diff --git a/datastore/backend.nim b/datastore/backend.nim
index 9559f50..8b6daa2 100644
--- a/datastore/backend.nim
+++ b/datastore/backend.nim
@@ -4,7 +4,30 @@ import pkg/upraises
 import ./threads/databuffer
 import ./threads/threadresult
 import ./threads/semaphore
+import ./key
 import ./types
 
 export databuffer, threadresult, semaphore, types
 export upraises, results
+
+type
+  KeyId* = object
+    ## serialized Key ID, equivalent to `key.id()`
+    data: DataBuffer
+
+  DbKey* = string | KeyId
+  DbVal* = seq[byte] | DataBuffer
+
+proc `$`*(id: KeyId): string = $(id.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 toKey*(key: DbKey): Key {.inline, raises: [].} =
+  Key.init(key.data).expect("expected valid key here for but got `" & $key.data & "`")
+
+template toOpenArray*(x: DbKey): openArray[char] =
+  x.data.toOpenArray(char)
diff --git a/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim b/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
index 9b5604f..2401095 100644
--- a/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql/sqliteds.nim
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ proc readOnly*(self: SQLiteDatastore): bool = self.db.readOnly
 proc timestamp*(t = epochTime()): int64 =
   (t * 1_000_000).int64
 
-proc has*(self: SQLiteDatastore, key: DbKey): ?!bool =
+proc has*(self: SQLiteDatastore, key: DbKey|string): ?!bool =
   var
     exists = false
     key = $key
diff --git a/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim b/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
index 7dc1c92..c4572c6 100644
--- a/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
+++ b/datastore/sql/sqlitedsdb.nim
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ type
   ContainsStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string), void]
   DeleteStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string), void]
   GetStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string), void]
-  PutStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string, DataBuffer, int64), void]
+  PutStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string, seq[byte], int64), void]
+  PutBufferStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string, DataBuffer, int64), void]
   QueryStmt* = SQLiteStmt[(string), void]
   BeginStmt* = NoParamsStmt
   EndStmt* = NoParamsStmt
@@ -268,6 +269,7 @@ proc open*(
     deleteStmt: DeleteStmt
     getStmt: GetStmt
     putStmt: PutStmt
+    putBufferStmt: PutStmt
     beginStmt: BeginStmt
     endStmt: EndStmt
     rollbackStmt: RollbackStmt
@@ -281,6 +283,9 @@ proc open*(
     putStmt = ? PutStmt.prepare(
       env.val, PutStmtStr, SQLITE_PREPARE_PERSISTENT)
 
+    putBufferStmt = ? PutBufferStmt.prepare(
+      env.val, PutStmtStr, SQLITE_PREPARE_PERSISTENT)
+
   beginStmt = ? BeginStmt.prepare(
     env.val, BeginTransactionStr, SQLITE_PREPARE_PERSISTENT)
 
diff --git a/datastore/threads/threadresult.nim b/datastore/threads/threadresult.nim
index f430d8f..b2c2d91 100644
--- a/datastore/threads/threadresult.nim
+++ b/datastore/threads/threadresult.nim
@@ -22,30 +22,6 @@ type
   ThreadQueryRes* = (DataBuffer, DataBuffer)
   ThreadResult*[T: ThreadTypes] = Result[T, ThreadResErr]
 
-  DbKey* = object
-    data: DataBuffer
-  DbVal* = object
-    data: DataBuffer
-
-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: DbKey): Key {.inline, raises: [].} =
-  Key.init(key.data).expect("expected valid key here for but got `" & $key.data & "`")
-
-proc toDb*(value: sink seq[byte]): DbVal {.inline, raises: [].} =
-  DbVal(data: DataBuffer.new(value))
-
-proc toValue*(value: DbVal): seq[byte] {.inline, raises: [].} =
-  value.data.toSeq()
-
-template toOpenArray*(x: DbKey): openArray[char] =
-  x.data.toOpenArray(char)
-template toOpenArray*(x: DbVal): openArray[byte] =
-  x.data.toOpenArray(byte)
 
 converter toThreadErr*(e: ref CatchableError): ThreadResErr {.inline, raises: [].} =
   if e of DatastoreKeyNotFound: (ErrorEnum.DatastoreKeyNotFoundErr, DataBuffer.new(e.msg))