diff --git a/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/refinement.cu b/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/refinement.cu
index 3efd0fd..5d6ac9d 100644
--- a/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/refinement.cu
+++ b/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/refinement.cu
@@ -36,93 +36,5 @@ __device__ unsigned int incoming_counts[NQ * TOTAL_CELLS];
 }
 #endif
 
-__device__ __forceinline__ void patch_collide(float* f, unsigned long k) {
-#if COLLISION_MODEL == 2
-    collide_mrt_unforced(f);
-#else
-    float rho, ux, uy, feq[NQ];
-    compute_rho_u(f, rho, ux, uy);
-    compute_feq(rho, ux, uy, feq);
-    collide_srt_no_force(f, feq, d_params.omega);
-#endif
-#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
-    ++collision_counts[k];
-#endif
-}
-
-extern "C" __global__ void PatchExplode(
-    const float* coarse, float* fine, const uint32_t* targets,
-    const uint32_t* donors, unsigned int count, unsigned long coarse_cells)
-{
-    unsigned int row = blockIdx.x * blockDim.x + threadIdx.x;
-    if (row >= count) return;
-    for (unsigned int q = 0; q < NQ; ++q)
-        fine[index_f(targets[row], q)] = coarse[q * coarse_cells + donors[row]];
-#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
-    ++explosion_counts[targets[row]];
-#endif
-}
-
-extern "C" __global__ void PatchFineStep(const float* in, float* out, const uint16_t* flags) {
-    unsigned int x, y; unsigned long k;
-    index_from_thread(x, y, k);
-    if (x >= NX || y >= NY) return;
-    float f[NQ];
-    // Outer halo is invalid after EACH hop, including when reusing the buffer
-    // that held explosion data. Inner halo only streams; it never collides.
-    if (x < 2 || y < 2 || x >= NX - 2 || y >= NY - 2
-            || (flags != nullptr && is_solid(flags[k]))) {
-        fill_invalid(f);
-    } else {
-        unsigned long j[NQ];
-        compute_neighbors(x, y, j);  // These interior targets never wrap.
-        stream_pull_load(k, f, in, j);
-        if (x >= 4 && y >= 4 && x < NX - 4 && y < NY - 4)
-            patch_collide(f, k);
-    }
-    stream_pull_store(k, f, out);
-}
-
-extern "C" __global__ void PatchCoarseStep(
-    const float* in, float* out, const float* fine,
-    const uint64_t* targets, const uint64_t* children, unsigned int count,
-    unsigned int x0, unsigned int y0, unsigned int x1, unsigned int y1,
-    unsigned int wall_aware)
-{
-    unsigned int x, y; unsigned long k;
-    index_from_thread(x, y, k);
-    if (x >= NX || y >= NY) return;
-    // Both buffers were poisoned at initialization; covered cells stay invalid.
-    if (x >= x0 && x < x1 && y >= y0 && y < y1) return;
-    if (wall_aware && (y == 0 || y == NY - 1)) return;
-    unsigned long j[NQ];
-    compute_neighbors(x, y, j);
-    float f[NQ];
-    stream_pull_load(k, f, in, j);
-    if (x >= x0 - 1 && x <= x1 && y >= y0 - 1 && y <= y1) {
-        for (unsigned int q = 1; q < NQ; ++q) {
-            uint64_t slot = index_f(k, q);
-            unsigned int lo = 0, hi = count;
-            while (lo < hi) {
-                unsigned int mid = lo + (hi - lo) / 2;
-                if (targets[mid] < slot) lo = mid + 1;
-                else hi = mid;
-            }
-            if (lo < count && targets[lo] == slot) {
-                const uint64_t* s = children + 4ul * lo;
-                f[q] = 0.25f * (fine[s[0]] + fine[s[1]] + fine[s[2]] + fine[s[3]]);
-#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
-                ++incoming_counts[slot];
-#endif
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    // Includes the eight grazing-corner links with UNCOVERED coarse donors.
-    // All replacement arrivals must be in place before computing rho/u.
-    if (wall_aware) {
-        if (y == 1) reconstruct_bottom_velocity(f, 0.0f, bottom_wall_normal_velocity(x));
-        else if (y == NY - 2) reconstruct_top_reservoir(f, RHO);
-    }
-    patch_collide(f, k);
-    stream_pull_store(k, f, out);
-}
+// Kernels: patch collision helper, PatchExplode, PatchFineStep, PatchCoarseStep.
+#include "step/patch_step.cu"
diff --git a/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/step/patch_step.cu b/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/step/patch_step.cu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f64ea7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/step/patch_step.cu
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+// CelerisLab/lbm/kernels/step/patch_step.cu
+// Dense fixed-patch collision, explosion and the fine/coarse steps.
+// Part of the refinement.cu compilation entry; relies on its includes, guards
+// and the optional CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT counters declared there.
