diff --git a/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteNative.java b/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteNative.java
index 2a179f9..0f164f2 100644
--- a/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteNative.java
+++ b/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteNative.java
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ public class SQLiteNative {
   public static native long sqlc_db_last_insert_rowid(long db);
 
   /** Interface to C language function: <br> <code> sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open(const char *  filename, int flags); </code>    */
-  public static native long sqlc_db_open(String filename, int flags);
+  public static native SQLiteResponse sqlc_db_open(String filename, int flags);
 
   /** Interface to C language function: <br> <code> sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *  sql); </code>    */
-  public static native long sqlc_db_prepare_st(long db, String sql);
+  public static native SQLiteResponse sqlc_db_prepare_st(long db, String sql);
 
   /** Interface to C language function: <br> <code> int sqlc_db_total_changes(sqlc_handle_t db); </code>    */
   public static native int sqlc_db_total_changes(long db);
diff --git a/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse.java b/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc6b9d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package io.liteglue;
+
+public class SQLiteResponse {
+    private int result;
+    private long handle;
+
+    public SQLiteResponse(int result, long handle) {
+        this.result = result;
+        this.handle = handle;
+    }
+
+    public int getResult() {
+        return this.result;
+    }
+
+    public long getHandle() {
+        return this.handle;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jni/Application.mk b/jni/Application.mk
index 64623e9..8d0d6ea 100644
--- a/jni/Application.mk
+++ b/jni/Application.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #APP_ABI := all
-APP_ABI := armeabi armeabi-v7a x86 x86_64 arm64-v8a
+APP_ABI := armeabi-v7a x86 x86_64 arm64-v8a
 # For future consideration (needs testing):
 #APP_ABI += mips mips64
-
+APP_PLATFORM := android-23
diff --git a/native/SQLiteNative_JNI.c b/native/SQLiteNative_JNI.c
index a266ffe..32f6ca0 100644
--- a/native/SQLiteNative_JNI.c
+++ b/native/SQLiteNative_JNI.c
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@
 
 /*   Java->C glue code:
  *   Java package: io.liteglue.SQLiteNative
- *    Java method: long sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, java.lang.String filename, int flags)
- *     C function: sqlc_handle_t sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *  filename, int flags);
+ *    Java method: SQLiteResponse sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, java.lang.String filename, int flags)
+ *     C function: sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *  filename, int flags);
  */
-JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL 
+JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL 
 Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1api_1db_1open__ILjava_lang_String_2I(JNIEnv *env, jclass _unused, jint sqlc_api_version, jstring filename, jint flags) {
   const char* _strchars_filename = NULL;
-  sqlc_handle_t _res;
+  sqlc_handle_ct* _res;
   if ( NULL != filename ) {
     _strchars_filename = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, filename, (jboolean*)NULL);
   if ( NULL == _strchars_filename ) {
@@ -27,7 +27,14 @@ Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1api_1db_1open__ILjava_lang_String_2I(JNIEnv
   if ( NULL != filename ) {
     (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars(env, filename, _strchars_filename);
   }
-  return _res;
+
+  jclass class = (*env)->FindClass(env,"io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse");
+  jmethodID constructor = (*env)->GetMethodID(env, class, "<init>", "(IJ)V");
+  jobject instance = (*env)->NewObject(env, class, constructor, _res->result, _res->handle);
+  
+  free(_res);
+
+  return instance;
 }
 
 
@@ -124,13 +131,13 @@ Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1db_1last_1insert_1rowid__J(JNIEnv *env, jcla
 
