diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineAssemblyDefinition.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineAssemblyDefinition.java
index c1b78f58e..76b737335 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineAssemblyDefinition.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineAssemblyDefinition.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public final INSTANCE getInlineInstance() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public final IFlagInstance getJsonKey() {
+  public final FLAG getJsonKey() {
     return IFeatureContainerFlag.super.getJsonKey();
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineFieldDefinition.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineFieldDefinition.java
index 375c4b745..17ea2e6ea 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineFieldDefinition.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/AbstractInlineFieldDefinition.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public final INSTANCE getInlineInstance() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public final IFlagInstance getJsonKey() {
+  public final FLAG getJsonKey() {
     return IFeatureContainerFlag.super.getJsonKey();
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureContainerFlag.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureContainerFlag.java
index f4f6c56c4..51ac31b1a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureContainerFlag.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureContainerFlag.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ default Collection<? extends FI> getFlagInstances() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  default IFlagInstance getJsonKey() {
+  default FI getJsonKey() {
     return getFlagContainer().getJsonKeyFlagInstance();
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureDefinitionInstanceInlined.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureDefinitionInstanceInlined.java
index 5fdee30cb..11b3f48ea 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureDefinitionInstanceInlined.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFeatureDefinitionInstanceInlined.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 package gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.model;
 
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.datatype.markup.MarkupLine;
+import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.util.ObjectUtils;
 
 import java.util.Locale;
 
@@ -60,11 +61,15 @@ default QName getDefinitionQName() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  DEFINITION getDefinition();
+  default DEFINITION getDefinition() {
+    return ObjectUtils.asType(this);
+  }
 
   @Override
   @NonNull
-  INSTANCE getInlineInstance();
+  default INSTANCE getInlineInstance() {
+    return ObjectUtils.asType(this);
+  }
 
   @Override
   default String getEffectiveFormalName() {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagDefinition.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagDefinition.java
index 7aa06994e..727a7fd69 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagDefinition.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagDefinition.java
@@ -28,8 +28,5 @@
 
 public interface IFlagDefinition extends IValuedDefinition, IFlag {
   @Override
-  default IFlagInstance getInlineInstance() {
-    // not inline by default
-    return null;
-  }
+  IFlagInstance getInlineInstance();
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagInstance.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagInstance.java
index 9c8e5f520..3b6038ea9 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagInstance.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/IFlagInstance.java
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ public interface IFlagInstance extends IFlag, IValuedInstance, IInstanceAbsolute
   @Override
   IFlagDefinition getDefinition();
 
+  @Override
+  default IModelDefinition getContainingDefinition() {
+    return getParentContainer();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Determines if a flag value is required to be provided.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/xml/impl/XmlInlineFlagDefinition.java b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/xml/impl/XmlInlineFlagDefinition.java
index dec321ec4..12a99b3de 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/xml/impl/XmlInlineFlagDefinition.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/core/model/xml/impl/XmlInlineFlagDefinition.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 
 class XmlInlineFlagDefinition
     extends AbstractInlineFlagDefinition<IModelDefinition, IFlagDefinition, IFlagInstance> {
+
   @NonNull
   private final InlineFlagDefinitionType xmlFlag;
   @Nullable