diff --git a/src/binding/src/script_core.cpp b/src/binding/src/script_core.cpp
index 8a355ad..27e85d5 100644
--- a/src/binding/src/script_core.cpp
+++ b/src/binding/src/script_core.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "pw/core/size.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/point.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/time.hpp"
-#include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
+#include "pw/core/geometry.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/image.hpp"
 
 #include "runtime_lua.hpp"
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index a721baa..31b1f56 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ set(hdrs
     include/pw/core/serialize.hpp
     include/pw/core/size.hpp
 	include/pw/core/time.hpp
-    include/pw/core/mesh.hpp
+	include/pw/core/geometry.hpp
     include/pw/core/image.hpp
     include/pw/core/vector.hpp
 	include/pw/core/matrix_transform.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ set(srcs
 	src/core.cpp
     src/image.cpp
     src/debug.cpp
-	src/mesh.cpp
+	src/geometry.cpp
 	src/resource.cpp
     src/serialize.cpp
 	src/time.cpp
diff --git a/src/core/include/pw/core/mesh.hpp b/src/core/include/pw/core/geometry.hpp
similarity index 95%
rename from src/core/include/pw/core/mesh.hpp
rename to src/core/include/pw/core/geometry.hpp
index 2bd5c93..b3a2519 100644
--- a/src/core/include/pw/core/mesh.hpp
+++ b/src/core/include/pw/core/geometry.hpp
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
  * SOFTWARE.
  *
  */
-#ifndef PW_CORE_MESH_HPP
-#define PW_CORE_MESH_HPP
+#ifndef PW_CORE_GEOMETRY_HPP
+#define PW_CORE_GEOMETRY_HPP
 
 #include <pw/core/globals.hpp>
 #include <pw/core/vector.hpp>
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public:
         points
     };
 
-    using index_t = uint32_t;
+    using index_t = uint32_t;   //< needs to be compatible with GL_UNSIGNED_INT
 
 	using valuearray_t = std::vector<real_t> ;
 	using indexarray_t = std::vector<index_t> ;
diff --git a/src/core/src/mesh.cpp b/src/core/src/geometry.cpp
similarity index 98%
rename from src/core/src/mesh.cpp
rename to src/core/src/geometry.cpp
index 02b81a4..30e59e1 100644
--- a/src/core/src/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/core/src/geometry.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
+#include "pw/core/geometry.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/debug.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/serialize.hpp"
 
diff --git a/src/core/tests/pwcore_test_mesh.cpp b/src/core/tests/pwcore_test_mesh.cpp
index 39f9bdd..382922b 100644
--- a/src/core/tests/pwcore_test_mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/core/tests/pwcore_test_mesh.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include <pw/core/vector.hpp>
 #include <pw/core/serialize.hpp>
 #include <pw/core/matrix_transform.hpp>
-#include <pw/core/mesh.hpp>
+#include <pw/core/geometry.hpp>
 #include <pw/core/axisangle.hpp>
 
 #include <iostream>
diff --git a/src/geometry/include/pw/geometry/primitives.hpp b/src/geometry/include/pw/geometry/primitives.hpp
index 33a141c..7df5bce 100644
--- a/src/geometry/include/pw/geometry/primitives.hpp
+++ b/src/geometry/include/pw/geometry/primitives.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef PW_GEOMETRY_PRIMITIVES_HPP
 #define PW_GEOMETRY_PRIMITIVES_HPP
 
-#include <pw/core/mesh.hpp>
+#include <pw/core/geometry.hpp>
 
 namespace pw {
 
diff --git a/src/visual/include/pw/visual/pipeline.hpp b/src/visual/include/pw/visual/pipeline.hpp
index 3c60c05..7178a3c 100644
--- a/src/visual/include/pw/visual/pipeline.hpp
+++ b/src/visual/include/pw/visual/pipeline.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <pw/core/size.hpp>
 #include <pw/core/matrix.hpp>
-#include <pw/core/mesh.hpp>
+#include <pw/core/geometry.hpp>
 
 #include <map>
 
diff --git a/src/visual/include/pw/visual/vertex_array.hpp b/src/visual/include/pw/visual/vertex_array.hpp
index 5e4237b..0e2987c 100644
--- a/src/visual/include/pw/visual/vertex_array.hpp
+++ b/src/visual/include/pw/visual/vertex_array.hpp
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 #define PW_VISUAL_MESH_RENDERER_HPP
 
 #include <pw/core/matrix.hpp>
-#include <pw/core/mesh.hpp>
 
 #include <map>
 
 namespace pw {
 
+class geometry;
+
 /**
  * @brief Connects mesh data with the render backend
  */
diff --git a/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp b/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
index 85c40ed..20259a5 100644
--- a/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
+++ b/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "pw/core/size.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/matrix.hpp"
-#include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
+#include "pw/core/geometry.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/time.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/axisangle.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/serialize.hpp"
diff --git a/src/visual/src/vertex_array.cpp b/src/visual/src/vertex_array.cpp
index b08c94a..8e714b0 100644
--- a/src/visual/src/vertex_array.cpp
+++ b/src/visual/src/vertex_array.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "pw/visual/vertex_array.hpp"
 
-#include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
+#include "pw/core/geometry.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/size.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/debug.hpp"