diff --git a/brozzler/browser.py b/brozzler/browser.py
index a616e21..62ef813 100644
--- a/brozzler/browser.py
+++ b/brozzler/browser.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 '''
-brozzler/browser.py - classes responsible for running web browsers
-(chromium/chromium) and browsing web pages in them
+brozzler/browser.py - manages the browsers for brozzler
 
 Copyright (C) 2014-2016 Internet Archive
 
@@ -19,23 +18,19 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import logging
 import json
-import urllib.request
 import itertools
 import websocket
 import time
 import threading
-import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import os
 import random
 import brozzler
+from brozzler.chrome import Chrome
 from brozzler.behaviors import Behavior
 from requests.structures import CaseInsensitiveDict
-import select
-import re
 import base64
 import psutil
-import signal
 import sqlite3
 import datetime
 
@@ -233,7 +228,7 @@ class Browser:
             on_request=None, on_response=None, on_screenshot=None,
             on_url_change=None):
         """
-        Synchronously loads a page, takes a screenshot, and runs behaviors.
+        Synchronously loads a page, runs behaviors, and takes a screenshot.
 
         Raises BrowsingException if browsing the page fails in a non-critical
         way.
@@ -263,10 +258,10 @@ class Browser:
                 self._websocket_url, on_open=self._visit_page,
                 on_message=self._wrap_handle_message)
 
-        threadName = "WebsockThread:{}-{:%Y%m%d%H%M%S}".format(
+        thread_name = "WebsockThread:{}-{:%Y%m%d%H%M%S}".format(
                 self.chrome_port, datetime.datetime.utcnow())
         websock_thread = threading.Thread(
-                target=self._websock.run_forever, name=threadName,
+                target=self._websock.run_forever, name=thread_name,
                 kwargs={'ping_timeout':0.5})
         websock_thread.start()
         self._start = time.time()
@@ -570,171 +565,3 @@ __brzl_compileOutlinks(window).join('\n');
         # else:
         #     self.logger.debug("%s", json_message)
 
-class Chrome:
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__module__ + "." + __qualname__)
-
-    def __init__(self, port, executable, user_home_dir, user_data_dir, proxy=None, ignore_cert_errors=False):
-        self.port = port
-        self.executable = executable
-        self.user_home_dir = user_home_dir
-        self.user_data_dir = user_data_dir
-        self.proxy = proxy
-        self.ignore_cert_errors = ignore_cert_errors
-        self._shutdown = threading.Event()
-
-    def __enter__(self):
-        '''
-        Returns websocket url to chrome window with about:blank loaded.
-        '''
-        return self.start()
-
-    def __exit__(self, *args):
-        self.stop()
-
-    def start(self):
-        '''
-        Returns websocket url to chrome window with about:blank loaded.
-        '''
-        timeout_sec = 600
-        new_env = os.environ.copy()
-        new_env["HOME"] = self.user_home_dir
-        chrome_args = [
-                self.executable, "--use-mock-keychain", # mac thing
-                "--user-data-dir={}".format(self.user_data_dir),
-                "--remote-debugging-port={}".format(self.port),
-                "--disable-web-sockets", "--disable-cache",
-                "--window-size=1100,900", "--no-default-browser-check",
-                "--disable-first-run-ui", "--no-first-run",
-                "--homepage=about:blank", "--disable-direct-npapi-requests",
-                "--disable-web-security", "--disable-notifications",
-                "--disable-extensions",
-                "--disable-save-password-bubble"]
-        if self.ignore_cert_errors:
-            chrome_args.append("--ignore-certificate-errors")
-        if self.proxy:
-            chrome_args.append("--proxy-server={}".format(self.proxy))
-        chrome_args.append("about:blank")
-        self.logger.info("running: {}".format(" ".join(chrome_args)))
-        # start_new_session - new process group so we can kill the whole group
-        self.chrome_process = subprocess.Popen(chrome_args, env=new_env,
-                stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, bufsize=0,
-                start_new_session=True)
-        self._out_reader_thread = threading.Thread(target=self._read_stderr_stdout,
-                name="ChromeOutReaderThread(pid={})".format(self.chrome_process.pid))
-        self._out_reader_thread.start()
-        self.logger.info("chrome running, pid {}".format(self.chrome_process.pid))
-        self._start = time.time()   # member variable just so that kill -QUIT reports it
-
-        json_url = "http://localhost:%s/json" % self.port
-
-        while True:
-            try:
