diff --git a/lib/bcoin/chaindb.js b/lib/bcoin/chaindb.js
index 82bb7625..73cb36d9 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/chaindb.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/chaindb.js
@@ -33,6 +33,80 @@ var BufferReader = require('./reader');
 var Framer = bcoin.protocol.framer;
 var Parser = bcoin.protocol.parser;
 
+var layout = {
+  R: function R() {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('R', 'ascii');
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  e: function e(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('e', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  h: function h(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('h', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  H: function H(height) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('H', 'ascii');
+    p.writeU32(height);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  n: function n(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('n', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  b: function b(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('b', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  t: function t(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('t', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  c: function c(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('c', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  u: function u(hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('u', 'ascii');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  T: function T(address, hash) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('T', 'ascii');
+    p.writeString(address, 'hex');
+    p.writeString('\0', 'binary');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    return p.render();
+  },
+  C: function C(address, hash, index) {
+    var p = new BufferWriter();
+    p.writeString('C', 'ascii');
+    p.writeString(address, 'hex');
+    p.writeString('\0', 'binary');
+    p.writeHash(hash);
+    p.writeString('\0', 'binary');
+    p.writeU32(index);
+    return p.render();
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * The database backend for the {@link Chain} object.
  * @exports ChainDB
@@ -138,7 +212,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype._init = function _init() {
       self.emit('open');
     }
 
-    self.db.has('h/' + self.network.genesis.hash, function(err, exists) {
+    self.db.has(layout.h(self.network.genesis.hash), function(err, exists) {
       if (err)
         return self.emit('error', err);
 
@@ -258,7 +332,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getHeight = function getHeight(hash, callback) {
     return callback(null, this.cacheHash.get(hash).height);
   }
 
-  this.db.fetch('h/' + hash, function(data) {
+  this.db.fetch(layout.h(hash), function(data) {
     assert(data.length === 4, 'Database corruption.');
     return data.readUInt32LE(0, true);
   }, function(err, height) {
@@ -295,7 +369,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getHash = function getHash(height, callback) {
     return callback(null, this.cacheHeight.get(height).hash);
   }
 
-  this.db.fetch('H/' + pad32(height), function(data) {
+  this.db.fetch(layout.H(height), function(data) {
     assert(data.length === 32, 'Database corruption.');
     return data.toString('hex');
   }, callback);
@@ -380,7 +454,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getEntry = function getEntry(hash, callback) {
     if (self.cacheHash.has(hash))
       return callback(null, self.cacheHash.get(hash));
 
-    return self.db.fetch('e/' + hash, function(data) {
+    return self.db.fetch(layout.e(hash), function(data) {
       return bcoin.chainentry.fromRaw(self.chain, data);
     }, callback);
   });
@@ -437,8 +511,8 @@ ChainDB.prototype.save = function save(entry, block, view, connect, callback) {
   height = new Buffer(4);
   height.writeUInt32LE(height, 0, true);
 
-  batch.put('h/' + entry.hash, height);
-  batch.put('e/' + entry.hash, entry.toRaw());
+  batch.put(layout.h(entry.hash), height);
+  batch.put(layout.e(entry.hash), entry.toRaw());
 
   this.cacheHash.set(entry.hash, entry);
 
@@ -452,9 +526,9 @@ ChainDB.prototype.save = function save(entry, block, view, connect, callback) {
 
   this.cacheHeight.set(entry.height, entry);
 
-  batch.put('n/' + entry.prevBlock, hash);
-  batch.put('H/' + pad32(entry.height), hash);
-  batch.put('R', hash);
+  batch.put(layout.n(entry.prevBlock), hash);
+  batch.put(layout.H(entry.height), hash);
+  batch.put(layout.R(), hash);
 
   this.emit('add entry', entry);
 
@@ -472,7 +546,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.save = function save(entry, block, view, connect, callback) {
 
 ChainDB.prototype.getTip = function getTip(callback) {
   var self = this;
-  return this.db.fetch('R', function(data) {
+  return this.db.fetch(layout.R(), function(data) {
     assert(data.length === 32, 'Database corruption.');
     return data.toString('hex');
   }, function(err, hash) {
@@ -496,9 +570,9 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connect = function connect(entry, block, view, callback) {
   var batch = this.db.batch();
   var hash = new Buffer(entry.hash, 'hex');
 
