diff --git a/api/target/accumulation_test.go b/api/internal/target/accumulation_test.go
similarity index 96%
rename from api/target/accumulation_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/accumulation_test.go
index 6e5044b93..a0f66c0ec 100644
--- a/api/target/accumulation_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/target/accumulation_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ package target_test
 import (
 	"testing"
 
-	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target"
+	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target"
 	kusttest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/kusttest"
 )
 
diff --git a/api/target/baseandoverlaymedium_test.go b/api/internal/target/baseandoverlaymedium_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/baseandoverlaymedium_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/baseandoverlaymedium_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/baseandoverlaysmall_test.go b/api/internal/target/baseandoverlaysmall_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/baseandoverlaysmall_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/baseandoverlaysmall_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/basereusenameprefix_test.go b/api/internal/target/basereusenameprefix_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/basereusenameprefix_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/basereusenameprefix_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/chartinflatorplugin_test.go b/api/internal/target/chartinflatorplugin_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/chartinflatorplugin_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/chartinflatorplugin_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/complexcomposition_test.go b/api/internal/target/complexcomposition_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/complexcomposition_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/complexcomposition_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/configmaps_test.go b/api/internal/target/configmaps_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/configmaps_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/configmaps_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/crd_test.go b/api/internal/target/crd_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/crd_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/crd_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/customconfig_test.go b/api/internal/target/customconfig_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/customconfig_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/customconfig_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/customconfigofbuiltinplugin_test.go b/api/internal/target/customconfigofbuiltinplugin_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/customconfigofbuiltinplugin_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/customconfigofbuiltinplugin_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/diamondcomposition_test.go b/api/internal/target/diamondcomposition_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/diamondcomposition_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/diamondcomposition_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/diamonds_test.go b/api/internal/target/diamonds_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/diamonds_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/diamonds_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/extendedpatch_test.go b/api/internal/target/extendedpatch_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/extendedpatch_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/extendedpatch_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/generatormergeandreplace_test.go b/api/internal/target/generatormergeandreplace_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/generatormergeandreplace_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/generatormergeandreplace_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/generatoroptions_test.go b/api/internal/target/generatoroptions_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/generatoroptions_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/generatoroptions_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/inlinepatch_test.go b/api/internal/target/inlinepatch_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/inlinepatch_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/inlinepatch_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/kusttarget.go b/api/internal/target/kusttarget.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/kusttarget.go
rename to api/internal/target/kusttarget.go
diff --git a/api/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
rename to api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
diff --git a/api/target/kusttarget_test.go b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
similarity index 98%
rename from api/target/kusttarget_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
index ae29e0196..af6047a88 100644
--- a/api/target/kusttarget_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ import (
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/ifc"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/loadertest"
+	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resid"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resource"
-	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/kusttest"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/valtest"
+	kusttest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/kusttest"
+	valtest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/valtest"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/types"
 )
 
diff --git a/api/target/multiplepatch_test.go b/api/internal/target/multiplepatch_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/multiplepatch_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/multiplepatch_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/namespacedgenerators_test.go b/api/internal/target/namespacedgenerators_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/namespacedgenerators_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/namespacedgenerators_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/namespaces_test.go b/api/internal/target/namespaces_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/namespaces_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/namespaces_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/nullvalues_test.go b/api/internal/target/nullvalues_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/nullvalues_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/nullvalues_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/plugindir_test.go b/api/internal/target/plugindir_test.go
similarity index 96%
rename from api/target/plugindir_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/plugindir_test.go
index 576500c79..f169e9722 100644
--- a/api/target/plugindir_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/target/plugindir_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/filesys"
+	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/kunstruct"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/transformer"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/konfig"
@@ -17,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	pLdr "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/plugins/loader"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resource"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target"
 	kusttest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/kusttest"
 	valtest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/valtest"
 )
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ metadata:
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	pl := pLdr.NewLoader(c, rf)
-	tg, err := target.NewKustTarget(
+	tg, err := NewKustTarget(
 		ldr, valtest_test.MakeFakeValidator(), rf, transformer.NewFactoryImpl(), pl)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err %v", err)
diff --git a/api/target/pruneconfigmap_test.go b/api/internal/target/pruneconfigmap_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/pruneconfigmap_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/pruneconfigmap_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/resourceconflict_test.go b/api/internal/target/resourceconflict_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/resourceconflict_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/resourceconflict_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/transformerplugin_test.go b/api/internal/target/transformerplugin_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/transformerplugin_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/transformerplugin_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/transformersarrays_test.go b/api/internal/target/transformersarrays_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/transformersarrays_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/transformersarrays_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/transformersimage_test.go b/api/internal/target/transformersimage_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/transformersimage_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/transformersimage_test.go
diff --git a/api/target/variableref_test.go b/api/internal/target/variableref_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from api/target/variableref_test.go
rename to api/internal/target/variableref_test.go
diff --git a/api/krusty/kustomizer.go b/api/krusty/kustomizer.go
index 8dd4c17a6..997a572db 100644
--- a/api/krusty/kustomizer.go
+++ b/api/krusty/kustomizer.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package krusty
 
 import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/filesys"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/kunstruct"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/transformer"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/validator"
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	pLdr "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/plugins/loader"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resource"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/types"
 )
 
diff --git a/api/testutils/kusttest/kusttestharness.go b/api/testutils/kusttest/kusttestharness.go
index 4554f68bd..f4084bb67 100644
--- a/api/testutils/kusttest/kusttestharness.go
+++ b/api/testutils/kusttest/kusttestharness.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/loadertest"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/kunstruct"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/transformer"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/konfig"
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	pLdr "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/plugins/loader"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resource"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target"
 	valtest_test "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/testutils/valtest"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/types"
 )
diff --git a/docs/v2.1.0.md b/docs/v2.1.0.md
index b1291f08a..024d0e49d 100644
--- a/docs/v2.1.0.md
+++ b/docs/v2.1.0.md
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ normal k8s resources means that one can generate
 or transform a generator or a transformer (see
 [TestTransformerTransformers]).
 
-[TestTransformerTransformers]: ../api/target/transformerplugin_test.go
+[TestTransformerTransformers]: ../api/internal/target/transformerplugin_test.go
 
 ### `replicas` field
 
diff --git a/travis/pre-commit.sh b/travis/pre-commit.sh
index 5e0ba8f12..7df329297 100755
--- a/travis/pre-commit.sh
+++ b/travis/pre-commit.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function runUnitTests {
 
     # Requires helm.
     make $(go env GOPATH)/bin/helm
-    (cd api; go test -v sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/target \
+    (cd api; go test -v sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/target \
       -run TestChartInflatorPlugin -tags=notravis)
     (cd plugin/someteam.example.com/v1/chartinflator;
      go test -v . -run TestChartInflator -tags=notravis)