diff --git a/crates/radicle/src/identity/crefs.rs b/crates/radicle/src/identity/crefs.rs
index 88951301..5da76c93 100644
--- a/crates/radicle/src/identity/crefs.rs
+++ b/crates/radicle/src/identity/crefs.rs
@@ -4,19 +4,6 @@ use crate::git::canonical::rules::{RawRules, Rules, ValidationError};
 
 use super::doc::{Delegates, Payload};
 
-/// Implemented by any data type or store that can return [`CanonicalRefs`] and
-/// [`RawCanonicalRefs`].
-pub trait GetRawCanonicalRefs {
-    type Error: std::error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static;
-
-    /// Retrieve the [`RawCanonicalRefs`], returning `Some` if they are
-    /// present, and `None` if they are absent.
-    ///
-    /// [`Self::Error`] is used to return any domain-specific error by the
-    /// implementing type.
-    fn raw_canonical_refs(&self) -> Result<Option<RawCanonicalRefs>, Self::Error>;
-}
-
 /// Configuration for canonical references and their rules.
 ///
 /// `RawCanonicalRefs` are verified into [`CanonicalRefs`].
diff --git a/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc.rs b/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc.rs
index c79e9f13..51dc204f 100644
--- a/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc.rs
+++ b/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub use crypto::PublicKey;
 pub use radicle_core::repo::*;
 
 use super::CanonicalRefs;
-use super::crefs::{self, RawCanonicalRefs};
+use super::crefs::RawCanonicalRefs;
 
 /// Path to the identity document in the identity branch.
 pub static PATH: LazyLock<&Path> = LazyLock::new(|| Path::new("radicle.json"));
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ impl Payload {
     ) -> Option<&mut serde_json::value::Map<String, serde_json::Value>> {
         self.value.as_object_mut()
     }
+
+    pub fn into_inner(self) -> serde_json::Value {
+        self.value
+    }
 }
 
 impl From<serde_json::Value> for Payload {
@@ -774,13 +778,14 @@ impl Doc {
     }
 
     /// Construct the canonical references for this document.
-    /// The implementation of [`crefs::RawCanonicalRefs`] is used to
+    /// The implementation of [`RawCanonicalRefs`] is used to
     /// obtain the payload identified by [`PayloadId::canonical_refs`], if it
     /// exists.
     /// The resulting [`CanonicalRefs`] are constructed by extension with
     /// [`Self::default_branch_rule`].
+    ///
+    /// [`RawCanonicalRefs`]: super::crefs::RawCanonicalRefs
     pub fn canonical_refs(&self) -> Result<CanonicalRefs, CanonicalRefsError> {
-        use crefs::GetRawCanonicalRefs;
         let raw_crefs = self.raw_canonical_refs()?.unwrap_or_default();
 
         let mut raw_rules = raw_crefs.raw_rules().clone();
@@ -950,40 +955,34 @@ impl Doc {
 #[derive(Debug, Error)]
 pub enum CanonicalRefsError {
     #[error(transparent)]
-    Json(#[from] serde_json::Error),
+    Raw(#[from] RawCanonicalRefsError),
     #[error(transparent)]
     CanonicalRefs(#[from] rules::ValidationError),
     #[error(transparent)]
     DefaultBranch(#[from] DefaultBranchRuleError),
 }
 
-impl crefs::GetRawCanonicalRefs for Doc {
-    type Error = CanonicalRefsError;
+#[derive(Debug, Error)]
+pub enum RawCanonicalRefsError {
+    #[error(transparent)]
+    Json(#[from] serde_json::Error),
+}
 
-    fn raw_canonical_refs(&self) -> Result<Option<RawCanonicalRefs>, Self::Error> {
-        let value = self.payload.get(&PayloadId::canonical_refs());
-        let crefs = value
-            .map(|value| {
-                serde_json::from_value((**value).clone()).map_err(CanonicalRefsError::from)
-            })
-            .transpose()?;
-        Ok(crefs)
+pub trait GetRawCanonicalRefs: GetPayload {
+    /// Retrieve the [`RawCanonicalRefs`] by deserializing from the payload
+    /// (if present).
+    fn raw_canonical_refs(&self) -> Result<Option<RawCanonicalRefs>, RawCanonicalRefsError> {
+        let Some(value) = self.get_payload(&PayloadId::canonical_refs()) else {
+            return Ok(None);
+        };
+
+        Ok(Some(serde_json::from_value(value.to_owned().into_inner())?))
     }
 }
 
-impl crefs::GetRawCanonicalRefs for RawDoc {
-    type Error = CanonicalRefsError;
+impl GetRawCanonicalRefs for Doc {}
 
-    fn raw_canonical_refs(&self) -> Result<Option<RawCanonicalRefs>, Self::Error> {
-        let value = self.payload.get(&PayloadId::canonical_refs());
-        let crefs = value
-            .map(|value| {
-                serde_json::from_value((**value).clone()).map_err(CanonicalRefsError::from)
-            })
-            .transpose()?;
-        Ok(crefs)
-    }
-}
+impl GetRawCanonicalRefs for RawDoc {}
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
diff --git a/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc/update.rs b/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc/update.rs
index ddd1e964..fbec6457 100644
--- a/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc/update.rs
+++ b/crates/radicle/src/identity/doc/update.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ pub fn verify(raw: RawDoc) -> Result<Doc, error::DocVerification> {
     // Ensure that if we have canonical reference rules and a project, that no
     // rule exists for the default branch. This rule must be synthesized when
     // constructing the canonical reference rules.
-    use super::crefs::GetRawCanonicalRefs as _;
+    use super::GetRawCanonicalRefs as _;
     match raw
         .raw_canonical_refs()
         .map(|rcrefs| rcrefs.and_then(|c| project.map(|p| (c, p))))