diff --git a/datastore/backend.nim b/datastore/backend.nim
index 80204cf..1382833 100644
--- a/datastore/backend.nim
+++ b/datastore/backend.nim
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ proc `$`*(id: KeyId): string = $(id.data)
 proc toKey*(tp: typedesc[KeyId], id: cstring): KeyId = KeyId.new(id)
 proc toKey*(tp: typedesc[string], id: cstring): string = $(id)
 
+template toVal*(tp: typedesc[DataBuffer], id: openArray[byte]): DataBuffer = DataBuffer.new(id)
+template toVal*(tp: typedesc[seq[byte]], id: openArray[byte]): seq[byte] = @(id)
+
 proc new*(tp: typedesc[KeyId], id: cstring): KeyId =
   ## copy cstring including null terminator
   KeyId(data: DataBuffer.new(id.toOpenArray(0, id.len()-1)))
@@ -50,15 +53,15 @@ proc new*(tp: typedesc[KeyId], id: string): KeyId =
   ## copy cstring including null terminator
   KeyId(data: DataBuffer.new(id))
 
-proc toCString*(key: KeyId): cstring =
-  ## copy cstring including null terminator
-  cast[cstring](baseAddr key.data)
+# proc toCString*(key: KeyId): cstring =
+#   ## copy cstring including null terminator
+#   cast[cstring](baseAddr key.data)
 
-proc toDb*(key: Key): DbKey {.inline, raises: [].} =
-  let id: string = key.id()
-  let db = DataBuffer.new(id.len()+1) # include room for null for cstring compat
-  db.setData(id)
-  DbKey(data: db)
+# proc toDb*(key: Key): DbKey {.inline, raises: [].} =
+#   let id: string = key.id()
+#   let db = DataBuffer.new(id.len()+1) # include room for null for cstring compat
+#   db.setData(id)
+#   DbKey(data: db)
 
 proc toKey*(key: KeyId): Key {.inline, raises: [].} =
   Key.init(key.data).expect("expected valid key here for but got `" & $key.data & "`")
diff --git a/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim b/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
index 6d916d5..f02e441 100644
--- a/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ proc get*[K,V](self: SQLiteBackend[K,V], key: K): ?!seq[byte] =
     bytes: seq[byte]
 
   proc onData(s: RawStmtPtr) =
-    bytes = dataCol(self.db.getDataCol)
+    bytes = dataCol[V](self.db.getDataCol)
 
   if err =? self.db.getStmt.query((key), onData).errorOption:
     return failure(err)
diff --git a/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim b/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
index a8d4f41..295e43c 100644
--- a/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ proc idCol*(
   return proc (): string =
     $sqlite3_column_text_not_null(s, index.cint)
 
-proc dataCol*(data: (RawStmtPtr, int)): DataBuffer =
+proc dataCol*[V: DbVal](data: (RawStmtPtr, int)): V =
 
   let s = data[0]
   let index = data[1]
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ proc dataCol*(data: (RawStmtPtr, int)): DataBuffer =
     dataBytes = cast[ptr UncheckedArray[byte]](blob)
 
   # copy data out, since sqlite will free it
-  DataBuffer.new(toOpenArray(dataBytes, 0, dataLen - 1))
+  V.toVal(toOpenArray(dataBytes, 0, dataLen - 1))
 
 proc timestampCol*(
   s: RawStmtPtr,
diff --git a/datastore/sql/sqliteutils.nim b/datastore/sql/sqliteutils.nim
index 9884083..884527b 100644
--- a/datastore/sql/sqliteutils.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql/sqliteutils.nim
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ proc bindParam(
     sqlite3_bind_text(s, n.cint, val.cstring, val.len().cint, SQLITE_TRANSIENT)
   elif val is KeyId:
     # same as previous
-    sqlite3_bind_text(s, n.cint, val.toCString(), val.data.len().cint, SQLITE_TRANSIENT)
+    sqlite3_bind_text(s, n.cint, cast[cstring](baseAddr val.data), val.data.len().cint, SQLITE_TRANSIENT)
   else:
     {.fatal: "Please add support for the '" & $typeof(val) & "' type".}