 /*   Java->C glue code:
  *   Java package: io.liteglue.SQLiteNative
- *    Java method: long sqlc_db_open(java.lang.String filename, int flags)
- *     C function: sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open(const char *  filename, int flags);
+ *    Java method: SQLiteResponse sqlc_db_open(java.lang.String filename, int flags)
+ *     C function: sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_open(const char *  filename, int flags);
  */
-JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL 
+JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL 
 Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1db_1open__Ljava_lang_String_2I(JNIEnv *env, jclass _unused, jstring filename, jint flags) {
   const char* _strchars_filename = NULL;
-  sqlc_handle_t _res;
+  sqlc_handle_ct* _res;
   if ( NULL != filename ) {
     _strchars_filename = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, filename, (jboolean*)NULL);
   if ( NULL == _strchars_filename ) {
@@ -143,19 +150,26 @@ Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1db_1open__Ljava_lang_String_2I(JNIEnv *env,
   if ( NULL != filename ) {
     (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars(env, filename, _strchars_filename);
   }
-  return _res;
+
+  jclass class = (*env)->FindClass(env,"io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse");
+  jmethodID constructor = (*env)->GetMethodID(env, class, "<init>", "(IJ)V");
+  jobject instance = (*env)->NewObject(env, class, constructor, _res->result, _res->handle);
+
+  free(_res);
+
+  return instance;
 }
 
 
 /*   Java->C glue code:
  *   Java package: io.liteglue.SQLiteNative
- *    Java method: long sqlc_db_prepare_st(long db, java.lang.String sql)
- *     C function: sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *  sql);
+ *    Java method: SQLiteResponse sqlc_db_prepare_st(long db, java.lang.String sql)
+ *     C function: sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *  sql);
  */
-JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL 
+JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL 
 Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1db_1prepare_1st__JLjava_lang_String_2(JNIEnv *env, jclass _unused, jlong db, jstring sql) {
   const char* _strchars_sql = NULL;
-  sqlc_handle_t _res;
+  sqlc_handle_ct* _res;
   if ( NULL != sql ) {
     _strchars_sql = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, sql, (jboolean*)NULL);
   if ( NULL == _strchars_sql ) {
@@ -168,7 +182,14 @@ Java_io_liteglue_SQLiteNative_sqlc_1db_1prepare_1st__JLjava_lang_String_2(JNIEnv
   if ( NULL != sql ) {
     (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars(env, sql, _strchars_sql);
   }
-  return _res;
+
+  jclass class = (*env)->FindClass(env,"io/liteglue/SQLiteResponse");
+  jmethodID constructor = (*env)->GetMethodID(env, class, "<init>", "(IJ)V");
+  jobject instance = (*env)->NewObject(env, class, constructor, _res->result, _res->handle);
+
+  free(_res);
+
+  return instance;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/native/sqlc.c b/native/sqlc.c
index aa5099a..d8b65a3 100644
--- a/native/sqlc.c
+++ b/native/sqlc.c
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 
 #include "sqlite3.h"
 
-#define BASE_HANDLE_OFFSET 0x100000000LL
-
 #ifdef SQLC_KEEP_ANDROID_LOG
 // ref: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/tutorials/os-androidndk/index.html
 #define MYLOG(...) __android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_VERBOSE, "sqlc", __VA_ARGS__)
@@ -15,23 +13,29 @@
 #define MYLOG(...) ;
 #endif
 
-#define HANDLE_FROM_VP(p) ( BASE_HANDLE_OFFSET + ( (unsigned char *)(p) - (unsigned char *)NULL ) )
-#define HANDLE_TO_VP(h) (void *)( (unsigned char *)NULL + (ptrdiff_t)((h) - BASE_HANDLE_OFFSET) )
+#define HANDLE_FROM_VP(p) (( (unsigned char *)(p) - (unsigned char *)NULL ) )
+#define HANDLE_TO_VP(h) (void *)( (unsigned char *)NULL + (ptrdiff_t)((h)) )
 
 int sqlc_api_version_check(int sqlc_api_version)
 {
   return (sqlc_api_version != SQLC_API_VERSION) ? SQLC_RESULT_ERROR : SQLC_RESULT_OK;
 }
 
