diff --git a/datastore/sql.nim b/datastore/sql.nim
index 5b68b53..28b1f3d 100644
--- a/datastore/sql.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql.nim
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import ../datastore
 import ./backend
 import ./sql/sqliteds
 
-export datastore
+export datastore, sqliteds
 
 push: {.upraises: [].}
 
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ method delete*(self: SQLiteDatastore,
 
 method get*(self: SQLiteDatastore,
             key: Key): Future[?!seq[byte]] {.async.} =
-  self.db.get(KeyId.new key.id())
+  self.db.get(KeyId.new key.id()).map() do(d: DataBuffer) -> seq[byte]:
+    d.toSeq()
 
 method put*(self: SQLiteDatastore,
             key: Key,
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ method queryIter*(
         yield QueryResponse.failure err
       let k = qres.key.map() do(k: KeyId) -> Key:
         Key.init($k).expect("valid key")
-      let v: seq[byte] = qres.data
+      let v: seq[byte] = qres.data.toSeq()
       yield success (k, v)
   
   success iter
@@ -87,20 +88,14 @@ method queryIter*(
 proc new*(
   T: type SQLiteDatastore,
   path: string,
-  readOnly = false): ?!T =
+  readOnly = false): ?!SQLiteDatastore =
 
-  let
-    flags =
-      if readOnly: SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY
-      else: SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE or SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE
-
-  success T(
-    db: ? SQLiteDsDb.open(path, flags),
-    readOnly: readOnly)
+  success SQLiteDatastore(
+    db: ? newSQLiteBackend[KeyId, DataBuffer](path, readOnly))
 
 proc new*(
   T: type SQLiteDatastore,
-  db: SQLiteDsDb): ?!T =
+  db: SQLiteBackend[KeyId, DataBuffer]): ?!T =
 
   success T(
     db: db,
diff --git a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
index ae14782..795274e 100644
--- a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
+++ b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type
     signal: ThreadSignalPtr
     running: bool
     cancelled: bool
+    nextSignal: (Lock, Cond)
 
   TaskCtx*[T] = SharedPtr[TaskCtxObj[T]]
 
@@ -251,7 +252,6 @@ proc queryTask[DB](
     ctx: TaskCtx[QResult],
     ds: DB,
     query: DbQuery[KeyId],
-    nextSignal: ThreadSignalPtr
 ) {.gcsafe, nimcall.} =
   ## run query command
   executeTask(ctx):
@@ -265,8 +265,11 @@ proc queryTask[DB](
       # otherwise manually an set empty ok result
       ctx[].res.ok (KeyId.none, DataBuffer(), )
       discard ctx[].signal.fireSync()
-      if not nextSignal.waitSync(10.seconds).get():
-        raise newException(DeadThreadDefect, "query task timeout; possible deadlock!")
+
+      withLock(ctx[].nextSignal[0]):
+        wait(ctx[].nextSignal[1], ctx[].nextSignal[0])
+      # if not nextSignal.waitSync(10.seconds).get():
+      #   raise newException(DeadThreadDefect, "query task timeout; possible deadlock!")
 
       var handle = handleRes.get()
       for item in handle.iter():
@@ -282,7 +285,9 @@ proc queryTask[DB](
 
           discard ctx[].signal.fireSync()
 
-          discard nextSignal.waitSync().get()
+          # discard nextSignal.waitSync().get()
+          withLock(ctx[].nextSignal[0]):
+            wait(ctx[].nextSignal[1], ctx[].nextSignal[0])
 
       # set final result
       (?!QResult).ok((KeyId.none, DataBuffer()))
@@ -296,8 +301,11 @@ method query*(self: ThreadDatastore,
   await self.semaphore.acquire()
   without signal =? acquireSignal(), err:
     return failure err
-  without nextSignal =? acquireSignal(), err:
-    return failure err
+  # without nextSignal =? acquireSignal(), err:
+  #   return failure err
+  let ctx {.inject.} = newSharedPtr(TaskCtxObj[QResult](signal: signal))
+  ctx[].nextSignal[0].initLock()
+  ctx[].nextSignal[1].initCond()
 
   try:
     let query = dbQuery(
@@ -305,10 +313,10 @@ method query*(self: ThreadDatastore,
       value=q.value, limit=q.limit, offset=q.offset, sort=q.sort)
 
     # setup initial queryTask
-    let ctx {.inject.} = newSharedPtr(TaskCtxObj[QResult](signal: signal))
     dispatchTaskWrap[DbQueryResponse[KeyId, DataBuffer]](self, signal):
-      self.tp.spawn queryTask(ctx, ds, query, nextSignal)
-    await nextSignal.fire()
+      self.tp.spawn queryTask(ctx, ds, query)
+    withLock(ctx[].nextSignal[0]):
+      signal(ctx[].nextSignal[1])
 
     var
       lock = newAsyncLock() # serialize querying under threads
@@ -329,7 +337,8 @@ method query*(self: ThreadDatastore,
           iter.finished = true
 
         defer:
-          await nextSignal.fire()
+          withLock(ctx[].nextSignal[0]):
+            signal(ctx[].nextSignal[1])
 
         if ctx[].res.isErr():
           return err(ctx[].res.error())
@@ -342,7 +351,7 @@ method query*(self: ThreadDatastore,
         trace "Cancelling thread future!", exc = exc.msg
         ctx.setCancelled()
         discard ctx[].signal.close()
-        discard nextSignal.close()
+        # discard nextSignal.close()
         self.semaphore.release()
         raise exc
 
@@ -351,7 +360,7 @@ method query*(self: ThreadDatastore,
   except CancelledError as exc:
     trace "Cancelling thread future!", exc = exc.msg
     discard signal.close()
-    discard nextSignal.close()
+    # discard nextSignal.close()
     self.semaphore.release()
     raise exc
 
diff --git a/tests/datastore/sql/testsqlite.nim b/tests/datastore/sql/testsqlite.nim
index c629eb0..3e15c43 100644
--- a/tests/datastore/sql/testsqlite.nim
+++ b/tests/datastore/sql/testsqlite.nim
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import pkg/chronos
 import pkg/stew/results
 import pkg/stew/byteutils
 
-import pkg/datastore/sql/sqliteds
+import pkg/datastore/sql
 
 import ../dscommontests
 import ../querycommontests
diff --git a/tests/datastore/testasyncsemaphore.nim b/tests/datastore/testasyncsemaphore.nim
index 3c8bb84..aefff19 100644
--- a/tests/datastore/testasyncsemaphore.nim
+++ b/tests/datastore/testasyncsemaphore.nim
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ suite "AsyncSemaphore":
         resource.inc()
         check resource > 0 and resource <= 3
         let sleep = rand(0..10).millis
-        # echo sleep
         await sleepAsync(sleep)
       finally:
         resource.dec()