diff --git a/basic-example.cc b/basic-example.cc
index a934958..e592e66 100644
--- a/basic-example.cc
+++ b/basic-example.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
+
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 void checkLMDB(MDBEnv* env, MDBDbi dbi)
 {
diff --git a/lmdb-safe.cc b/lmdb-safe.cc
index f9d7bd9..e4ea477 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.cc
+++ b/lmdb-safe.cc
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+namespace LMDBSafe {
+
 static string MDBError(int rc)
 {
   return mdb_strerror(rc);
@@ -374,3 +376,5 @@ MDBROCursor MDBROTransactionImpl::getROCursor(const MDBDbi &dbi)
   }
   return MDBROCursor(d_cursors, cursor);
 }
+
+}
diff --git a/lmdb-safe.hh b/lmdb-safe.hh
index 9476ccf..60fd5a7 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.hh
+++ b/lmdb-safe.hh
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <limits>
 
+namespace LMDBSafe {
+
 // apple compiler somehow has string_view even in c++11!
 #ifdef __cpp_lib_string_view
 using std::string_view;
@@ -620,3 +622,4 @@ public:
 
 };
 
+}
diff --git a/lmdb-typed.cc b/lmdb-typed.cc
index b4ecd38..4a904ac 100644
--- a/lmdb-typed.cc
+++ b/lmdb-typed.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "lmdb-typed.hh"
 
+namespace LMDBSafe {
+
 unsigned int MDBGetMaxID(MDBRWTransaction& txn, MDBDbi& dbi)
 {
   auto cursor = txn->getRWCursor(dbi);
@@ -11,4 +13,4 @@ unsigned int MDBGetMaxID(MDBRWTransaction& txn, MDBDbi& dbi)
   return maxid;
 }
 
-
+}
diff --git a/lmdb-typed.hh b/lmdb-typed.hh
index 586ab12..18ccb71 100644
--- a/lmdb-typed.hh
+++ b/lmdb-typed.hh
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@
 #include <boost/iostreams/stream_buffer.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/device/back_inserter.hpp>
 
+namespace LMDBSafe {
+
 /* 
    Open issues:
 
-   Everything should go into a namespace
    What is an error? What is an exception?
    could id=0 be magic? ('no such id')
      yes
@@ -716,7 +717,4 @@ private:
   std::string d_name;
 };
 
-
-
-
-
+}
diff --git a/lmdb-various.cc b/lmdb-various.cc
index 48da386..528afbb 100644
--- a/lmdb-various.cc
+++ b/lmdb-various.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 static void closeTest()
 {
@@ -240,3 +241,4 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
   txn.commit();
 }
 */
+
diff --git a/lmdb-view.cc b/lmdb-view.cc
index 480ea1a..0eb9a87 100644
--- a/lmdb-view.cc
+++ b/lmdb-view.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 void countDB(MDBEnv& env, MDBROTransaction& txn, const std::string& dbname)
 {
diff --git a/multi-example.cc b/multi-example.cc
index 540536e..91d7dc6 100644
--- a/multi-example.cc
+++ b/multi-example.cc
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
-using namespace std;
 
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
+
 int main()
 {
   unlink("./multi");
diff --git a/rel-example.cc b/rel-example.cc
index b3ead55..0899f73 100644
--- a/rel-example.cc
+++ b/rel-example.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 struct Record
 {
diff --git a/resize-example.cc b/resize-example.cc
index f3e68ee..191d52e 100644
--- a/resize-example.cc
+++ b/resize-example.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <cstring>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
diff --git a/scale-example.cc b/scale-example.cc
index 1efaa36..13dba07 100644
--- a/scale-example.cc
+++ b/scale-example.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
+
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 struct MDBVal
 {
diff --git a/test-basic.cc b/test-basic.cc
index 587203b..4323e7f 100644
--- a/test-basic.cc
+++ b/test-basic.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 TEST_CASE("Most basic tests", "[mostbasic]") {
   unlink("./tests");
diff --git a/typed-example.cc b/typed-example.cc
index 8f24fb5..8e577dd 100644
--- a/typed-example.cc
+++ b/typed-example.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 struct DNSResourceRecord
 {
diff --git a/typed-test.cc b/typed-test.cc
index be6a4fa..dc1f87a 100644
--- a/typed-test.cc
+++ b/typed-test.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace LMDBSafe;
 
 struct Member
 {