diff --git a/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt b/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
index b1ec5d23..33736c9f 100644
--- a/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ set(MUJOCO_ENGINE_SRCS
     engine_print.h
     engine_ray.c
     engine_ray.h
-    engine_resource.c
-    engine_resource.h
     engine_sensor.c
     engine_sensor.h
     engine_setconst.c
diff --git a/src/user/CMakeLists.txt b/src/user/CMakeLists.txt
index c73b1133..0f507be2 100644
--- a/src/user/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/user/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ set(MUJOCO_USER_SRCS
     user_model.h
     user_objects.cc
     user_objects.h
+    user_resource.c
+    user_resource.h
     user_util.cc
     user_util.h
     user_vfs.cc
diff --git a/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc b/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
index a669a550..aad6a8a2 100644
--- a/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_flexcomp.cc
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@
 #include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
 #include "cc/array_safety.h"
 #include "engine/engine_crossplatform.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "engine/engine_util_errmem.h"
 #include "user/user_flexcomp.h"
 #include <mujoco/mjspec.h>
 #include "user/user_model.h"
 #include "user/user_objects.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 
 namespace {
diff --git a/src/user/user_mesh.cc b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
index 450174c0..026cd46e 100644
--- a/src/user/user_mesh.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@
 #include "engine/engine_crossplatform.h"
 #include "engine/engine_io.h"
 #include "engine/engine_plugin.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "engine/engine_util_errmem.h"
 #include "user/user_cache.h"
 #include "user/user_model.h"
 #include "user/user_objects.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 #include "xml/xml_util.h"
 #include <tiny_obj_loader.h>
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.cc b/src/user/user_objects.cc
index 6cbfa6e4..1ea9eda7 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.cc
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@
 #include <mujoco/mjplugin.h>
 #include <mujoco/mjtnum.h>
 #include "cc/array_safety.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "engine/engine_passive.h"
 #include <mujoco/mjspec.h>
 #include "user/user_api.h"
 #include "user/user_cache.h"
 #include "user/user_model.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 #include "user/user_vfs.h"
 
diff --git a/src/engine/engine_resource.c b/src/user/user_resource.c
similarity index 99%
rename from src/engine/engine_resource.c
rename to src/user/user_resource.c
index 1668811c..2a746079 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_resource.c
+++ b/src/user/user_resource.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
diff --git a/src/engine/engine_resource.h b/src/user/user_resource.h
similarity index 94%
rename from src/engine/engine_resource.h
rename to src/user/user_resource.h
index bddd2787..0a7068e0 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_resource.h
+++ b/src/user/user_resource.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 // WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
+// IWYU pragma: private, include "third_party/mujoco/include/mujoco.h"
+// IWYU pragma: friend "third_party/mujoco/src/.*"
 
 #ifndef MUJOCO_SRC_ENGINE_ENGINE_RESOURCE_H_
 #define MUJOCO_SRC_ENGINE_ENGINE_RESOURCE_H_
diff --git a/src/user/user_vfs.cc b/src/user/user_vfs.cc
index f2b05eb0..417a7597 100644
--- a/src/user/user_vfs.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_vfs.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
 
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "engine/engine_util_errmem.h"
 #include "engine/engine_util_misc.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 
 namespace {
diff --git a/src/xml/xml.cc b/src/xml/xml.cc
index 0e5fd090..5c0349d5 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml.cc
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
 #include <mujoco/mjplugin.h>
 #include "cc/array_safety.h"
 #include "engine/engine_crossplatform.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include <mujoco/mjspec.h>
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 #include "user/user_vfs.h"
 #include "xml/xml_native_reader.h"
diff --git a/src/xml/xml_api.cc b/src/xml/xml_api.cc
index 65a2198b..bb4b4aa9 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml_api.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml_api.cc
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 
 #include <mujoco/mjmodel.h>
 #include "engine/engine_io.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include <mujoco/mjspec.h>
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_vfs.h"
 #include "xml/xml.h"
 #include "xml/xml_native_reader.h"
diff --git a/src/xml/xml_util.cc b/src/xml/xml_util.cc
index 6cc1f4fd..7defaa85 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml_util.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml_util.cc
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 
 #include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
 #include "cc/array_safety.h"
-#include "engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "engine/engine_util_errmem.h"
+#include "user/user_resource.h"
 #include "user/user_util.h"
 #include "xml/xml_util.h"
 #include "xml/xml_numeric_format.h"
diff --git a/test/engine/CMakeLists.txt b/test/engine/CMakeLists.txt
index b844e061..054575a8 100644
--- a/test/engine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/engine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -72,9 +72,6 @@ target_link_libraries(engine_print_test fixture gmock)
 mujoco_test(engine_ray_test)
 target_link_libraries(engine_ray_test fixture gmock)
 
-mujoco_test(engine_resource_test)
-target_link_libraries(engine_resource_test fixture gmock)
-
 mujoco_test(engine_sensor_test)
 target_link_libraries(engine_sensor_test fixture gmock)
 
diff --git a/test/user/CMakeLists.txt b/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
index 16441519..ac4dc7b3 100644
--- a/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,5 +40,8 @@ target_link_libraries(
 mujoco_test(user_composite_test)
 target_link_libraries(user_composite_test fixture gmock)
 
+mujoco_test(user_resource_test)
+target_link_libraries(user_resource_test fixture gmock)
+
 mujoco_test(user_vfs_test)
 target_link_libraries(user_vfs_test fixture gmock)
diff --git a/test/engine/engine_resource_test.cc b/test/user/user_resource_test.cc
similarity index 99%
rename from test/engine/engine_resource_test.cc
rename to test/user/user_resource_test.cc
index aba5f585..638a42bb 100644
--- a/test/engine/engine_resource_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_resource_test.cc
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-// Tests for engine/engine_resource.c
+// Tests for user/user_resource.c
 
 #include <array>
 #include <cstdint>
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 #include <mujoco/mjplugin.h>
 #include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
 #include "src/engine/engine_plugin.h"
-#include "src/engine/engine_resource.h"
 #include "src/engine/engine_util_misc.h"
+#include "src/user/user_resource.h"
 #include "test/fixture.h"
 
 namespace mujoco {
diff --git a/test/user/user_vfs_test.cc b/test/user/user_vfs_test.cc
index 269accea..48468477 100644
--- a/test/user/user_vfs_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_vfs_test.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #include <gmock/gmock.h>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 #include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
-#include "src/engine/engine_resource.h"
+#include "src/user/user_resource.h"
 #include "src/user/user_vfs.h"
 #include "test/fixture.h"