-                raw_json = urllib.request.urlopen(json_url, timeout=30).read()
-                all_debug_info = json.loads(raw_json.decode('utf-8'))
-                debug_info = [x for x in all_debug_info if x['url'] == 'about:blank']
-
-                if debug_info and 'webSocketDebuggerUrl' in debug_info[0]:
-                    self.logger.debug("{} returned {}".format(json_url, raw_json))
-                    url = debug_info[0]['webSocketDebuggerUrl']
-                    self.logger.info('got chrome window websocket debug url {} from {}'.format(url, json_url))
-                    return url
-            except BaseException as e:
-                if int(time.time() - self._start) % 10 == 5:
-                    self.logger.warn("problem with %s (will keep trying until timeout of %d seconds): %s", json_url, timeout_sec, e)
-                pass
-            finally:
-                if time.time() - self._start > timeout_sec:
-                    self.logger.error("killing chrome, failed to retrieve %s after %s seconds", json_url, time.time() - self._start)
-                    self.stop()
-                    raise Exception("killed chrome, failed to retrieve {} after {} seconds".format(json_url, time.time() - self._start))
-                else:
-                    time.sleep(0.5)
-
-    def _read_stderr_stdout(self):
-        # XXX select doesn't work on windows
-        def readline_nonblock(f):
-            buf = b""
-            while not self._shutdown.is_set() and (
-                    len(buf) == 0 or buf[-1] != 0xa) and select.select(
-                            [f],[],[],0.5)[0]:
-                buf += f.read(1)
-            return buf
-
-        try:
-            while not self._shutdown.is_set():
-                buf = readline_nonblock(self.chrome_process.stdout)
-                if buf:
-                    if re.search(
-                            b"Xlib:  extension|"
-                            b"CERT_PKIXVerifyCert for [^ ]* failed|"
-                            b"^ALSA lib|ERROR:gl_surface_glx.cc|"
-                            b"ERROR:gpu_child_thread.cc", buf):
-                        logging.log(
-                                brozzler.TRACE, "chrome pid %s STDOUT %s",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
-                    else:
-                        logging.debug(
-                                "chrome pid %s STDOUT %s",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
-
-                buf = readline_nonblock(self.chrome_process.stderr)
-                if buf:
-                    if re.search(
-                            b"Xlib:  extension|"
-                            b"CERT_PKIXVerifyCert for [^ ]* failed|"
-                            b"^ALSA lib|ERROR:gl_surface_glx.cc|"
-                            b"ERROR:gpu_child_thread.cc", buf):
-                        logging.log(
-                                brozzler.TRACE, "chrome pid %s STDOUT %s",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
-                    else:
-                        logging.debug(
-                                "chrome pid %s STDERR %s",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
-        except:
-            logging.error("unexpected exception", exc_info=True)
-
-    def stop(self):
-        if not self.chrome_process or self._shutdown.is_set():
-            return
-
-        timeout_sec = 300
-        self._shutdown.set()
-        self.logger.info("terminating chrome pgid %s" % self.chrome_process.pid)
-
-        os.killpg(self.chrome_process.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
-        first_sigterm = time.time()
-
-        try:
-            while time.time() - first_sigterm < timeout_sec:
-                time.sleep(0.5)
-
-                status = self.chrome_process.poll()
-                if status is not None:
-                    if status == 0:
-                        self.logger.info(
-                                "chrome pid %s exited normally",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid)
-                    else:
-                        self.logger.warn(
-                                "chrome pid %s exited with nonzero status %s",
-                                self.chrome_process.pid, status)
-
-                    # XXX I would like to forcefully kill the process group
-                    # here to guarantee no orphaned chromium subprocesses hang
-                    # around, but there's a chance I suppose that some other
-                    # process could have started with the same pgid
-                    return
-
-            self.logger.warn(
-                    "chrome pid %s still alive %.1f seconds after sending "
-                    "SIGTERM, sending SIGKILL", self.chrome_process.pid,
-                    time.time() - first_sigterm)
