diff --git a/lib/model.js b/lib/model.js
index 4784c60..ac9a596 100644
--- a/lib/model.js
+++ b/lib/model.js
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ exports.Model = function(name, store, schema){
 		store = JSFile((require("settings").dataFolder || "data") + "/" + name);
 	}
 	store.id = name;
-	if(!store.create){
-		// map create to put in case it only implements the WebSimpleDB API
-		store.create = store.put;
-	}
 	
 	schema.id = name;
 	schemas[name] = schema;
diff --git a/lib/store/memory.js b/lib/store/memory.js
index 9a14908..4948fef 100644
--- a/lib/store/memory.js
+++ b/lib/store/memory.js
@@ -7,23 +7,25 @@ exports.Memory = function(options){
 	var store = ReadonlyMemory(options);
 	var uniqueKeys = {};
 	// start with the read-only memory store and add write support
-	store.put = function(object, metadata){
-		var id = object.id = metadata.id || object.id || Math.round(Math.random()*10000000000000);
-		if("overwrite" in metadata){
-			if(metadata.overwrite){
-				if(!(id in this.index)){
+	store.put = function(object, directives){
+		directives = directives || {};
+		var id = object.id = directives.id || object.id || Math.round(Math.random()*10000000000000);
+		var isNew = !(id in this.index);
+		if("overwrite" in directives){
+			if(directives.overwrite){
+				if(isNew){
 					throw new PreconditionFailed(id + " does not exist to overwrite");
 				}
 			}
 			else{
-				if(id in this.index){
+				if(!isNew){
 					throw new PreconditionFailed(id + " exists, and can't be overwritten");
 				}
 			}
 		}
 		updateIndexes.call(this, id, object);
 		this.index[id] = object;
-		return id;
+		return isNew && id;
 	};
 	store["delete"] = function(id){
 		updateIndexes.call(this, id);
diff --git a/lib/store/sql.js b/lib/store/sql.js
index 66e3d8f..f5e9f15 100644
--- a/lib/store/sql.js
+++ b/lib/store/sql.js
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ exports.SQLStore = function(config){
 		"delete": function(id){
 			store.executeSql("DELETE FROM " + config.table + " WHERE " + config.idColumn + "=?", [id]);
 		},
-		put: function(object, metadata){
-			id = metadata.id || object[config.idColumn];
-			var overwrite = metadata.overwrite;
+		put: function(object, directives){
+			id = directives.id || object[config.idColumn];
+			var overwrite = directives.overwrite;
 			if(overwrite === undefined){
 				overwrite = this.get(id);
 			}
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ exports.SQLStore = function(config){
 						first = false;
 					}
 				}
+				params.idColumn = config.idColumn;
 				var results = store.executeSql("INSERT INTO " + config.table + " (" + columnsString + ") values (" + valuesPlacement + ")", params);
 				id = results.insertId;
 				object[config.idColumn] = id;
@@ -70,8 +71,6 @@ exports.SQLStore = function(config){
 			sql += " WHERE " + config.idColumn + "=?";
 			params.push(object[config.idColumn]);
 			store.executeSql(sql, params);
-			
-			return id;
 		},
 		query: function(query, options){
 			options = options || {};