diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/requests/test/produce.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/requests/test/produce.cc
index 6f065bb224f4..b067dc8f5686 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/requests/test/produce.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/requests/test/produce.cc
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_binary_request) {
         ]
       })";
 
-    auto records = ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler());
+    auto records = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler());
     BOOST_TEST(records.size() == 2);
     BOOST_TEST(!!records[0].value);
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_json_request) {
         ]
       })";
 
-    auto records = ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_json_v2_handler());
+    auto records = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_json_v2_handler());
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(records.size(), 2);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(records[0].partition_id, model::partition_id(0));
     BOOST_REQUIRE(!records[0].key);
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_invalid_json_request) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_THROW(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_json_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_json_v2_handler()),
       pandaproxy::json::parse_error);
 }
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_empty) {
         "records": []
       })";
 
-    auto records = ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler());
+    auto records = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler());
     BOOST_TEST(records.size() == 0);
 }
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_records_name) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 25");
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_partition_name) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 99");
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_partition_type) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 112");
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_before_records) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 28");
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_after_records) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 152");
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_between_records) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 144");
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_produce_request_error_no_records) {
       })";
 
     BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(
-      ppj::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
+      ppj::impl::rjson_parse(input, make_binary_v2_handler()),
       ppj::parse_error,
       [](ppj::parse_error const& e) {
           return e.what() == std::string_view("parse error at offset 24");
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/rjson_util.h b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/rjson_util.h
index 70bbb262094f..a3d3358f2078 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/rjson_util.h
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/rjson_util.h
@@ -120,8 +120,6 @@ rjson_parse_buf(Arg&& arg, Handler&& handler) {
     return std::forward<Handler>(handler).result;
 }
 
-} // namespace impl
-
 /// \brief Parse a payload using the handler.
 ///
 /// \warning rjson_parse is preferred, since it can be chunked.
@@ -132,6 +130,8 @@ rjson_parse(const char* const s, Handler&& handler) {
       s, std::forward<Handler>(handler));
 }
 
+} // namespace impl
+
 ///\brief Parse a payload using the handler.
 template<impl::RjsonParseHandler Handler>
 typename Handler::rjson_parse_result rjson_parse(iobuf buf, Handler&& handler) {
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ template<impl::RjsonParseHandler Handler>
 typename ss::future<typename Handler::rjson_parse_result>
 rjson_parse(std::unique_ptr<ss::http::request> req, Handler handler) {
     if (!req->content.empty()) {
-        co_return rjson_parse(req->content.data(), std::move(handler));
+        co_return impl::rjson_parse(req->content.data(), std::move(handler));
     }
 
     iobuf buf;
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/test/parse.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/test/parse.cc
index cb7547064441..d7207474bf5d 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/json/test/parse.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/json/test/parse.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ inline void parse_test(size_t data_size) {
     auto input = gen(data_size);
 
     perf_tests::start_measuring_time();
-    auto records = ppj::rjson_parse(input.c_str(), make_binary_v2_handler());
+    auto records = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
+      input.c_str(), make_binary_v2_handler());
     perf_tests::stop_measuring_time();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/test/consumer_group.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/test/consumer_group.cc
index 0c0ea3ae13bb..655d9384cfeb 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/test/consumer_group.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/rest/test/consumer_group.cc
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ FIXTURE_TEST(pandaproxy_consumer_group, pandaproxy_test_fixture) {
         BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(
           res.headers.result(), boost::beast::http::status::ok);
 
-        auto res_data = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto res_data = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           res.body.data(), ppj::create_consumer_response_handler());
         BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(res_data.instance_id, "test_consumer");
         member_id = res_data.instance_id;
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ FIXTURE_TEST(
         BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(
           res.headers.result(), boost::beast::http::status::ok);
 
-        auto res_data = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto res_data = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           res.body.data(), ppj::create_consumer_response_handler());
         BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(res_data.instance_id, "test_consumer");
         member_id = res_data.instance_id;
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/requests/test/post_subject_versions.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/requests/test/post_subject_versions.cc
index 3cc171a12aba..a0befd798c81 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/requests/test/post_subject_versions.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/requests/test/post_subject_versions.cc
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ SEASTAR_THREAD_TEST_CASE(test_post_subject_versions_parser) {
     const parse_result expected{
       {sub, expected_schema_def}, std::nullopt, std::nullopt};
 
-    auto result{ppj::rjson_parse(
+    auto result{ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
       payload.data(), pps::post_subject_versions_request_handler{sub})};
 
     // canonicalisation now requires a sharded_store, for now, minify.
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/test/storage.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/test/storage.cc
index 72a215398337..aef243d10295 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/test/storage.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/test/storage.cc
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ const pps::delete_subject_value delete_subject_value{
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     {
-        auto key = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto key = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           avro_schema_key_sv.data(), pps::schema_key_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(avro_schema_key, key);
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           avro_schema_value_sv.data(), pps::canonical_schema_value_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(avro_schema_value, val);
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           config_key_sv.data(), pps::config_key_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(config_key, val);
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           config_key_sub_sv.data(), pps::config_key_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(config_key_sub, val);
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           config_value_sv.data(), pps::config_value_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(config_value, val);
 
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           config_value_sub_sv.data(), pps::config_value_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(config_value_sub, val);
 
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           delete_subject_key_sv.data(), pps::delete_subject_key_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(delete_subject_key, val);
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_storage_serde) {
     }
 
     {
-        auto val = ppj::rjson_parse(
+        auto val = ppj::impl::rjson_parse(
           delete_subject_value_sv.data(),
           pps::delete_subject_value_handler<>{});
         BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(delete_subject_value, val);