diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8911af8..ff03300 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import "websocket-polyfill";
 ### Basics
 
 ```ts
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 
 const nHoursAgo = (hrs: number): number =>
   Math.floor((Date.now() - hrs * 60 * 60 * 1000) / 1000);
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ const relayUrls = [/* relay URLs */];
 const postIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     relayUrls, 
     /* filter (kinds, authors, ids, tags) */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.text ] },
+    { kinds: [ 1 ] },
     /* time range filter (since, until) */
     { since: nHoursAgo(24) },
     /* fetch options (optional) */
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ for await (const ev of postIter) {
 const allPosts = await fetcher.fetchAllEvents(
     relayUrls,
     /* filter */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.text ] },
+    { kinds: [ 1 ] },
     /* time range filter */
     { since: nHoursAgo(24) },
     /* fetch options (optional) */
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const allPosts = await fetcher.fetchAllEvents(
 ### Various Fetch Methods
 
 ```ts
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 
 const fetcher = NostrFetcher.init();
 const relayUrls = [/* relay URLs */];
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ const relayUrls = [/* relay URLs */];
 const latestPosts: NostrEvent[] = await fetcher.fetchLatestEvents(
     relayUrls,
     /* filter */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.text ] },
+    { kinds: [ 1 ] },
     /* number of events to fetch */
     100,
 );
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ const latestPosts: NostrEvent[] = await fetcher.fetchLatestEvents(
 const lastMetadata: NostrEvent | undefined = await fetcher.fetchLastEvent(
     relayUrls,
     /* filter */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.metadata ], authors: [ "deadbeef..." ] },
+    { kinds: [ 0 ], authors: [ "deadbeef..." ] },
 );
 
 // fetches latest 10 text posts from each author in `authors`
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ const postsPerAuthor = fetcher.fetchLatestEventsPerAuthor(
         relayUrls,
     },
     /* filter */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.text ] },
+    { kinds: [ 1 ] },
     /* number of events to fetch for each author */
     10,
 );
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ const metadataPerAuthor = fetcher.fetchLastEventPerAuthor(
         relayUrls,
     }
     /* filter */
-    { kinds: [ eventKind.metadata ] },
+    { kinds: [ 0 ] },
 );
 for await (const { author, event } of metadataPerAuthor ) {
     console.log(`${author}: ${event?.content ?? "not found"}`);
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ npm install @nostr-fetch/adapter-nostr-tools
 
 Then, wrap your relay pool instance with the adapter and pass it to the initializer `NostrFetcher.withCustomPool()`.
 ```ts
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { simplePoolAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-nostr-tools";
 import { SimplePool } from "nostr-tools";
 
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ const fetcher = NostrFetcher.withCustomPool(simplePoolAdapter(pool));
 ### Cancelling by AbortController
 
 ```ts
-import { eventKind, NostrFecher } from "nostr-fetch"
+import { NostrFecher } from "nostr-fetch"
 
 const fetcher = NostrFetcher.init();
 const relayUrls = [/* relay URLs */];
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/abort.ts b/packages/examples/src/abort.ts
index 438c157..0d5e05c 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/abort.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/abort.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const evIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(24),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/allEventsIter.ts b/packages/examples/src/allEventsIter.ts
index fa40713..48960a4 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/allEventsIter.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/allEventsIter.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/backpressure.ts b/packages/examples/src/backpressure.ts
index 09dc411..142a15b 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/backpressure.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/backpressure.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { setTimeout as delay } from "node:timers/promises";
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(3),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchAll.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchAll.ts
index 78f2e93..d2dd1d0 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchAll.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchAll.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const events = await fetcher.fetchAllEvents(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchLast.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchLast.ts
index 5708127..bbf4f7c 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchLast.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchLast.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const main = async () => {
 
   // fetch the last metadata event (kind 0) and contact list event (kind 3) published by the pubkey from the relays
   const [lastMetadata, lastContacts] = await Promise.all(
-    [eventKind.metadata, eventKind.contacts].map((kind) =>
+    [0, 3].map((kind) =>
       fetcher.fetchLastEvent(defaultRelays, {
         kinds: [kind],
         authors: ["d1d1747115d16751a97c239f46ec1703292c3b7e9988b9ebdd4ec4705b15ed44"],
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchLastPerAuthor.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchLastPerAuthor.ts
index 8e9a6ca..1b85adc 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchLastPerAuthor.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchLastPerAuthor.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const main = async () => {
 
   // get pubkeys of followees from the latest kind 3 event
   const lastFollowEvent = await fetcher.fetchLastEvent(defaultRelays, {
-    kinds: [eventKind.contacts],
+    kinds: [3],
     authors: [pubkey],
   });
   if (lastFollowEvent === undefined) {
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const profilePerAuthor = fetcher.fetchLastEventPerAuthor(
     { authors: followees, relayUrls: defaultRelays },
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.metadata],
+      kinds: [0],
     },
   );
 
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatest.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatest.ts
index 7301d69..a52e3c9 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatest.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatest.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const latestPosts = await fetcher.fetchLatestEvents(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     100,
     // { skipVerification: true }
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestAsOf.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestAsOf.ts
index b8e551f..40be63f 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestAsOf.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestAsOf.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const latestPosts = await fetcher.fetchLatestEvents(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     100,
     { asOf: Math.floor(new Date("2023-08-31T12:00:00Z").getTime() / 1000) },
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestPerAuthor.ts b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestPerAuthor.ts
index 741cfa1..e0759ea 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestPerAuthor.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/fetchLatestPerAuthor.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const main = async () => {
 