+
+__device__ __forceinline__ void patch_collide(float* f, unsigned long k) {
+#if COLLISION_MODEL == 2
+    collide_mrt_unforced(f);
+#else
+    float rho, ux, uy, feq[NQ];
+    compute_rho_u(f, rho, ux, uy);
+    compute_feq(rho, ux, uy, feq);
+    collide_srt_no_force(f, feq, d_params.omega);
+#endif
+#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
+    ++collision_counts[k];
+#endif
+}
+
+extern "C" __global__ void PatchExplode(
+    const float* coarse, float* fine, const uint32_t* targets,
+    const uint32_t* donors, unsigned int count, unsigned long coarse_cells)
+{
+    unsigned int row = blockIdx.x * blockDim.x + threadIdx.x;
+    if (row >= count) return;
+    for (unsigned int q = 0; q < NQ; ++q)
+        fine[index_f(targets[row], q)] = coarse[q * coarse_cells + donors[row]];
+#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
+    ++explosion_counts[targets[row]];
+#endif
+}
+
+extern "C" __global__ void PatchFineStep(const float* in, float* out, const uint16_t* flags) {
+    unsigned int x, y; unsigned long k;
+    index_from_thread(x, y, k);
+    if (x >= NX || y >= NY) return;
+    float f[NQ];
+    // Outer halo is invalid after EACH hop, including when reusing the buffer
+    // that held explosion data. Inner halo only streams; it never collides.
+    if (x < 2 || y < 2 || x >= NX - 2 || y >= NY - 2
+            || (flags != nullptr && is_solid(flags[k]))) {
+        fill_invalid(f);
+    } else {
+        unsigned long j[NQ];
+        compute_neighbors(x, y, j);  // These interior targets never wrap.
+        stream_pull_load(k, f, in, j);
+        if (x >= 4 && y >= 4 && x < NX - 4 && y < NY - 4)
+            patch_collide(f, k);
+    }
+    stream_pull_store(k, f, out);
+}
+
+extern "C" __global__ void PatchCoarseStep(
+    const float* in, float* out, const float* fine,
+    const uint64_t* targets, const uint64_t* children, unsigned int count,
+    unsigned int x0, unsigned int y0, unsigned int x1, unsigned int y1,
+    unsigned int wall_aware)
+{
+    unsigned int x, y; unsigned long k;
+    index_from_thread(x, y, k);
+    if (x >= NX || y >= NY) return;
+    // Both buffers were poisoned at initialization; covered cells stay invalid.
+    if (x >= x0 && x < x1 && y >= y0 && y < y1) return;
+    if (wall_aware && (y == 0 || y == NY - 1)) return;
+    unsigned long j[NQ];
+    compute_neighbors(x, y, j);
+    float f[NQ];
+    stream_pull_load(k, f, in, j);
+    if (x >= x0 - 1 && x <= x1 && y >= y0 - 1 && y <= y1) {
+        for (unsigned int q = 1; q < NQ; ++q) {
+            uint64_t slot = index_f(k, q);
+            unsigned int lo = 0, hi = count;
+            while (lo < hi) {
+                unsigned int mid = lo + (hi - lo) / 2;
+                if (targets[mid] < slot) lo = mid + 1;
+                else hi = mid;
+            }
+            if (lo < count && targets[lo] == slot) {
+                const uint64_t* s = children + 4ul * lo;
+                f[q] = 0.25f * (fine[s[0]] + fine[s[1]] + fine[s[2]] + fine[s[3]]);
+#ifdef CELERIS_REFINEMENT_AUDIT
+                ++incoming_counts[slot];
+#endif
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    // Includes the eight grazing-corner links with UNCOVERED coarse donors.
+    // All replacement arrivals must be in place before computing rho/u.
+    if (wall_aware) {
+        if (y == 1) reconstruct_bottom_velocity(f, 0.0f, bottom_wall_normal_velocity(x));
+        else if (y == NY - 2) reconstruct_top_reservoir(f, RHO);
+    }
+    patch_collide(f, k);
+    stream_pull_store(k, f, out);
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_refinement_mrt.py b/tests/unit/test_refinement_mrt.py
index c150728..dd2f93a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_refinement_mrt.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_refinement_mrt.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class RefinementMRTHost(unittest.TestCase):
         block_collision = (KERNELS / "operators/block_collision.cuh").read_text()
         self.assertIn('#include "operators/block_collision.cuh"', blocks)
         self.assertEqual(blocks.count("block_collide(f);"), 1)
-        refinement = (KERNELS / "refinement.cu").read_text()
+        refinement = (KERNELS / "refinement.cu").read_text() + (KERNELS / "step/patch_step.cu").read_text()
         for text in ("compute_feq_from_momentum(drho, jx, jy, ux, uy, feq);",
                      "compute_feq(rho, ux, uy, feq);",
                      "collide_srt_no_force(f, feq, d_params.omega);"):