diff --git a/datastore/threads/databuffer.nim b/datastore/threads/databuffer.nim
index be1f0ca..66bb7e6 100644
--- a/datastore/threads/databuffer.nim
+++ b/datastore/threads/databuffer.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import threading/smartptrs
 import std/hashes
+import pkg/stew/ptrops
 
 export hashes
 
@@ -50,7 +51,9 @@ proc new*[T: byte | char](tp: type DataBuffer, data: openArray[T]): DataBuffer =
   ##
   result = DataBuffer.new(data.len)
   if data.len() > 0:
-    copyMem(result[].buf, unsafeAddr data[0], data.len)
+    # TODO: we might want to copy data, otherwise the GC might
+    # release it on stack-unwind
+    copyMem(result[].buf, baseAddr data, data.len)
 
 converter toSeq*(self: DataBuffer): seq[byte] =
   ## convert buffer to a seq type using copy and either a byte or char
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ converter toSeq*(self: DataBuffer): seq[byte] =
 
   result = newSeq[byte](self.len)
   if self.len() > 0:
-    copyMem(addr result[0], unsafeAddr self[].buf[0], self.len)
+    copyMem(addr result[0], addr self[].buf[0], self.len)
 
 proc `@`*(self: DataBuffer): seq[byte] =
   ## Convert a buffer to a seq type using copy and
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ converter toString*(data: DataBuffer): string =
   if data.isNil: return ""
   result = newString(data.len())
   if data.len() > 0:
-    copyMem(addr result[0], unsafeAddr data[].buf[0], data.len)
+    copyMem(addr result[0], addr data[].buf[0], data.len)
 
 proc `$`*(data: DataBuffer): string =
   ## convert buffer to string type using copy
diff --git a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
index 2439e8c..f8c972b 100644
--- a/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
+++ b/datastore/threads/threadproxyds.nim
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ template withLocks(
 
     if self.withLocks:
       await self.queryLock.acquire()  # only lock if it's required (fsds)
-
     body
   finally:
     if self.withLocks:
@@ -90,35 +89,41 @@ template withLocks(
       if self.queryLock.locked:
         self.queryLock.release()
 
+# TODO: needs rework, we can't use `result` with async
 template dispatchTask(
   self: ThreadDatastore,
   ctx: ref TaskCtx,
   key: ?Key = Key.none,
   runTask: proc): untyped =
+  try:
+    await self.semaphore.acquire()
+    ctx.signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
+      result = failure(error())
+      return
 
-  let
-    fut = wait(ctx.signal)
+    let
+      fut = wait(ctx.signal)
 
-  withLocks(self, ctx, key, fut):
-    try:
+    withLocks(self, ctx, key, fut):
       runTask()
       await fut
 
       if ctx.res.isErr:
         result = failure(ctx.res.error()) # TODO: fix this, result shouldn't be accessed
-    except CancelledError as exc:
-      trace "Cancelling thread future!", exc = exc.msg
-      if ctx.isActive.load(moAcquireRelease):
-        # could do a spinlock here until the other side cancels,
-        # but for now it'd at least be better to leak than possibly
-        # corrupt memory since it's easier to detect and fix leaks
-        warn "request was cancelled while thread task is running", exc = exc.msg
-        GC_ref(ctx)
-      ctx.cancelled.store(true, moAcquireRelease)
-      await ctx.signal.fire()
-      raise exc
-    finally:
-      discard ctx.signal.close()
+  except CancelledError as exc:
+    trace "Cancelling thread future!", exc = exc.msg
+    if ctx.isActive.load(moAcquireRelease):
+      # could do a spinlock here until the other side cancels,
+      # but for now it'd at least be better to leak than possibly
+      # corrupt memory since it's easier to detect and fix leaks
+      warn "request was cancelled while thread task is running", exc = exc.msg
+      GC_ref(ctx)
+    ctx.cancelled.store(true, moAcquireRelease)
+    await ctx.signal.fire()
+    raise exc
+  finally:
+    discard ctx.signal.close()
+    self.semaphore.release()
 
 proc signalMonitor[T](ctx: ptr TaskCtx, fut: Future[T]) {.async.} =
   ## Monitor the signal and cancel the future if
@@ -167,11 +172,6 @@ proc hasTask(ctx: ptr TaskCtx, key: ptr Key) =
     raiseAssert exc.msg
 
 method has*(self: ThreadDatastore, key: Key): Future[?!bool] {.async.} =
-  defer:
-    self.semaphore.release()
-
-  await self.semaphore.acquire()
-
   var
     signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
         return failure(error())
@@ -212,11 +212,6 @@ proc delTask(ctx: ptr TaskCtx, key: ptr Key) =
 method delete*(
   self: ThreadDatastore,
   key: Key): Future[?!void] {.async.} =
-  defer:
-    self.semaphore.release()
-
-  await self.semaphore.acquire()
-
   var
     signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
         return failure(error())
@@ -278,11 +273,6 @@ method put*(
   self: ThreadDatastore,
   key: Key,
   data: seq[byte]): Future[?!void] {.async.} =
-  defer:
-    self.semaphore.release()
-
-  await self.semaphore.acquire()
-
   var
     signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
         return failure(error())
@@ -343,15 +333,6 @@ proc getTask(
 method get*(
   self: ThreadDatastore,
   key: Key): Future[?!seq[byte]] {.async.} =
-  defer:
-    self.semaphore.release()
-
-  await self.semaphore.acquire()
-
-  var
-    signal = ThreadSignalPtr.new().valueOr:
-        return failure(error())
-
   var
     ctx = TaskCtx[DataBuffer].new(
       ds= self.ds,
@@ -420,10 +401,8 @@ method query*(
   proc next(): Future[?!QueryResponse] {.async.} =
     defer:
       locked = false
-      self.semaphore.release()
 
     trace "About to query"
-    await self.semaphore.acquire()
     if locked:
       return failure (ref DatastoreError)(msg: "Should always await query features")