diff --git a/src/lib/dom-api-shadow.html b/src/lib/dom-api-shadow.html
index 6a3cc300d7..cc73842b6f 100644
--- a/src/lib/dom-api-shadow.html
+++ b/src/lib/dom-api-shadow.html
@@ -26,28 +26,6 @@
       return TreeApi.arrayCopy(this.node.querySelectorAll(selector));
     },
 
-    _query: function(matcher, node) {
-      node = node || this.node;
-      var list = [];
-      this._queryElements(node.childNodes, matcher, list);
-      return list;
-    },
-
-    _queryElements: function(elements, matcher, list) {
-      for (var i=0, l=elements.length, c; (i<l) && (c=elements[i]); i++) {
-        if (c.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
-          this._queryElement(c, matcher, list);
-        }
-      }
-    },
-
-    _queryElement: function(node, matcher, list) {
-      if (matcher(node)) {
-        list.push(node);
-      }
-      this._queryElements(node.childNodes, matcher, list);
-    },
-
     getOwnerRoot: function() {
       var n = this.node;
       while (n) {
diff --git a/src/lib/dom-api-shady.html b/src/lib/dom-api-shady.html
index 461566cd7f..64e41c1c49 100644
--- a/src/lib/dom-api-shady.html
+++ b/src/lib/dom-api-shady.html
@@ -354,28 +354,6 @@
       }, this.node);
     },
 
-    _query: function(matcher, node) {
-      node = node || this.node;
-      var list = [];
-      this._queryElements(TreeApi.Logical.getChildNodes(node), matcher, list);
-      return list;
-    },
-
-    _queryElements: function(elements, matcher, list) {
-      for (var i=0, l=elements.length, c; (i<l) && (c=elements[i]); i++) {
-        if (c.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
-          this._queryElement(c, matcher, list);
-        }
-      }
-    },
-
-    _queryElement: function(node, matcher, list) {
-      if (matcher(node)) {
-        list.push(node);
-      }
-      this._queryElements(TreeApi.Logical.getChildNodes(node), matcher, list);
-    },
-
     getDestinationInsertionPoints: function() {
       return this.node._destinationInsertionPoints || [];
     },
diff --git a/src/lib/dom-api.html b/src/lib/dom-api.html
index 0a45d9e067..d14f7f4564 100644
--- a/src/lib/dom-api.html
+++ b/src/lib/dom-api.html
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     'use strict';
 
     var Settings = Polymer.Settings;
+    var TreeApi = Polymer.TreeApi;
 
     var DomApi = function(node) {
       this.node = needsToWrap ? DomApi.wrap(node) : node;
@@ -134,6 +135,31 @@
         if (this.observer) {
           this.observer.notify();
         }
+      },
+
+      // NOTE: `_query` is used primarily for ShadyDOM's querySelector impl,
+      // but it's also generally useful to recurse through the element tree
+      // and is used by Polymer's styling system. 
+      _query: function(matcher, node) {
+        node = node || this.node;
+        var list = [];
+        this._queryElements(TreeApi.Logical.getChildNodes(node), matcher, list);
+        return list;
+      },
+
+      _queryElements: function(elements, matcher, list) {
+        for (var i=0, l=elements.length, c; (i<l) && (c=elements[i]); i++) {
+          if (c.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
+            this._queryElement(c, matcher, list);
+          }
+        }
+      },
+
+      _queryElement: function(node, matcher, list) {
+        if (matcher(node)) {
+          list.push(node);
+        }
+        this._queryElements(TreeApi.Logical.getChildNodes(node), matcher, list);
       }
 
     };