diff --git a/src/accelerator/StdAfx.h b/src/accelerator/StdAfx.h
index fbb03b8887..928527e013 100644
--- a/src/accelerator/StdAfx.h
+++ b/src/accelerator/StdAfx.h
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include <common/assert.h>
 #include <common/env.h>
 #include <common/except.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/future.h>
 #include <common/gl/gl_check.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
diff --git a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
index c53bf3b6a8..39eb8e64ac 100644
--- a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ set(HEADERS
 		executor.h
 		except.h
 		filesystem.h
-		forward.h
 		future.h
 		log.h
 		memory.h
diff --git a/src/common/forward.h b/src/common/forward.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 46fc54da15..0000000000
--- a/src/common/forward.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#define FORWARD0(expr) expr
-#define FORWARD1(a1, expr)                                                                                             \
-    namespace a1 {                                                                                                     \
-    expr;                                                                                                              \
-    }
-#define FORWARD2(a1, a2, expr)                                                                                         \
-    namespace a1 { namespace a2 {                                                                                      \
-    expr;                                                                                                              \
-    }}
-#define FORWARD3(a1, a2, a3, expr)                                                                                     \
-    namespace a1 { namespace a2 { namespace a3 {                                                                       \
-    expr;                                                                                                              \
-    }}}
diff --git a/src/core/StdAfx.h b/src/core/StdAfx.h
index 14eeae0e08..d0d09c753e 100644
--- a/src/core/StdAfx.h
+++ b/src/core/StdAfx.h
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #include <common/env.h>
 #include <common/except.h>
 #include <common/executor.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/future.h>
 #include <common/log.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
diff --git a/src/core/consumer/output.h b/src/core/consumer/output.h
index 5eca6b61a9..6be058486e 100644
--- a/src/core/consumer/output.h
+++ b/src/core/consumer/output.h
@@ -24,14 +24,12 @@
 #include "../fwd.h"
 #include "../monitor/monitor.h"
 
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
-
 #include <core/video_format.h>
 
 #include <memory>
 
-FORWARD2(caspar, diagnostics, class graph);
+namespace caspar::diagnostics { class graph; }
 
 namespace caspar { namespace core {
 
diff --git a/src/core/fwd.h b/src/core/fwd.h
index d61d1f070e..1b00b57d30 100644
--- a/src/core/fwd.h
+++ b/src/core/fwd.h
@@ -20,28 +20,26 @@
  */
 #pragma once
 
-#include <common/forward.h>
+namespace caspar::accelerator { class accelerator; }
+namespace caspar::accelerator::ogl { class device; }
 
-FORWARD2(caspar, accelerator, class accelerator);
-FORWARD3(caspar, accelerator, ogl, class device);
-
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class stage);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class mixer);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class output);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class image_mixer);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct video_format_desc);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class frame_factory);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class frame_producer);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class frame_consumer);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class draw_frame);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class mutable_frame);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class const_frame);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class video_channel);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct pixel_format_desc);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class cg_producer_registry);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct frame_transform);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct write_frame_consumer);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct frame_producer_dependencies);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, struct module_dependencies);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class frame_producer_registry);
-FORWARD2(caspar, core, class video_format_repository);
+namespace caspar::core { class stage; }
+namespace caspar::core { class mixer; }
+namespace caspar::core { class output; }
+namespace caspar::core { class image_mixer; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct video_format_desc; }
+namespace caspar::core { class frame_factory; }
+namespace caspar::core { class frame_producer; }
+namespace caspar::core { class frame_consumer; }
+namespace caspar::core { class draw_frame; }
+namespace caspar::core { class mutable_frame; }
+namespace caspar::core { class const_frame; }
+namespace caspar::core { class video_channel; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct pixel_format_desc; }
+namespace caspar::core { class cg_producer_registry; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct frame_transform; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct write_frame_consumer; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct frame_producer_dependencies; }
+namespace caspar::core { struct module_dependencies; }
+namespace caspar::core { class frame_producer_registry; }
+namespace caspar::core { class video_format_repository; }
diff --git a/src/core/mixer/audio/audio_mixer.h b/src/core/mixer/audio/audio_mixer.h
index b71e36c062..785139fe61 100644
--- a/src/core/mixer/audio/audio_mixer.h
+++ b/src/core/mixer/audio/audio_mixer.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <common/array.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
 
 #include <core/frame/frame_visitor.h>
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <cstdint>
 
-FORWARD2(caspar, diagnostics, class graph);
+namespace caspar::diagnostics { class graph; }
 
 namespace caspar { namespace core {
 
diff --git a/src/core/mixer/mixer.h b/src/core/mixer/mixer.h
index 2473c0ead1..252d80c2fd 100644
--- a/src/core/mixer/mixer.h
+++ b/src/core/mixer/mixer.h
@@ -22,13 +22,12 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <common/bit_depth.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
 
 #include <core/fwd.h>
 #include <core/monitor/monitor.h>
 
-FORWARD2(caspar, diagnostics, class graph);
+namespace caspar::diagnostics { class graph; }
 
 namespace caspar { namespace core {
 
@@ -58,4 +57,4 @@ class mixer final
     spl::shared_ptr<impl> impl_;
 };
 
-}} // namespace caspar::core
\ No newline at end of file
+}} // namespace caspar::core
diff --git a/src/core/producer/stage.h b/src/core/producer/stage.h
index f83a4f5dc7..1081a8e104 100644
--- a/src/core/producer/stage.h
+++ b/src/core/producer/stage.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "../monitor/monitor.h"
 
 #include <common/executor.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <common/memory.h>
 #include <common/tweener.h>
 
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@
 #include <tuple>
 #include <vector>
 
-FORWARD2(caspar, diagnostics, class graph);
+namespace caspar::diagnostics { class graph; }
 
 namespace caspar { namespace core {
 
diff --git a/src/protocol/amcp/amcp_command_context.h b/src/protocol/amcp/amcp_command_context.h
index 0a4c331ab3..7f357af013 100644
--- a/src/protocol/amcp/amcp_command_context.h
+++ b/src/protocol/amcp/amcp_command_context.h
@@ -25,12 +25,11 @@
 #include "amcp_command_repository.h"
 #include "amcp_shared.h"
 #include <accelerator/accelerator.h>
-#include <common/forward.h>
 #include <core/consumer/frame_consumer.h>
 #include <future>
 #include <utility>
 
-FORWARD3(caspar, protocol, osc, class client);
+namespace caspar::protocol::osc { class client; }
 
 namespace caspar { namespace protocol { namespace amcp {