diff --git a/src/common.jl b/src/common.jl
index a0e4f7f..798abbd 100644
--- a/src/common.jl
+++ b/src/common.jl
@@ -1,29 +1,24 @@
 const Cmode_t = Cushort
 
 "Generic structure used for passing keys and data in and out of the database."
-type MDBValue
+immutable MDBValue
     size::Csize_t   # size of the data item
     data::Ptr{Void} # address of the data item
 end
 MDBValue() = MDBValue(zero(Csize_t), C_NULL)
-function MDBValue(val)
-    val_size = sizeof(val)
-    val = isa(val, Number) ? typeof(val)[val] : val
-    return MDBValue(val_size, pointer(val))
-end
+MDBValue(_::Void) = MDBValue()
+MDBValue{T<:Union{String,Array}}(val::T) = MDBValue(sizeof(val), pointer(val))
+MDBValue{T<:Number}(val::T) = error("can not wrap a $T in MDBValue, use a $T array instead")
+MDBValue(val) = MDBValue(sizeof(val), pointer_from_objref(val))
 
-function convert{T}(::Type{T}, mdb_val_ref::Ref{MDBValue})
-    mdb_val = mdb_val_ref[]
-    return if T <: String
-        unsafe_string(convert(Ptr{UInt8}, mdb_val.data), mdb_val.size)
-    elseif T <: AbstractVector
-        E = eltype(T)
-        nvals = floor(Int, mdb_val.size/sizeof(E))
-        unsafe_wrap(T, convert(Ptr{E}, mdb_val.data), nvals)
-    else
-        unsafe_load(convert(Ptr{T}, mdb_val.data))
-    end
+convert{T}(::Type{T}, mdb_val_ref::Ref{MDBValue}) = _convert(T, mdb_val_ref[])
+_convert(::Type{String}, mdb_val::MDBValue) = unsafe_string(convert(Ptr{UInt8}, mdb_val.data), mdb_val.size)
+function _convert{T}(::Type{Vector{T}}, mdb_val::MDBValue)
+    nvals = floor(Int, mdb_val.size/sizeof(T))
+    unsafe_wrap(Array, convert(Ptr{T}, mdb_val.data), nvals)
 end
+_convert{T<:Number}(::Type{T}, mdb_val::MDBValue) = unsafe_wrap(Array, convert(Ptr{T}, mdb_val.data), 1)[1]
+_convert{T}(::Type{T}, mdb_val::MDBValue) = unsafe_load(convert(Ptr{T}, mdb_val.data), 1)
 
 # Environment Flags
 # -----------------
@@ -117,9 +112,9 @@ end
 """LMDB exception type"""
 immutable LMDBError <: Exception
     code::Cint
-    msg::AbstractString
-    LMDBError(code::Cint) = new(code, errormsg(code))
+    msg::String
 end
+LMDBError(code::Cint) = LMDBError(code, errormsg(code))
 Base.show(io::IO, err::LMDBError) = print(io, "Code[$(err.code)]: $(err.msg)")
 
 """ Check if binary flag is set in provided value"""
diff --git a/src/cur.jl b/src/cur.jl
index 2486db3..f04244b 100644
--- a/src/cur.jl
+++ b/src/cur.jl
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ end
 
 This function retrieves key/data pairs from the database.
 """
+get{K<:Number,T}(cur::Cursor, key::K, ::Type{T}) = get(cur, [key], T)
 function get{T}(cur::Cursor, key, ::Type{T}, op::CursorOps=FIRST)
     # Setup parameters
     mdb_key_ref = Ref(MDBValue(key))
@@ -85,6 +86,12 @@ end
 This function stores key/data pairs into the database. The cursor is positioned at the new item, or on failure usually near it.
 """
 function put!(cur::Cursor, key, val; flags::Cuint = zero(Cuint))
+    if isa(key, Number) || isa(val, Number)
+        key = isa(key, Number) ? [key] : key
+        val = isa(val, Number) ? [val] : val
+        return put!(cur, key, val; flags=flags)
+    end
+
     mdb_key_ref = Ref(MDBValue(key))
     mdb_val_ref = Ref(MDBValue(val))
 
diff --git a/src/dbi.jl b/src/dbi.jl
index 7b91ba9..f520636 100644
--- a/src/dbi.jl
+++ b/src/dbi.jl
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ end
 