   // get pubkeys of followees from the latest kind 3 event
   const lastFollowEvent = await fetcher.fetchLastEvent(defaultRelays, {
-    kinds: [eventKind.contacts],
+    kinds: [3],
     authors: [pubkey],
   });
   if (lastFollowEvent === undefined) {
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   // get latest 10 posts for each followee
   const latestPostsPerFollowee = fetcher.fetchLatestEventsPerAuthor(
     { authors: followees, relayUrls: defaultRelays },
-    { kinds: [eventKind.text] },
+    { kinds: [1] },
     10,
   );
 
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/interop/ndk.ts b/packages/examples/src/interop/ndk.ts
index 3d279cd..eb45c23 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/interop/ndk.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/interop/ndk.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import NDK from "@nostr-dev-kit/ndk";
 import { ndkAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-ndk";
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind, normalizeRelayUrlSet } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher, normalizeRelayUrlSet } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "../utils";
 
 import "websocket-polyfill";
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/interop/relayPoolTs.ts b/packages/examples/src/interop/relayPoolTs.ts
index 638c0a5..a97f80d 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/interop/relayPoolTs.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/interop/relayPoolTs.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { relayPoolAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-nostr-relaypool";
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { RelayPool } from "nostr-relaypool";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "../utils";
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/interop/rxNostr.ts b/packages/examples/src/interop/rxNostr.ts
index 7d4c5cf..f46a8f8 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/interop/rxNostr.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/interop/rxNostr.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { rxNostrAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-rx-nostr";
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { createRxNostr } from "rx-nostr";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePool.ts b/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePool.ts
index 5266892..e71afbf 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePool.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePool.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { simplePoolAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-nostr-tools";
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { SimplePool } from "nostr-tools";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePoolV2.ts b/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePoolV2.ts
index d7d4589..0db680b 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePoolV2.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/interop/simplePoolV2.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { simplePoolAdapter } from "@nostr-fetch/adapter-nostr-tools-v2";
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import { SimplePool, useWebSocketImplementation } from "nostr-tools-v2";
 import ws from "ws";
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/outboxModel.ts b/packages/examples/src/outboxModel.ts
index f4a705e..a83b124 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/outboxModel.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/outboxModel.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { setTimeout } from "node:timers/promises";
-import { type NostrEvent, NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { type NostrEvent, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, getWriteRelaysFromEvent } from "./utils";
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const fetcher = NostrFetcher.init({});
 // fetch pubkeys of followees from the latest kind 3 event
 const fetchFollowees = async (pubkey: string): Promise<string[]> => {
   const ev = await fetcher.fetchLastEvent(defaultRelays, {
-    kinds: [eventKind.contacts],
+    kinds: [3],
     authors: [pubkey],
   });
   if (ev === undefined) {
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ const fetchWriteRelaysPerAuthors = async (authors: string[]): Promise<Map<string
   const iter = fetcher.fetchLastEventPerAuthor(
     { authors, relayUrls: defaultRelays },
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.contacts, eventKind.relayList],
+      kinds: [3, 10002],
     },
   );
   const res = new Map<string, string[]>();
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const lastPostsPerFollowee = fetcher.fetchLastEventPerAuthor(
     writeRelaysPerFollowees,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     { statsListener: (stats) => console.error(stats) },
   );
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/search.ts b/packages/examples/src/search.ts
index 99598df..2d64576 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/search.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/search.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     searchRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
       search: searchQuery,
     },
     {
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/seenOn.ts b/packages/examples/src/seenOn.ts
index 981bc27..f3af89c 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/seenOn.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/seenOn.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { eventKind, NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays } from "./utils";
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const latestPosts = await fetcher.fetchLatestEvents(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     100,
     { withSeenOn: false },
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/statsListener.ts b/packages/examples/src/statsListener.ts
index 91942f0..735e33c 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/statsListener.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/statsListener.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { NostrFetcher, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import { NostrFetcher } from "nostr-fetch";
 import "websocket-polyfill";
 
 import { defaultRelays, nHoursAgo } from "./utils";
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const eventsIter = fetcher.allEventsIterator(
     defaultRelays,
     {
-      kinds: [eventKind.text],
+      kinds: [1],
     },
     {
       since: nHoursAgo(1),
diff --git a/packages/examples/src/utils.ts b/packages/examples/src/utils.ts
index 84c2619..76719c9 100644
--- a/packages/examples/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { type NostrEvent, eventKind } from "nostr-fetch";
+import type { NostrEvent } from "nostr-fetch";
 
 export const nHoursAgo = (hrs: number): number =>
   Math.floor((Date.now() - hrs * 60 * 60 * 1000) / 1000);
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export const defaultRelays = [
 
 export const getWriteRelaysFromEvent = (ev: NostrEvent): string[] => {
   switch (ev.kind) {
-    case eventKind.contacts: {
+    case 3: {
       let parsedContent: unknown;
       try {
         parsedContent = JSON.parse(ev.content);
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const getWriteRelaysFromEvent = (ev: NostrEvent): string[] => {
       return es.filter(([, usage]) => usage.write ?? false).map(([relay]) => relay);
     }
 
-    case eventKind.relayList: {
+    case 10002: {
       return ev.tags
         .filter((t) => {
           if (t.length < 2 || t[0] !== "r") {
diff --git a/packages/kernel/src/nostr.ts b/packages/kernel/src/nostr.ts
index 9e3e303..7ec0a56 100644
--- a/packages/kernel/src/nostr.ts
+++ b/packages/kernel/src/nostr.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export type NostrEvent = {
 /**
  * Standardized Nostr event kinds.
  * cf. https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips#event-kinds
+ *
+ * @deprecated use literal kind numbers instead.
  */
 export const eventKind = {
   metadata: 0,