diff --git a/homedecor/handlers/inventory.lua b/homedecor/handlers/inventory.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0e18a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/homedecor/handlers/inventory.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+local S = homedecor.gettext
+
+local default_can_dig = function(pos,player)
+	local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
+	return meta:get_inventory():is_empty("main")
+end
+
+local default_inventory_size = 32
+local background = default.gui_bg .. default.gui_bg_img .. default.gui_slots
+local default_inventory_formspecs = {
+	["4"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;2,0;4,1;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
+
+	["6"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;1,0;6,1;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
+
+	["8"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;0,0;8,1;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
+
+	["12"]="size[8,7]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;1,0;6,2;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,3;8,4;]",
+
+	["16"]="size[8,7]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;0,0;8,2;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,3;8,4;]",
+
+	["24"]="size[8,8]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;0,0;8,3;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,4;8,4;]",
+
+	["32"]="size[8,9]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;0,0.3;8,4;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,4.85;8,1;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;0,6.08;8,3;8]"..
+	default.get_hotbar_bg(0,4.85),
+
+	["50"]="size[10,10]".. background ..
+	"list[context;main;0,0;10,5;]"..
+	"list[current_player;main;1,6;8,4;]",
+}
+
+local function get_formspec_by_size(size)
+	--TODO heuristic to use the "next best size"
+	local formspec = default_inventory_formspecs[tostring(size)]
+	return formspec or default_inventory_formspecs
+end
+
+----
+-- handle inventory setting
+-- inventory = {
+--	size = 16
+--	formspec = …
+-- }
+--
+function homedecor.handle_inventory(name, def)
+	local inventory = def.inventory
+	if not inventory then return end
+	def.inventory = nil
+
+	local infotext = def.infotext
+
+	def.on_construct = def.on_construct or function(pos)
+		local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
+		if infotext then
+			meta:set_string("infotext", infotext)
+		end
+		local size = inventory.size or default_inventory_size
+		meta:get_inventory():set_size("main", size)
+		meta:set_string("formspec", inventory.formspec or get_formspec_by_size(size))
+	end
+
+	def.can_dig = def.can_dig or default_can_dig
+	def.on_metadata_inventory_move = def.on_metadata_inventory_move or function(pos, from_list, from_index, to_list, to_index, count, player)
+		minetest.log("action", S("%s moves stuff in %s at %s"):format(
+			player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
+		))
+	end
+	def.on_metadata_inventory_put = def.on_metadata_inventory_put or function(pos, listname, index, stack, player)
+		minetest.log("action", S("%s moves stuff to %s at %s"):format(
+			player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
+		))
+	end
+	def.on_metadata_inventory_take = def.on_metadata_inventory_take or function(pos, listname, index, stack, player)
+		minetest.log("action", S("%s takes stuff from %s at %s"):format(
+			player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
+		))
+	end
+end
diff --git a/homedecor/handlers/registration.lua b/homedecor/handlers/registration.lua
index 2f9068c..eedfb26 100644
--- a/homedecor/handlers/registration.lua
+++ b/homedecor/handlers/registration.lua
@@ -1,60 +1,11 @@
 homedecor = homedecor or {}
 local S = homedecor.gettext
 
-local default_can_dig = function(pos,player)
-	local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
-	return meta:get_inventory():is_empty("main")
-end
-
-local default_inventory_size = 32
-local background = default.gui_bg .. default.gui_bg_img .. default.gui_slots
-local default_inventory_formspecs = {
-	["4"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;2,0;4,1;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
-
-	["6"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;1,0;6,1;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
-
-	["8"]="size[8,6]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;0,0;8,1;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,2;8,4;]",
-
-	["12"]="size[8,7]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;1,0;6,2;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,3;8,4;]",
-
-	["16"]="size[8,7]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;0,0;8,2;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,3;8,4;]",
-
-	["24"]="size[8,8]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;0,0;8,3;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,4;8,4;]",
-
-	["32"]="size[8,9]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;0,0.3;8,4;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,4.85;8,1;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;0,6.08;8,3;8]"..
-	default.get_hotbar_bg(0,4.85),
-
-	["50"]="size[10,10]".. background ..
-	"list[context;main;0,0;10,5;]"..
-	"list[current_player;main;1,6;8,4;]",
-}
-
-local function get_formspec_by_size(size)
-	--TODO heuristic to use the "next best size"
-	local formspec = default_inventory_formspecs[tostring(size)]
-	return formspec or default_inventory_formspecs
-end
-
 --wrapper around minetest.register_node that sets sane defaults and interprets some specialized settings
 function homedecor.register(name, def)
 	def.drawtype = def.drawtype
-			or (def.mesh and "mesh")
-			or (def.node_box and "nodebox")
+		or (def.mesh and "mesh")
+		or (def.node_box and "nodebox")
 
 	def.paramtype = def.paramtype or "light"
 
@@ -68,45 +19,12 @@ function homedecor.register(name, def)
 		def.paramtype2 = def.paramtype2 or "facedir"
 	end
 
+	homedecor.handle_inventory(name, def)
+
 	local infotext = def.infotext
 	--def.infotext = nil -- currently used to set locked refrigerator infotexts
 
-	-- handle inventory setting
-	-- inventory = {
-	--	size = 16
-	--	formspec = …
-	-- }
-	local inventory = def.inventory
-	def.inventory = nil
-
-	if inventory then
-		def.on_construct = def.on_construct or function(pos)
-			local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
-			if infotext then
-				meta:set_string("infotext", infotext)
-			end
-			local size = inventory.size or default_inventory_size
-			meta:get_inventory():set_size("main", size)
-			meta:set_string("formspec", inventory.formspec or get_formspec_by_size(size))
-		end
-
-		def.can_dig = def.can_dig or default_can_dig
-		def.on_metadata_inventory_move = def.on_metadata_inventory_move or function(pos, from_list, from_index, to_list, to_index, count, player)
-			minetest.log("action", S("%s moves stuff in %s at %s"):format(
-				player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
-			))
-		end
-		def.on_metadata_inventory_put = def.on_metadata_inventory_put or function(pos, listname, index, stack, player)
-			minetest.log("action", S("%s moves stuff to %s at %s"):format(
-				player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
-			))
-		end
-		def.on_metadata_inventory_take = def.on_metadata_inventory_take or function(pos, listname, index, stack, player)
-			minetest.log("action", S("%s takes stuff from %s at %s"):format(
-				player:get_player_name(), name, minetest.pos_to_string(pos)
-			))
-		end
-	elseif infotext and not def.on_construct then
+	if infotext and not def.on_construct then
 		def.on_construct = function(pos)
 			local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
 			meta:set_string("infotext", infotext)
diff --git a/homedecor/init.lua b/homedecor/init.lua
index 956d0ea..d0c699a 100644
--- a/homedecor/init.lua
+++ b/homedecor/init.lua
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ dofile(modpath.."/handlers/nodeboxes.lua")
 dofile(modpath.."/handlers/expansion.lua")
 -- register nodes that cook stuff
 dofile(modpath.."/handlers/furnaces.lua")
+-- register individual handlers used by the registration function
+dofile(modpath.."/handlers/inventory.lua")
 -- glue it all together into a registration function
 dofile(modpath.."/handlers/registration.lua")
 -- some nodes have particle spawners