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *filename, int flags)
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *filename, int flags)
 {
-  if (sqlc_api_version != SQLC_API_VERSION) return SQLC_RESULT_ERROR;
+  if (sqlc_api_version != SQLC_API_VERSION) {
+    sqlc_handle_ct* resp = malloc(sizeof(sqlc_handle_ct));
+    resp->result = SQLC_RESULT_ERROR;
+    resp->handle = 0;
+    return resp;
+  }
 
   return sqlc_db_open(filename, flags);
 }
 
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open(const char *filename, int flags)
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_open(const char *filename, int flags)
 {
+  sqlc_handle_ct *resp;
   sqlite3 *d1;
   int r1;
 
@@ -41,11 +45,16 @@ sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open(const char *filename, int flags)
 
   MYLOG("db_open %s result %d ptr %p", filename, r1, d1);
 
-  return (r1 == 0) ? HANDLE_FROM_VP(d1) : -r1;
+  resp = malloc (sizeof (sqlc_handle_ct));
+  resp->result = (r1 == 0) ? 0 : -r1;
+  resp->handle = HANDLE_FROM_VP(d1);
+
+  return resp;
 }
 
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *sql)
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *sql)
 {
+  sqlc_handle_ct *resp;
   sqlite3 *mydb = HANDLE_TO_VP(db);
   sqlite3_stmt *s;
   int rv;
@@ -54,7 +63,11 @@ sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *sql)
 
   rv = sqlite3_prepare_v2(mydb, sql, -1, &s, NULL);
 
-  return (rv == 0) ? HANDLE_FROM_VP(s) : -rv;
+  resp = malloc (sizeof (sqlc_handle_ct));
+  resp->result = (rv == 0) ? 0 : -rv;
+  resp->handle = HANDLE_FROM_VP(s);
+
+  return resp;
 }
 
 /** FUTURE TBD (???) for sqlcipher:
diff --git a/native/sqlc.h b/native/sqlc.h
index 2cf47ce..9f58136 100644
--- a/native/sqlc.h
+++ b/native/sqlc.h
@@ -39,14 +39,20 @@ typedef long long sqlc_long_t;
 /* negative number indicates an error: */
 typedef sqlc_long_t sqlc_handle_t;
 
+#pragma once
+typedef struct {
+    int result;
+    sqlc_handle_t handle;
+}sqlc_handle_ct;
+
 /* RECOMMENDED (alt 1): Use this call at startup to check Java/native library match
  * (returns SQLC_RESULT_OK [0] if OK, other value in case of mismatch) */
 int sqlc_api_version_check(int sqlc_api_version);
 
 /* RECOMMENDED (alt 2): Check Java/native library match and open database handle */
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *filename, int flags);
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_api_db_open(int sqlc_api_version, const char *filename, int flags);
 
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open(const char *filename, int flags);
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_open(const char *filename, int flags);
 
 // FUTURE TBD (???):
 //sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_open_vfs(const char *filename, int flags, const char *vfs);
@@ -59,7 +65,7 @@ int sqlc_db_key_native_string(sqlc_handle_t db, char *key_string);
 // FUTURE TBD (???) for sqlcipher:
 //  int sqlc_db_rekey_string_native(sqlc_handle_t db, char *key_string);
 
-sqlc_handle_t sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *sql);
+sqlc_handle_ct* sqlc_db_prepare_st(sqlc_handle_t db, const char *sql);
 
 sqlc_long_t sqlc_db_last_insert_rowid(sqlc_handle_t db);
 int sqlc_db_total_changes(sqlc_handle_t db);
diff --git a/sqlite-amalgamation b/sqlite-amalgamation
index 295f7c8..ae04d99 160000
--- a/sqlite-amalgamation
+++ b/sqlite-amalgamation
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 295f7c89b3cdd1575ca8298317535a39a4877264
+Subproject commit ae04d995a77a2682f965731f9abf15a8c089a4d4