-  batch.put('n/' + entry.prevBlock, hash);
-  batch.put('H/' + pad32(entry.height), hash);
-  batch.put('R', hash);
+  batch.put(layout.n(entry.prevBlock), hash);
+  batch.put(layout.H(entry.height), hash);
+  batch.put(layout.R(), hash);
 
   this.cacheHash.set(entry.hash, entry);
   this.cacheHeight.set(entry.height, entry);
@@ -529,9 +603,9 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnect = function disconnect(block, callback) {
 
   batch = this.db.batch();
 
-  batch.del('n/' + entry.prevBlock);
-  batch.del('H/' + pad32(entry.height));
-  batch.put('R', new Buffer(entry.prevBlock, 'hex'));
+  batch.del(layout.n(entry.prevBlock));
+  batch.del(layout.H(entry.height));
+  batch.put(layout.R(), new Buffer(entry.prevBlock, 'hex'));
 
   this.cacheHeight.remove(entry.height);
 
@@ -564,7 +638,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnect = function disconnect(block, callback) {
  */
 
 ChainDB.prototype.getNextHash = function getNextHash(hash, callback) {
-  return this.db.fetch('n/' + hash, function(data) {
+  return this.db.fetch(layout.n(hash), function(data) {
     assert(data.length === 32, 'Database corruption.');
     return data.toString('hex');
   }, callback);
@@ -641,14 +715,14 @@ ChainDB.prototype.reset = function reset(block, callback) {
         batch = self.db.batch();
 
         if (tip.hash === entry.hash) {
-          batch.put('R', new Buffer(tip.hash, 'hex'));
+          batch.put(layout.R(), new Buffer(tip.hash, 'hex'));
           return batch.write(callback);
         }
 
-        batch.del('H/' + pad32(tip.height));
-        batch.del('h/' + tip.hash);
-        batch.del('e/' + tip.hash);
-        batch.del('n/' + tip.prevBlock);
+        batch.del(layout.H(tip.height));
+        batch.del(layout.h(tip.hash));
+        batch.del(layout.e(tip.hash));
+        batch.del(layout.n(tip.prevBlock));
 
         self.emit('remove entry', tip);
 
@@ -699,7 +773,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.saveBlock = function saveBlock(block, view, batch, connect, ca
   if (this.options.spv)
     return utils.nextTick(callback);
 
-  batch.put('b/' + block.hash('hex'), block.render());
+  batch.put(layout.b(block.hash()), block.render());
 
   if (!connect)
     return utils.nextTick(callback);
@@ -725,7 +799,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.removeBlock = function removeBlock(hash, batch, callback) {
     if (!block)
       return callback();
 
-    batch.del('b/' + block.hash('hex'));
+    batch.del(layout.b(block.hash()));
 
     if (self.options.spv)
       return callback(null, block);
@@ -760,12 +834,12 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connectBlock = function connectBlock(block, view, batch, callb
     hash = tx.hash('hex');
 
     if (this.options.indexTX) {
-      batch.put('t/' + hash, tx.toExtended());
+      batch.put(layout.t(hash), tx.toExtended());
       if (this.options.indexAddress) {
         addresses = tx.getHashes();
         for (j = 0; j < addresses.length; j++) {
           address = addresses[j];
-          batch.put('T/' + address + '/' + hash, DUMMY);
+          batch.put(layout.T(address, hash), DUMMY);
         }
       }
     }
@@ -782,7 +856,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connectBlock = function connectBlock(block, view, batch, callb
       if (this.options.indexAddress) {
         address = input.getHash();
         if (address)
-          batch.del('C/' + address + '/' + key);
+          batch.del(layout.C(address, input.prevout.hash, input.prevout.index));
       }
 
       Framer.coin(input.coin, false, undo);
@@ -797,7 +871,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connectBlock = function connectBlock(block, view, batch, callb
       if (this.options.indexAddress) {
         address = output.getHash();
         if (address)
-          batch.put('C/' + address + '/' + key, DUMMY);
+          batch.put(layout.C(address, hash, j), DUMMY);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -807,17 +881,17 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connectBlock = function connectBlock(block, view, batch, callb
   for (i = 0; i < view.length; i++) {
     coins = view[i];
     if (coins.count() === 0) {
-      batch.del('c/' + coins.hash);
+      batch.del(layout.c(coins.hash));
       this.coinCache.remove(coins.hash);
     } else {
       raw = coins.toRaw();
-      batch.put('c/' + coins.hash, raw);
+      batch.put(layout.c(coins.hash), raw);
       this.coinCache.set(coins.hash, raw);
     }
   }
 
   if (undo.written > 0)
-    batch.put('u/' + block.hash('hex'), undo.render());
+    batch.put(layout.u(block.hash()), undo.render());
 
   this.emit('add block', block);
 
