diff --git a/cql3/attributes.hh b/cql3/attributes.hh
index 8f54caf092..c7be67ac78 100644
--- a/cql3/attributes.hh
+++ b/cql3/attributes.hh
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public:
         } catch (exceptions::marshal_exception e) {
             throw exceptions::invalid_request_exception("Invalid timestamp value");
         }
-        return boost::any_cast<int64_t>(data_type_for<int64_t>()->compose(*tval));
+        return boost::any_cast<int64_t>(data_type_for<int64_t>()->deserialize(*tval));
     }
 
     int32_t get_time_to_live(const query_options& options) {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public:
             throw exceptions::invalid_request_exception("Invalid TTL value");
         }
 
-        auto ttl = boost::any_cast<int32_t>(data_type_for<int32_t>()->compose(*tval));
+        auto ttl = boost::any_cast<int32_t>(data_type_for<int32_t>()->deserialize(*tval));
         if (ttl < 0) {
             throw exceptions::invalid_request_exception("A TTL must be greater or equal to 0");
         }
diff --git a/cql3/functions/aggregate_fcts.hh b/cql3/functions/aggregate_fcts.hh
index 3d504a832f..eafb6a02a5 100644
--- a/cql3/functions/aggregate_fcts.hh
+++ b/cql3/functions/aggregate_fcts.hh
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public:
         if (!values[0]) {
             return;
         }
-        _sum += boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->compose(*values[0]));
+        _sum += boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->deserialize(*values[0]));
     }
 };
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public:
             return;
         }
         ++_count;
-        _sum += boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->compose(*values[0]));
+        _sum += boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->deserialize(*values[0]));
     }
 };
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public:
         if (!values[0]) {
             return;
         }
-        auto val = boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->compose(*values[0]));
+        auto val = boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->deserialize(*values[0]));
         if (!_max) {
             _max = val;
         } else {
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public:
         if (!values[0]) {
             return;
         }
-        auto val = boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->compose(*values[0]));
+        auto val = boost::any_cast<Type>(data_type_for<Type>()->deserialize(*values[0]));
         if (!_min) {
             _min = val;
         } else {
diff --git a/cql3/functions/time_uuid_fcts.hh b/cql3/functions/time_uuid_fcts.hh
index b6b1aea622..a59205a22f 100644
--- a/cql3/functions/time_uuid_fcts.hh
+++ b/cql3/functions/time_uuid_fcts.hh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ make_min_timeuuid_fct() {
         if (!bb) {
             return {};
         }
-        auto ts_obj = timestamp_type->compose(*bb);
+        auto ts_obj = timestamp_type->deserialize(*bb);
         if (ts_obj.empty()) {
             return {};
         }
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ make_max_timeuuid_fct() {
         if (!bb) {
             return {};
         }
-        auto ts_obj = timestamp_type->compose(*bb);
+        auto ts_obj = timestamp_type->deserialize(*bb);
         if (ts_obj.empty()) {
             return {};
         }
diff --git a/tests/urchin/types_test.cc b/tests/urchin/types_test.cc
index 54f95b4c7c..16a88cdd38 100644
--- a/tests/urchin/types_test.cc
+++ b/tests/urchin/types_test.cc
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_tuple) {
         return t->decompose(v);
     };
     auto bytes_to_native = [t] (bytes v) {
-        return boost::any_cast<native_type>(t->compose(v));
+        return boost::any_cast<native_type>(t->deserialize(v));
     };
     auto c_to_bytes = [=] (c_type v) {
         return native_to_bytes(c_to_native(v));
diff --git a/types.cc b/types.cc
index 0603bc54bd..1e659db8f3 100644
--- a/types.cc
+++ b/types.cc
@@ -1618,7 +1618,7 @@ tuple_type_impl::make_name(const std::vector<data_type>& types) {
 
 sstring
 user_type_impl::get_name_as_string() const {
-    return boost::any_cast<sstring>(utf8_type->compose(_name));
+    return boost::any_cast<sstring>(utf8_type->deserialize(_name));
 }
 
 shared_ptr<cql3::cql3_type>
diff --git a/types.hh b/types.hh
index 677282f124..3265dbdafe 100644
--- a/types.hh
+++ b/types.hh
@@ -268,12 +268,6 @@ protected:
         return is_compatible_with(other);
     }
 public:
-    virtual boost::any compose(const bytes& v) const {
-        return deserialize(v);
-    }
-    data_value compose_value(const bytes& v) const {
-        return deserialize_value(v);
-    }
     bytes decompose(const boost::any& value) const {
         bytes b(bytes::initialized_later(), serialized_size(value));
         auto i = b.begin();