-            os.killpg(self.chrome_process.pid, signal.SIGKILL)
-            status = self.chrome_process.wait()
-            self.logger.warn(
-                    "chrome pid %s reaped (status=%s) after killing with "
-                    "SIGKILL", self.chrome_process.pid, status)
-        finally:
-            self._out_reader_thread.join()
-            self.chrome_process = None
diff --git a/brozzler/chrome.py b/brozzler/chrome.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b4d816
--- /dev/null
+++ b/brozzler/chrome.py
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+'''
+brozzler/chrome.py - manages the chrome/chromium browser for brozzler
+
+Copyright (C) 2014-2016 Internet Archive
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+'''
+
+import logging
+import urllib.request
+import time
+import threading
+import subprocess
+import os
+import brozzler
+import select
+import re
+import signal
+import sqlite3
+import datetime
+import json
+
+class Chrome:
+    logger = logging.getLogger(__module__ + '.' + __qualname__)
+
+    def __init__(
+            self, port, executable, user_home_dir, user_data_dir, proxy=None,
+            ignore_cert_errors=False):
+        self.port = port
+        self.executable = executable
+        self.user_home_dir = user_home_dir
+        self.user_data_dir = user_data_dir
+        self.proxy = proxy
+        self.ignore_cert_errors = ignore_cert_errors
+        self._shutdown = threading.Event()
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        '''
+        Returns websocket url to chrome window with about:blank loaded.
+        '''
+        return self.start()
+
+    def __exit__(self, *args):
+        self.stop()
+
+    def start(self):
+        '''
+        Returns websocket url to chrome window with about:blank loaded.
+        '''
+        timeout_sec = 600
+        new_env = os.environ.copy()
+        new_env['HOME'] = self.user_home_dir
+        chrome_args = [
+                self.executable, '--use-mock-keychain', # mac thing
+                '--user-data-dir=%s' % self.user_data_dir,
+                '--remote-debugging-port=%s' % self.port,
+                '--disable-web-sockets', '--disable-cache',
+                '--window-size=1100,900', '--no-default-browser-check',
+                '--disable-first-run-ui', '--no-first-run',
+                '--homepage=about:blank', '--disable-direct-npapi-requests',
+                '--disable-web-security', '--disable-notifications',
+                '--disable-extensions', '--disable-save-password-bubble']
+        if self.ignore_cert_errors:
+            chrome_args.append('--ignore-certificate-errors')
+        if self.proxy:
+            chrome_args.append('--proxy-server=%s' % self.proxy)
+        chrome_args.append('about:blank')
+        self.logger.info(
+                'running: %s' % repr(subprocess.list2cmdline(chrome_args)))
+        # start_new_session - new process group so we can kill the whole group
+        self.chrome_process = subprocess.Popen(
+                chrome_args, env=new_env, start_new_session=True,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, bufsize=0)
+        self._out_reader_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._read_stderr_stdout,
+                name='ChromeOutReaderThread(pid=%s)' % self.chrome_process.pid)
+        self._out_reader_thread.start()
+        self.logger.info('chrome running, pid %s' % self.chrome_process.pid)
+        # make this a member variable so that kill -QUIT reports it
+        self._start = time.time()
+
+        json_url = 'http://localhost:%s/json' % self.port
+
+        while True:
+            try:
+                raw_json = urllib.request.urlopen(json_url, timeout=30).read()
+                all_debug_info = json.loads(raw_json.decode('utf-8'))
+                debug_info = [x for x in all_debug_info
+                              if x['url'] == 'about:blank']
+
+                if debug_info and 'webSocketDebuggerUrl' in debug_info[0]:
+                    self.logger.debug('%s returned %s', json_url, raw_json)
+                    url = debug_info[0]['webSocketDebuggerUrl']
+                    self.logger.info(
+                            'got chrome window websocket debug url %s from %s',
+                            url, json_url)
+                    return url
+            except BaseException as e:
+                if int(time.time() - self._start) % 10 == 5:
+                    self.logger.warn(
+                            'problem with %s (will keep trying until timeout '
+                            'of %d seconds): %s', json_url, timeout_sec, e)
+                pass
+            finally:
+                if time.time() - self._start > timeout_sec:
+                    self.logger.error(
