diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index ea7e82eeb9..4f336c758e 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -90,3 +90,14 @@ data_type ascii_type(new string_type_impl("ascii"));
 data_type blob_type(new blob_type_impl);
 data_type varchar_type(new string_type_impl("varchar"));
 data_type text_type(new string_type_impl("text"));
+
+partition::partition(column_family& cf)
+        : rows(key_compare(cf.clustering_key_type)) {
+}
+
+column_family::column_family(data_type partition_key_type,
+                             data_type clustering_key_type)
+        : partition_key_type(std::move(partition_key_type))
+        , clustering_key_type(std::move(clustering_key_type))
+        , partitions(key_compare(partition_key_type)) {
+}
diff --git a/database.hh b/database.hh
index c52d968b61..ae5cf6fd91 100644
--- a/database.hh
+++ b/database.hh
@@ -67,16 +67,28 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
-struct row {
-    std::vector<boost::any> cells;
+class key_compare {
+    data_type _type;
+public:
+    key_compare(data_type type) : _type(type) {}
+    bool operator()(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2) const {
+        return _type.less(v1, v2);
+    }
 };
 
-using key_compare = std::function<bool (const boost::any&, const boost::any&)>;
+struct row;
+struct paritition;
+struct column_family;
+
+struct row {
+    std::vector<bytes> cells;
+};
 
 struct partition {
+    explicit partition(column_family& cf);
     row static_columns;
     // row key within partition -> row
-    std::map<boost::any, row, key_compare> rows;
+    std::map<bytes, row, key_compare> rows;
 };
 
 // FIXME: add missing types
@@ -93,13 +105,16 @@ struct column_definition {
 };
 
 struct column_family {
+    column_family(data_type partition_key_type, data_type clustering_key_type);
     // primary key = paritition key + clustering_key
+    data_type partition_key_type;
+    data_type clustering_key_type;
     std::vector<column_definition> partition_key;
     std::vector<column_definition> clustering_key;
     std::vector<column_definition> column_defs;
     std::unordered_map<sstring, unsigned> column_names;
     // partition key -> partition
-    std::map<boost::any, partition, key_compare> partitions;
+    std::map<bytes, partition, key_compare> partitions;
 };
 
 struct keyspace {
diff --git a/thrift/handler.cc b/thrift/handler.cc
index 029c354fe7..1a2fd4d120 100644
--- a/thrift/handler.cc
+++ b/thrift/handler.cc
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ public:
         }
         keyspace& ks = _db.keyspaces[ks_def.name];
         for (const CfDef& cf_def : ks_def.cf_defs) {
-            column_family& cf = ks.column_families[cf_def.name];
+            column_family cf(blob_type, blob_type);
             // FIXME: look at key_alias and key_validator first
             cf.partition_key.push_back(column_definition{"key", blob_type});
             // FIXME: guess clustering keys
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ public:
                     blob_type,
                 });
             }
+            ks.column_families.emplace(cf_def.name, std::move(cf));
         }
         cob(schema_id);
     }