 "Store items into a database"
 function put!(txn::Transaction, dbi::DBI, key, val; flags::Cuint = zero(Cuint))
+    if isa(key, Number) || isa(val, Number)
+        key = isa(key, Number) ? [key] : key
+        val = isa(val, Number) ? [val] : val
+        return put!(txn, dbi, key, val; flags=flags)
+    end
+
     mdb_key_ref = Ref(MDBValue(key))
     mdb_val_ref = Ref(MDBValue(val))
 
@@ -81,6 +87,12 @@ end
 
 "Delete items from a database"
 function delete!(txn::Transaction, dbi::DBI, key, val=C_NULL)
+    if isa(key, Number) || isa(val, Number)
+        key = isa(key, Number) ? [key] : key
+        val = isa(val, Number) ? [val] : val
+        return delete!(txn, dbi, key, val)
+    end
+
     mdb_key_ref = Ref(MDBValue(key))
     mdb_val_ref = (val === C_NULL) ? C_NULL : Ref(MDBValue(val))
 
@@ -92,7 +104,8 @@ function delete!(txn::Transaction, dbi::DBI, key, val=C_NULL)
     return ret
 end
 
-"Get items from a database"
+"Get items from a database. Returned values are safe to access as long as the transaction is not closed."
+get{K<:Number,T}(txn::Transaction, dbi::DBI, key::K, ::Type{T}) = get(txn, dbi, [key], T)
 function get{T}(txn::Transaction, dbi::DBI, key, ::Type{T})
     # Setup parameters
     mdb_key_ref = Ref(MDBValue(key))
diff --git a/test/common.jl b/test/common.jl
index d36685d..654b88e 100644
--- a/test/common.jl
+++ b/test/common.jl
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module LMDB_Common
     val = [1233]
     T = eltype(val)
     val_size = sizeof(val)
-    mdb_val = MDBValue(val[1])
+    mdb_val = MDBValue(val)
     @test val_size == mdb_val.size
     nvals = floor(Int, mdb_val.size/sizeof(T))
     value = unsafe_wrap(Array, convert(Ptr{T}, mdb_val.data), nvals)
diff --git a/test/dbi.jl b/test/dbi.jl
index abb9b80..8dab604 100644
--- a/test/dbi.jl
+++ b/test/dbi.jl
@@ -3,62 +3,156 @@ module LMDB_DBI
     using Base.Test
 
     const dbname = "testdb"
-    key = 10
-    val = "key value is "
 
-    # Create dir
-    mkdir(dbname)
-    try
+    immutable MyType
+        intval::Int
+        boolval::Bool
+    end
+
+    function test_int_str()
+        println("  int keys, string values")
+        key = 10
+        val = "key value is "
 
-        # Procedural style
-        env = create()
+        # Create dir
+        mkdir(dbname)
         try
-            open(env, dbname)
-            txn = start(env)
-            dbi = open(txn)
-            put!(txn, dbi, key+1, val*string(key+1))
-            put!(txn, dbi, key, val*string(key))
-            put!(txn, dbi, key+2, key+2)
-            put!(txn, dbi, key+3, [key, key+1, key+2])
-            @test isopen(txn)
-            commit(txn)
-            @test !isopen(txn)
-            close(env, dbi)
-            @test !isopen(dbi)
+            # Procedural style
+            env = create()
+            try
+                open(env, dbname)
+                txn = start(env)
+                dbi = open(txn)
+                put!(txn, dbi, key+1, val*string(key+1))
+                println("    put value for key $(key+1): $(val*string(key+1))")
+                put!(txn, dbi, key, val*string(key))
+                println("    put value for key $(key): $(val*string(key))")
+                @test isopen(txn)
+                commit(txn)
+                @test !isopen(txn)
+                close(env, dbi)
+                @test !isopen(dbi)
+            finally
+                close(env)
+            end
+            @test !isopen(env)
+
+            # Block style
+            create() do env
+                set!(env, LMDB.NOSYNC)
+                open(env, dbname)
+                start(env) do txn
+                    open(txn, flags = Cuint(LMDB.REVERSEKEY)) do dbi
+                        k = key
+                        value = get(txn, dbi, k, String)
+                        println("    got value for key $(k): $(value)")
+                        @test value == val*string(k)
+                        delete!(txn, dbi, k)
+                        k += 1
+                        value = get(txn, dbi, k, String)
+                        println("    got value for key $(k): $(value)")
+                        @test value == val*string(k)
+                        delete!(txn, dbi, k, value)
+                        @test_throws LMDBError get(txn, dbi, k, String)
+                    end
+                end
+            end
         finally
-            close(env)
+            rm(dbname, recursive=true)
         end
-        @test !isopen(env)
+    end
+
+    function test_str_int()
+        println("  string keys, int values")
+        key = "key1"
+        val = 10
+
+        # Create dir
+        mkdir(dbname)
+        try
+            env = create()
+            try
+                open(env, dbname)
+                txn = start(env)
+                dbi = open(txn)
+                put!(txn, dbi, key, val)
+                println("    put value for key $(key): $(val)")
+                @test isopen(txn)
+                commit(txn)
+                @test !isopen(txn)
+                close(env, dbi)
+                @test !isopen(dbi)
+            finally
+                close(env)
+            end
+            @test !isopen(env)
 
