diff --git a/profiles/aom.js b/profiles/aom.js
index 3b71513814..175c33e934 100644
--- a/profiles/aom.js
+++ b/profiles/aom.js
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ const modules = [
   import("../src/core/anchor-expander.js"),
   import("../src/core/dfn-panel.js"),
   import("../src/core/custom-elements/index.js"),
+  import("../src/core/dfn-contract.js"),
   /* Linter must be the last thing to run */
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-charset.js"),
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-punctuation.js"),
diff --git a/profiles/dini.js b/profiles/dini.js
index 2d5b9a08f7..794b8654b9 100644
--- a/profiles/dini.js
+++ b/profiles/dini.js
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ const modules = [
   import("../src/core/anchor-expander.js"),
   import("../src/core/dfn-panel.js"),
   import("../src/core/custom-elements/index.js"),
+  import("../src/core/dfn-contract.js"),
   /* Linter must be the last thing to run */
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-charset.js"),
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-punctuation.js"),
diff --git a/profiles/geonovum.js b/profiles/geonovum.js
index 6562eb10d2..34f17fc740 100644
--- a/profiles/geonovum.js
+++ b/profiles/geonovum.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const modules = [
   import("../src/core/algorithms.js"),
   import("../src/core/anchor-expander.js"),
   import("../src/core/dfn-panel.js"),
+  import("../src/core/dfn-contract.js"),
   /* Linter must be the last thing to run */
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-charset.js"),
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-punctuation.js"),
diff --git a/profiles/w3c.js b/profiles/w3c.js
index fbb00036d1..50537315c9 100644
--- a/profiles/w3c.js
+++ b/profiles/w3c.js
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ const modules = [
   import("../src/core/dfn-panel.js"),
   import("../src/core/custom-elements/index.js"),
   import("../src/core/web-monetization.js"),
+  import("../src/core/dfn-contract.js"),
   import("../src/core/before-save.js"),
   /* Linters must be the last thing to run */
   import("../src/core/linter-rules/check-charset.js"),
diff --git a/src/core/dfn-contract.js b/src/core/dfn-contract.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..83bebdaa43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/dfn-contract.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+export const name = "core/dfn-contract";
+
+export function run() {
+  addContractDefaults();
+  addDefinitionPointers();
+}
+
+function addContractDefaults() {
+  // Find all dfns that don't have a type and default them to "dfn".
+  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
+  const dfnsWithNoType = document.querySelectorAll(
+    "dfn:is([data-dfn-type=''],:not([data-dfn-type]))"
+  );
+  for (const dfn of dfnsWithNoType) {
+    dfn.dataset.dfnType = "dfn";
+  }
+
+  // Per "the contract", export all definitions, except where:
+  //  - Explicitly marked with data-noexport.
+  //  - The type is "dfn" and not explicitly marked for export (i.e., just a regular definition).
+  //  - definitions was included via (legacy) data-cite="foo#bar".
+  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
+  const exportableDfns = document.querySelectorAll(
+    "dfn:not([data-noexport], [data-export], [data-dfn-type='dfn'], [data-cite])"
+  );
+  for (const dfn of exportableDfns) {
+    dfn.dataset.export = "";
+  }
+}
+
+// - Sets data-defines on well-known definition content patterns
+function addDefinitionPointers() {
+  // A dl with class hasdefinitions associated the dfn in each dt
+  // the definition in the following sibling element
+  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
+  const describedDTs = document.querySelectorAll(
+    "dl.definitions dt:has(dfn[data-dfn-type])"
+  );
+  for (const dt of describedDTs) {
+    const dfnId = dt.querySelector("dfn[data-dfn-type]").id;
+    const dfnContent = /** @type {HTMLElement | null} */ (
+      dt.nextElementSibling
+    );
+    if (dfnContent && !dfnContent.dataset.defines && dfnId) {
+      dfnContent.dataset.defines = `#${dfnId}`;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // an element with class "definition" is marked as defining the term
+  // found in the element
+  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
+  const definitionContainers = document.querySelectorAll(
+    ".definition:has(dfn[data-dfn-type])"
+  );
+  for (const el of definitionContainers) {
+    const dfn = el.querySelector("dfn[data-dfn-type]");
+    if (dfn.id && !el.dataset.defines) {
+      el.dataset.defines = `#${dfn.id}`;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/dfn.js b/src/core/dfn.js
index aac0e65ca6..59bb1dcc08 100644
--- a/src/core/dfn.js
+++ b/src/core/dfn.js
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import {
 } from "./dfn-validators.js";
 import { registerDefinition } from "./dfn-map.js";
 import { slotRegex } from "./inline-idl-parser.js";
-import { sub } from "./pubsubhub.js";
 
 export const name = "core/dfn";
 
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@ export function run() {
     }
     dfn.dataset.lt = titles.join("|");
   }
-  sub("plugins-done", completeDefinitionMarkup);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -215,63 +213,3 @@ function processAsInternalSlot(title, dfn) {
   }
   return dfnType;
 }
-
-function completeDefinitionMarkup() {
-  addContractDefaults();
-  addDefinitionPointers();
-}
-
-function addContractDefaults() {
-  // Find all dfns that don't have a type and default them to "dfn".
-  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
-  const dfnsWithNoType = document.querySelectorAll(
-    "dfn:is([data-dfn-type=''],:not([data-dfn-type]))"
-  );
-  for (const dfn of dfnsWithNoType) {
-    dfn.dataset.dfnType = "dfn";
-  }
-
-  // Per "the contract", export all definitions, except where:
-  //  - Explicitly marked with data-noexport.
-  //  - The type is "dfn" and not explicitly marked for export (i.e., just a regular definition).
-  //  - definitions was included via (legacy) data-cite="foo#bar".
-  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
-  const exportableDfns = document.querySelectorAll(
-    "dfn:not([data-noexport], [data-export], [data-dfn-type='dfn'], [data-cite])"
-  );
-  for (const dfn of exportableDfns) {
-    dfn.dataset.export = "";
-  }
-}
-
-// - Sets data-defines on well-known definition content patterns
-function addDefinitionPointers() {
-  // A dl with class hasdefinitions associated the dfn in each dt
-  // the definition in the following sibling element
-  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
-  const describedDTs = document.querySelectorAll(
-    "dl.definitions dt:has(dfn[data-dfn-type])"
-  );
-  for (const dt of describedDTs) {
-    const dfnId = dt.querySelector("dfn[data-dfn-type]").id;
-    const dfnContent = /** @type {HTMLElement | null} */ (
-      dt.nextElementSibling
-    );
-    if (dfnContent && !dfnContent.dataset.defines && dfnId) {
-      dfnContent.dataset.defines = `#${dfnId}`;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // an element with class "definition" is marked as defining the term
-  // found in the element
-  /** @type NodeListOf<HTMLElement> */
-  const definitionContainers = document.querySelectorAll(
-    ".definition:has(dfn[data-dfn-type])"
-  );
-  for (const el of definitionContainers) {
-    const dfn = el.querySelector("dfn[data-dfn-type]");
-    if (dfn.id && !el.dataset.defines) {
-      el.dataset.defines = `#${dfn.id}`;
-    }
-  }
-}