@@ -851,12 +925,12 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnectBlock = function disconnectBlock(block, batch, callb
       hash = tx.hash('hex');
 
       if (self.options.indexTX) {
-        batch.del('t/' + hash);
+        batch.del(layout.t(hash));
         if (self.options.indexAddress) {
           addresses = tx.getHashes();
           for (j = 0; j < addresses.length; j++) {
             address = addresses[j];
-            batch.del('T/' + address + '/' + hash);
+            batch.del(layout.T(address, hash));
           }
         }
       }
@@ -873,7 +947,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnectBlock = function disconnectBlock(block, batch, callb
         if (self.options.indexAddress) {
           address = input.getHash();
           if (address)
-            batch.put('C/' + address + '/' + key, DUMMY);
+            batch.put(layout.C(address, input.prevout.hash, input.prevout.index), DUMMY);
         }
       }
 
@@ -889,7 +963,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnectBlock = function disconnectBlock(block, batch, callb
         if (self.options.indexAddress) {
           address = output.getHash();
           if (address)
-            batch.del('C/' + address + '/' + key);
+            batch.del(layout.C(address, hash, j));
         }
 
         view.spend(hash, j);
@@ -901,16 +975,16 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnectBlock = function disconnectBlock(block, batch, callb
     for (i = 0; i < view.length; i++) {
       coins = view[i];
       if (coins.count() === 0) {
-        batch.del('c/' + coins.hash);
+        batch.del(layout.c(coins.hash));
         self.coinCache.remove(coins.hash);
       } else {
         raw = coins.toRaw();
-        batch.put('c/' + coins.hash, raw);
+        batch.put(layout.c(coins.hash), raw);
         self.coinCache.set(coins.hash, raw);
       }
     }
 
-    batch.del('u/' + block.hash('hex'));
+    batch.del(layout.u(block.hash()));
 
     self.emit('remove block', block);
 
@@ -1036,7 +1110,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getCoins = function getCoins(hash, callback) {
     return callback(null, coins);
   }
 
-  this.db.fetch('c/' + hash, function(data) {
+  this.db.fetch(layout.c(hash), function(data) {
     self.coinCache.set(hash, data);
     return bcoin.coins.fromRaw(data, hash);
   }, callback);
@@ -1054,7 +1128,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getTX = function getTX(hash, callback) {
   if (!this.options.indexTX)
     return utils.nextTick(callback);
 
-  this.db.fetch('t/' + hash, function(data) {
+  this.db.fetch(layout.t(hash), function(data) {
     return bcoin.tx.fromExtended(data);
   }, function(err, tx) {
     if (err)
@@ -1076,7 +1150,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.hasTX = function hasTX(hash, callback) {
   if (!this.options.indexTX)
     return utils.asyncify(callback)(null, false);
 
-  return this.db.has('t/' + hash, callback);
+  return this.db.has(layout.t(hash), callback);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -1266,7 +1340,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getCoinView = function getCoinView(block, callback) {
  */
 
 ChainDB.prototype.getUndoCoins = function getUndoCoins(hash, callback) {
-  return this.db.fetch('u/' + hash, function(data) {
+  return this.db.fetch(layout.u(hash), function(data) {
     var p = new BufferReader(data);
     var coins = [];
     var coin;
@@ -1337,7 +1411,7 @@ ChainDB.prototype.getBlock = function getBlock(hash, callback) {
     if (!hash)
       return callback();
 
-    self.db.fetch('b/' + hash, function(data) {
+    self.db.fetch(layout.b(hash), function(data) {
       var block = bcoin.block.fromRaw(data);
       block.setHeight(height);
       return block;
@@ -1411,8 +1485,8 @@ ChainDB.prototype._pruneBlock = function _pruneBlock(block, batch, callback) {
       return callback();
 
     batch.del(key);
-    batch.del('b/' + hash);
-    batch.del('u/' + hash);
+    batch.del(layout.b(hash));
+    batch.del(layout.u(hash));
 
     return callback();
   });