diff --git a/lib/commands/hash.js b/lib/commands/hash.js
index a575a34..9a082b1 100644
--- a/lib/commands/hash.js
+++ b/lib/commands/hash.js
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@
  * Module dependencies.
  */
 
-var utils = require('../utils');
+var utils = require('../utils')
+  , string = utils.string;
 
 /**
  * HLEN <key>
  */
 
 exports.hlen = function(client, key){
-  var obj = this.lookup(utils.string(key));
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (!obj) {
     client.int(0);
@@ -32,8 +33,7 @@ exports.hlen = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.hvals = function(client, key){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (!obj) {
     client.emptyList();
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ exports.hvals = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.hkeys = function(client, key){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (!obj) {
     client.emptyList();
@@ -68,9 +67,9 @@ exports.hkeys = function(client, key){
  */
 
 (exports.hset = function(client, key, field, val){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , field = utils.string(field)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var key = string(key)
+    , field = string(field)
+    , obj = this.lookup(key);
 
   if (obj && 'hash' != obj.type) return client.typeError();
   obj = obj || (this.db.data[key] = { type: 'hash', val: {} });
@@ -85,8 +84,8 @@ exports.hkeys = function(client, key){
 
 (exports.hmset = function(client, data){
   var len = data.length
-    , key = utils.string(data[0])
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+    , key = string(data[0])
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
     , field
     , val;
 
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ exports.hkeys = function(client, key){
   obj = obj || (this.db.data[key] = { type: 'hash', val: {} });
 
   for (var i = 1; i < len; ++i) {
-    field = utils.string(data[i++]);
+    field = string(data[i++]);
     val = data[i];
     obj.val[field] = val;
   }
@@ -110,9 +109,9 @@ exports.hmset.skip = 1;
  */
 
 exports.hget = function(client, key, field){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , field = utils.string(field)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+  var key = string(key)
+    , field = string(field)
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
     , val;
 
   if (!obj) {
@@ -133,8 +132,8 @@ exports.hget = function(client, key, field){
  */
 
 exports.hgetall = function(client, key){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+  var key = string(key)
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
     , list = [];
 
   if (!obj) {
@@ -154,9 +153,9 @@ exports.hgetall = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.hexists = function(client, key, field){
-  var key = utils.string(key)
-    , field = utils.string(field)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+  var key = string(key)
+    , field = string(field)
+    , obj = this.lookup(key);
 
   if (obj) {
     if ('hash' == obj.type) {
diff --git a/lib/commands/keys.js b/lib/commands/keys.js
index 9c832ad..8e4034d 100644
--- a/lib/commands/keys.js
+++ b/lib/commands/keys.js
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ var utils = require('../utils')
  */
 
 exports.expire = function(client, key, seconds){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (obj) {
     obj.expires = Date.now() + Number(string(seconds));
@@ -33,8 +32,7 @@ exports.expire = function(client, key, seconds){
  */
 
 exports.expireat = function(client, key, seconds){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (obj) {
     obj.expires = +string(seconds);
@@ -49,8 +47,7 @@ exports.expireat = function(client, key, seconds){
  */
 
 exports.persist = function(client, key){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (obj && 'number' == typeof obj.expires) {
     delete obj.expires;
@@ -65,8 +62,7 @@ exports.persist = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.ttl = function(client, key){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (obj && 'number' == typeof obj.expires) {
     client.int(obj.expires - Date.now());
@@ -80,8 +76,7 @@ exports.ttl = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.type = function(client, key){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
   
   if (obj) {
     client.write(obj.type);
@@ -95,7 +90,7 @@ exports.type = function(client, key){
  */
 
 exports.exists = function(client, key){
-  client.bool(this.db.data[string(key)]);
+  client.bool(this.lookup(string(key)));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -122,7 +117,7 @@ exports.randomkey = function(client){
   // TODO: varg
   // TODO: del count ?
   key = string(key);
-  if (this.db.data[key]) {
+  if (this.lookup(key)) {
     delete this.db.data[key];
     client.bool(true);
   } else {
@@ -139,7 +134,7 @@ exports.randomkey = function(client){
 
   // Fail if attempting to rename a non-existant key
   from = string(from);
-  if (null == data[from]) return client.error('no such key');
+  if (!this.lookup(from)) return client.error('no such key');
 
   // Fail on same keys
   to = string(to);
diff --git a/lib/commands/string.js b/lib/commands/string.js
index 58f6d73..c50c863 100644
--- a/lib/commands/string.js
+++ b/lib/commands/string.js
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ var utils = require('../utils')
  */
 
 exports.get = function(client, key){
-  var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+  var obj = this.lookup(string(key));
 
   if (!obj) {
     client.nil();
@@ -35,16 +34,14 @@ exports.get = function(client, key){
 
 exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
   var key = string(key)
-    , prev = this.data[key]
-    , prevType = this.keyType(key);
+    , obj = this.lookup(key);
 
-  this.data[key] = val;
-  this.keyType(key, 'string');
+  this.db.data[key] = { type: 'string', val: val };
 
-  if (null == prev) {
+  if (!obj) {
     client.nil();
-  } else if ('string' == prevType) {
-    client.send(prev);
+  } else if ('string' == obj.type) {
+    client.send(obj.val);
   } else {
     client.typeError();
   }
@@ -66,9 +63,8 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 (exports.setnx = function(client, key, val){
   key = string(key);
-  if (null != this.data[key]) return client.bool(false);
-  this.data[key] = val;
-  this.keyType(key, 'string');
+  if (this.lookup(key)) return client.bool(false);
+  this.db.data[key] = { type: 'string', val: val };
   client.bool(true);
 }).mutates = true;
 
@@ -78,7 +74,7 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 (exports.incr = function(client, key){
   var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+    , obj = this.lookup(key);
 
   if (!obj) {
     this.db.data[key] = { type: 'string', val: 1 };
@@ -98,7 +94,7 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 (exports.incrby = function(client, key, num){
   var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
     , num = +string(num);
 
   if (isNaN(num)) return client.rangeError();
@@ -121,7 +117,7 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 (exports.decrby = function(client, key, num){
   var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key]
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
     , num = +string(num);
 
   if (isNaN(num)) return client.rangeError();
@@ -144,7 +140,7 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 (exports.decr = function(client, key){
   var key = string(key)
-    , obj = this.db.data[key];
+    , obj = this.lookup(key);
 
   if (!obj) {
     this.db.data[key] = { type: 'string', val: -1 };
@@ -164,7 +160,7 @@ exports.getset = function(client, key, val){
 
 exports.strlen = function(client, key){
   var key = string(key)
-    , val = this.data[key];
+    , val = this.lookup(key);
 
   if (val) {
     client.int(val.length);
@@ -181,19 +177,18 @@ exports.strlen = function(client, key){
 
 (exports.append = function(client, key, str){
   var key = string(key)
-    , val = null != this.data[key]
-      ? this.data[key]
-      : new Buffer(0);
+    , obj = this.lookup(key)
+      || { type: 'string', val: new Buffer(0) };
 
-  if ('string' != this.keyType(key)) return client.typeError();
+  if (obj && 'string' != obj.type) return client.typeError();
 
-  if (Buffer.isBuffer(val)) {
-    var offset = val.length
+  if (Buffer.isBuffer(obj.val)) {
+    var offset = obj.val.length
       , len = offset + str.length
       , buf = new Buffer(len);
     val.copy(buf);
     str.copy(buf, offset);
-    this.data[key] = buf;
+    this.db.data[key] = obj;
     client.int(len);
   } else {
     client.typeError();