diff --git a/geom/ray.cpp b/geom/ray.cpp
index 41fa0d76..3650ad3f 100644
--- a/geom/ray.cpp
+++ b/geom/ray.cpp
@@ -24,30 +24,6 @@
 using util::geom::ray;
 
 
-///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-template <size_t S, typename T>
-ray<S,T>::ray (util::point<S,T> _origin,
-               util::vector<S,T> _direction):
-    origin (_origin),
-    direction (_direction)
-{
-    CHECK (is_normalised (direction));
-}
-
-
-//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-template <size_t S, typename T>
-ray<S,T>
-ray<S,T>::make (util::point<S,T> origin,
-                util::point<S,T> target)
-{
-    return {
-        origin,
-        normalised (target - origin)
-    };
-}
-
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// returns the distance along the ray in a ray-plane intersection
 ///
diff --git a/geom/ray.hpp b/geom/ray.hpp
index 2f63abed..b3381281 100644
--- a/geom/ray.hpp
+++ b/geom/ray.hpp
@@ -28,13 +28,17 @@
 namespace util::geom {
     template <size_t S, typename T>
     struct ray {
-        ray (point<S,T> origin,
-             vector<S,T> direction);
+        constexpr ray (point<S,T> _origin, vector<S,T> _direction) noexcept:
+            origin (_origin),
+            direction (_direction)
+        { ; }
 
-        static
-        ray<S,T> make (point<S,T> origin,
-                       point<S,T> target);
+        constexpr ray (point<S,T> _origin, point <S,T> _distant) noexcept:
+            ray (_origin, _origin.to (_distant ))
+        { ; }
 
+
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
         // intersection tests
         T intersect (plane<S,T>) const;
         T intersect (AABB<S,T>) const;
@@ -50,6 +54,20 @@ namespace util::geom {
         vector<S,T> direction;
     };
 
+    template <std::size_t S, typename T>
+    constexpr auto
+    make_ray (point<S,T> p, vector<S,T> d) noexcept
+    {
+        return ray<S,T> { p, d };
+    }
+
+    template <std::size_t S, typename T>
+    constexpr auto
+    make_ray (point<S,T> p, point<S,T> q)
+    {
+        return ray<S,T> { p, q };
+    };
+
     typedef ray<2,float> ray2f;
     typedef ray<3,float> ray3f;
 }
diff --git a/test/geom/ray.cpp b/test/geom/ray.cpp
index 45d989e4..2cef97e1 100644
--- a/test/geom/ray.cpp
+++ b/test/geom/ray.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ void
 test_intersect_plane (util::TAP::logger &tap)
 {
     // trivial case: origin ray facing z, plane at unit z facing -z.
-    const util::geom::ray3f  l ({0,0,0}, {0,0, 1});
-    const util::geom::plane3f p ({0,0,1}, {0,0,-1});
+    const util::geom::ray3f l (util::point3f {0,0,0}, util::vector3f {0,0, 1});
+    const util::geom::plane3f p (util::point3f {0,0,1}, util::vector3f {0,0,-1});
 
     tap.expect_eq (l.intersect (p), 1.f, "ray-plane intersect");
 }
@@ -32,15 +32,15 @@ test_intersect_aabb (util::TAP::logger &tap)
     };
 
     const ray2f forward {
-        { 0.5f, -0.5f },
-        { 0.f,   1.f }
+        util::point2f { 0.5f, -0.5f },
+        util::vector2f { 0.f,   1.f }
     };
 
     tap.expect_eq (forward.intersect (box), 0.5f, "ray-aabb intersect");
 
     const ray2f behind {
-        { 0.5f, 2.f },
-        { 0.f, 1.f }
+        util::point2f { 0.5f, 2.f },
+        util::vector2f { 0.f, 1.f }
     };
 
     tap.expect_nan (behind.intersect (box), "ray-aabb intersect behind");
@@ -55,13 +55,13 @@ test_intersect_sphere (util::TAP::logger &tap)
 
     const sphere3f s = {{0.f, 0.f, 0.f}, 1.f};
 
-    const ray3f r0 {{0.f, 2.f, 0.f}, {0.f, -1.f, 0.f}};
+    const ray3f r0 {util::point3f {0.f, 2.f, 0.f}, util::vector3f {0.f, -1.f, 0.f}};
     tap.expect_eq (r0.intersect (s), 1.f, "ray-sphere simple");
 
-    const ray3f r1 {{0.f, 1.f, 0.f}, {0.f, 1.f, 0.f}};
+    const ray3f r1 {util::point3f {0.f, 1.f, 0.f}, util::vector3f {0.f, 1.f, 0.f}};
     tap.expect_eq (r1.intersect (s), 0.f, "ray-sphere adjacent");
 
-    const ray3f r2 {{0.f, 2.f, 0.f}, {0.f, 1.f, 0.f}};
+    const ray3f r2 {util::point3f {0.f, 2.f, 0.f}, util::vector3f {0.f, 1.f, 0.f}};
     tap.expect_nan (r2.intersect (s), "ray-sphere no-intersect");
 }