diff --git a/lmdb-safe.cc b/lmdb-safe.cc
index 7f28100..0f34ae4 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.cc
+++ b/lmdb-safe.cc
@@ -226,8 +226,4 @@ MDBROCursor MDBROTransaction::getCursor(const MDBDbi& dbi)
   return MDBROCursor(this, dbi);
 }
 
-void MDBRWTransaction::put(MDB_dbi dbi, string_view key, string_view val, int flags)
-{
-  put(dbi, MDB_val{key.size(), (void*)&key[0]}, MDB_val{val.size(), (void*)&val[0]}, flags);
-}
 
diff --git a/lmdb-safe.hh b/lmdb-safe.hh
index c01a9cd..c340397 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.hh
+++ b/lmdb-safe.hh
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ public:
     d_mdbval.mv_data = (void*)&v[0];
   }
 
+  MDBInVal(const string& v) 
+  {
+    d_mdbval.mv_size = v.size();
+    d_mdbval.mv_data = (void*)&v[0];
+  }
+
+  
   template<typename T>
   static MDBInVal fromStruct(const T& t)
   {
@@ -376,17 +383,23 @@ public:
 
   void clear(MDB_dbi dbi);
   
-  void put(MDB_dbi dbi, const MDB_val& key, const MDB_val& val, int flags=0)
+  void put(MDB_dbi dbi, const MDBInVal& key, const MDBInVal& val, int flags=0)
   {
     if(!d_txn)
       throw std::runtime_error("Attempt to use a closed RW transaction for put");
     int rc;
-    if((rc=mdb_put(d_txn, dbi, (MDB_val*)&key, (MDB_val*)&val, flags)))
+    if((rc=mdb_put(d_txn, dbi,
+                   const_cast<MDB_val*>(&key.d_mdbval),
+                   const_cast<MDB_val*>(&val.d_mdbval), flags)))
       throw std::runtime_error("putting data: " + std::string(mdb_strerror(rc)));
   }
 
-  void put(MDB_dbi dbi, string_view key, string_view val, int flags=0);
-  
+  /*
+  void put(MDB_dbi dbi, string_view key, string_view val, int flags=0)
+  {
+    put(dbi, MDBInVal(key), MDBInVal(val), flags);
+  }
+  */
 
   int del(MDB_dbi dbi, const MDB_val& key)
   {
@@ -498,9 +511,11 @@ public:
     return rc;
   }
 
-  int put(MDB_val& key, MDB_val& data, int flags=0)
+  int put(const MDBOutVal& key, const MDBOutVal& data, int flags=0)
   {
-    return mdb_cursor_put(d_cursor, &key, &data, flags);
+    return mdb_cursor_put(d_cursor,
+                          const_cast<MDB_val*>(&key.d_mdbval),
+                          const_cast<MDB_val*>(&data.d_mdbval), flags);
   }
 
   int del(MDB_val& key, int flags)
diff --git a/lmdb-test.cc b/lmdb-test.cc
index 718af18..67bbf32 100644
--- a/lmdb-test.cc
+++ b/lmdb-test.cc
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ try
   for(int n=0; n < 15; ++n) {
     auto txn = env->getRWTransaction();
     int val = n + 1000*tid;
-    txn.put(dbi, {sizeof(val), (char*)&val},
-            {sizeof(val), (char*)&val});
+    txn.put(dbi, val, val);
     txn.commit();
     cout << "Done with transaction "<<n<<" in thread " << tid<<endl;
   }
diff --git a/rel-example.cc b/rel-example.cc
index e901a56..8a2c3b0 100644
--- a/rel-example.cc
+++ b/rel-example.cc
@@ -25,28 +25,6 @@ struct Record
 
 };
 
-struct MDBVal
-{
-  MDBVal(unsigned int v) : d_v(v)
-  {
-    d_mdbval.mv_size = sizeof(d_v);
-    d_mdbval.mv_data = &d_v;
-  }
-
-  MDBVal(const std::string& str) : d_str(str)
-  {
-    d_mdbval.mv_size = str.size();
-    d_mdbval.mv_data = (void*)str.c_str();
-  }
-  operator MDB_val&()
-  {
-    return d_mdbval;
-  }
-  unsigned int d_v;
-  std::string d_str;
-  MDB_val d_mdbval;
-};
-
 static unsigned int getMaxID(MDBRWTransaction& txn, MDBDbi& dbi)
 {
   auto cursor = txn.getCursor(dbi);
@@ -64,9 +42,9 @@ static void store(MDBRWTransaction& txn, MDBDbi& records, MDBDbi& domainidx, MDB
   boost::archive::binary_oarchive oa(oss,boost::archive::no_header );
   oa << r;
   
-  txn.put(records, MDBVal(r.id), MDBVal(oss.str()), MDB_APPEND);
-  txn.put(domainidx, MDBVal(r.domain_id), MDBVal(r.id));
-  txn.put(nameidx, MDBVal(r.name), MDBVal(r.id));
+  txn.put(records, r.id, oss.str(), MDB_APPEND);
+  txn.put(domainidx, r.domain_id, r.id);
+  txn.put(nameidx, r.name, r.id);
 }
 
 
@@ -154,8 +132,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
   MDBOutVal data;
   int count = 0;
   MDBOutVal key;
+
   MDBInVal tmp("www.powerdns.com");
   key.d_mdbval = tmp.d_mdbval;
+
+  // ugh
+  
   while(!rocursor.get(key, data, count ? MDB_NEXT_DUP : MDB_SET)) {
     unsigned int id = data.get<unsigned int>();
     cout<<"Got something: id="<<id<<endl;
diff --git a/scale-example.cc b/scale-example.cc
index 36a7a25..2355877 100644
--- a/scale-example.cc
+++ b/scale-example.cc
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
   cout << "Adding "<<limit<<" values  .. "; cout.flush();
   for(unsigned int n = 0 ; n < limit; ++n) {
-    txn.put(dbi, MDBVal(n), MDBVal(n), MDB_APPEND);
+    txn.put(dbi, n, n, MDB_APPEND);
   }
   cout <<"Done!"<<endl;
   cout <<"Calling commit.. "; cout.flush();