_active(True)
 
-    def get_hardware_manager(self):
-        return self._hw_manager
-
-    def get_audio_manager(self):
-        return self._audio_manager
-
     def get_model(self):
         return self._model
 
diff --git a/shell/view/keyhandler.py b/shell/view/keyhandler.py
index fb2dfdb9..511e722a 100644
--- a/shell/view/keyhandler.py
+++ b/shell/view/keyhandler.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import dbus
 import gobject
 
 from sugar import env
-from view.hardwaremanager import HardwareManager
+from hardware import hardwaremanager
 from model.ShellModel import ShellModel
 from _sugar import KeyGrabber
 import sugar
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ _actions_table = {
 class KeyHandler(object):
     def __init__(self, shell):
         self._shell = shell
-        self._hw_manager = shell.get_hardware_manager()
-        self._audio_manager = shell.get_audio_manager()
+        self._hw_manager = hardwaremanager.get_hardware_manager()
+        self._audio_manager = hardwaremanager.get_audio_manager()
         self._screen_rotation = 0
 
         self._key_grabber = KeyGrabber()
@@ -90,10 +90,10 @@ class KeyHandler(object):
         self._audio_manager.set_volume(100)
 
     def handle_color_mode(self):
-        self._hw_manager.set_display_mode(HardwareManager.COLOR_MODE)
+        self._hw_manager.set_display_mode(hardwaremanager.COLOR_MODE)
 
     def handle_b_and_w_mode(self):
-        self._hw_manager.set_display_mode(HardwareManager.B_AND_W_MODE)
+        self._hw_manager.set_display_mode(hardwaremanager.B_AND_W_MODE)
 
     def handle_console(self):
         gobject.idle_add(self._toggle_console_visibility_cb)