-        # Block style
-        create() do env
-            set!(env, LMDB.NOSYNC)
-            open(env, dbname)
-            start(env) do txn
-                open(txn, flags = Cuint(LMDB.REVERSEKEY)) do dbi
-                    k = key
-                    value = get(txn, dbi, k, String)
-                    println("Got value for key $(k): $(value)")
-                    @test value == val*string(k)
-                    delete!(txn, dbi, k)
-                    k += 1
-                    value = get(txn, dbi, k, String)
-                    println("Got value for key $(k): $(value)")
-                    @test value == val*string(k)
-                    delete!(txn, dbi, k, value)
-                    @test_throws LMDBError get(txn, dbi, k, String)
-                    k += 1
-                    value = get(txn, dbi, k, Int)
-                    println("Got value for key $(k): $(value)")
-                    @test value == k
-                    k += 1
-                    value = get(txn, dbi, k, Vector{Int})
-                    println("Got value for key $(k): $(value)")
-                    @test value == [key, key+1, key+2]
+            # Block style
+            create() do env
+                set!(env, LMDB.NOSYNC)
+                open(env, dbname)
+                start(env) do txn
+                    open(txn, flags = Cuint(LMDB.REVERSEKEY)) do dbi
+                        k = key
+                        value = get(txn, dbi, k, Int)
+                        println("    got value for key $(k): $(value)")
+                        @test value == val
+                        delete!(txn, dbi, k)
+                        @test_throws LMDBError get(txn, dbi, k, Int)
+                    end
                 end
             end
+        finally
+            rm(dbname, recursive=true)
         end
-    finally
-        rm(dbname, recursive=true)
     end
+
+    function test_struct_struct()
+        println("  struct keys, struct values")
+        key = MyType(10, true)
+        val = MyType(11, false)
+
+        # Create dir
+        mkdir(dbname)
+        try
+            env = create()
+            try
+                open(env, dbname)
+                txn = start(env)
+                dbi = open(txn)
+                put!(txn, dbi, key, val)
+                println("    put value for key $(key): $(val)")
+                @test isopen(txn)
+                commit(txn)
+                @test !isopen(txn)
+                close(env, dbi)
+                @test !isopen(dbi)
+            finally
+                close(env)
+            end
+            @test !isopen(env)
+
+            # Block style
+            create() do env
+                set!(env, LMDB.NOSYNC)
+                open(env, dbname)
+                start(env) do txn
+                    open(txn, flags = Cuint(LMDB.REVERSEKEY)) do dbi
+                        k = key
+                        value = get(txn, dbi, k, MyType)
+                        println("    got value for key $(k): $(value)")
+                        @test value == val
+                        delete!(txn, dbi, k)
+                        @test_throws LMDBError get(txn, dbi, k, MyType)
+                    end
+                end
+            end
+        finally
+            rm(dbname, recursive=true)
+        end
+    end
+
+    test_int_str()
+    test_str_int()
+    test_struct_struct()
 end
diff --git a/test/env.jl b/test/env.jl
index ffd06d1..331ce5c 100644
--- a/test/env.jl
+++ b/test/env.jl
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ module LMDB_Env
     @test env[:Readers] == 126
     @test env[:KeySize] == 511
     @test env[:Flags] == 0
+    @test path(env) == ""
+
+    show(STDOUT, env)
 
     # Manipulate flags
     @test !isflagset(env[:Flags], Cuint(LMDB.NOSYNC))
@@ -30,9 +33,12 @@ module LMDB_Env
         ret = open(env, dbname)
         @test ret[1] == 0
 
+        @show env
+
         # Close environment
         close(env)
         @test !isopen(env)
+        @test_throws LMDBError close(env)
 
         # do block
         create() do env
@@ -43,4 +49,4 @@ module LMDB_Env
     finally
         rm(dbname, recursive=true)
     end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end