diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 3a0fd37..bcf2391 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    // utilities only
-    api project.ext.utilitiesDeps
+    // utilities dependencies compile only (this is so the IDE can compile the util source)
+    compileOnly project.ext['utilities']
 
 //    api 'com.koloboke:koloboke-api-jdk8:1.0.0'
 //    runtime 'com.koloboke:koloboke-impl-jdk8:1.0.0'
diff --git a/scripts/gradle/utilities.gradle b/scripts/gradle/utilities.gradle
index 64c0644..794c6ae 100644
--- a/scripts/gradle/utilities.gradle
+++ b/scripts/gradle/utilities.gradle
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ext {
-    bcVersion = '1.60'
-    jnaVersion = '4.5.2'
+    def bcVersion = '1.60'
+    def jnaVersion = '4.5.2'
 
-   utilitiesDeps = [
+    utilities = [
        'org.slf4j:slf4j-api:1.7.25',
 
        'com.github.jponge:lzma-java:1.3',