+                            'killing chrome, failed to retrieve %s after %s '
+                            'seconds', json_url, time.time() - self._start)
+                    self.stop()
+                    raise Exception(
+                            'killed chrome, failed to retrieve %s after %s '
+                            'seconds' % (json_url, time.time() - self._start))
+                else:
+                    time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    def _read_stderr_stdout(self):
+        # XXX select doesn't work on windows
+        def readline_nonblock(f):
+            buf = b''
+            while not self._shutdown.is_set() and (
+                    len(buf) == 0 or buf[-1] != 0xa) and select.select(
+                            [f],[],[],0.5)[0]:
+                buf += f.read(1)
+            return buf
+
+        try:
+            while not self._shutdown.is_set():
+                buf = readline_nonblock(self.chrome_process.stdout)
+                if buf:
+                    if re.search(
+                            b'Xlib:  extension|'
+                            b'CERT_PKIXVerifyCert for [^ ]* failed|'
+                            b'^ALSA lib|ERROR:gl_surface_glx.cc|'
+                            b'ERROR:gpu_child_thread.cc', buf):
+                        logging.log(
+                                brozzler.TRACE, 'chrome pid %s STDOUT %s',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
+                    else:
+                        logging.debug(
+                                'chrome pid %s STDOUT %s',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
+
+                buf = readline_nonblock(self.chrome_process.stderr)
+                if buf:
+                    if re.search(
+                            b'Xlib:  extension|'
+                            b'CERT_PKIXVerifyCert for [^ ]* failed|'
+                            b'^ALSA lib|ERROR:gl_surface_glx.cc|'
+                            b'ERROR:gpu_child_thread.cc', buf):
+                        logging.log(
+                                brozzler.TRACE, 'chrome pid %s STDOUT %s',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
+                    else:
+                        logging.debug(
+                                'chrome pid %s STDERR %s',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid, buf)
+        except:
+            logging.error('unexpected exception', exc_info=True)
+
+    def stop(self):
+        if not self.chrome_process or self._shutdown.is_set():
+            return
+
+        timeout_sec = 300
+        self._shutdown.set()
+        self.logger.info('terminating chrome pgid %s' % self.chrome_process.pid)
+
+        os.killpg(self.chrome_process.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+        first_sigterm = time.time()
+
+        try:
+            while time.time() - first_sigterm < timeout_sec:
+                time.sleep(0.5)
+
+                status = self.chrome_process.poll()
+                if status is not None:
+                    if status == 0:
+                        self.logger.info(
+                                'chrome pid %s exited normally',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid)
+                    else:
+                        self.logger.warn(
+                                'chrome pid %s exited with nonzero status %s',
+                                self.chrome_process.pid, status)
+
+                    # XXX I would like to forcefully kill the process group
+                    # here to guarantee no orphaned chromium subprocesses hang
+                    # around, but there's a chance I suppose that some other
+                    # process could have started with the same pgid
+                    return
+
+            self.logger.warn(
+                    'chrome pid %s still alive %.1f seconds after sending '
+                    'SIGTERM, sending SIGKILL', self.chrome_process.pid,
+                    time.time() - first_sigterm)
+            os.killpg(self.chrome_process.pid, signal.SIGKILL)
+            status = self.chrome_process.wait()
+            self.logger.warn(
+                    'chrome pid %s reaped (status=%s) after killing with '
+                    'SIGKILL', self.chrome_process.pid, status)
+        finally:
+            self._out_reader_thread.join()
+            self.chrome_process = None
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 6cfb1a7..545f560 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def find_package_data(package):
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='brozzler',
-        version='1.1b8.dev130',
+        version='1.1b8.dev131',
         description='Distributed web crawling with browsers',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/brozzler',
         author='Noah Levitt',