diff --git a/firewood/src/db.rs b/firewood/src/db.rs
index 600702174..cbab34d65 100644
--- a/firewood/src/db.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/db.rs
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ use crate::{
         CachedSpace, MemStoreR, SpaceWrite, StoreConfig, StoreDelta, StoreRevMut, StoreRevShared,
         ZeroStore, PAGE_SIZE_NBIT,
     },
-    v2::api::Proof,
+    v2::api::{self, Proof},
 };
+use async_trait::async_trait;
 use bytemuck::{cast_slice, AnyBitPattern};
 use metered::{metered, HitCount};
 use parking_lot::{Mutex, RwLock};
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ use std::{
     collections::VecDeque,
     error::Error,
     fmt,
-    io::{Cursor, Write},
+    io::{Cursor, ErrorKind, Write},
     mem::size_of,
     num::NonZeroUsize,
     os::fd::{AsFd, BorrowedFd},
@@ -272,6 +273,43 @@ pub struct DbRev<S> {
     merkle: Merkle<S>,
 }
 
+#[async_trait]
+impl<S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync> api::DbView for DbRev<S> {
+    async fn root_hash(&self) -> Result<api::HashKey, api::Error> {
+        self.merkle
+            .root_hash(self.header.kv_root)
+            .map(|h| *h)
+            .map_err(|e| api::Error::IO(std::io::Error::new(ErrorKind::Other, e)))
+    }
+
+    async fn val<K: api::KeyType>(&self, key: K) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, api::Error> {
+        let obj_ref = self.merkle.get(key, self.header.kv_root);
+        match obj_ref {
+            Err(e) => Err(api::Error::IO(std::io::Error::new(ErrorKind::Other, e))),
+            Ok(obj) => match obj {
+                None => Ok(None),
+                Some(inner) => Ok(Some(inner.as_ref().to_owned())),
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn single_key_proof<K: api::KeyType, N: AsRef<[u8]> + Send>(
+        &self,
+        _key: K,
+    ) -> Result<Option<Proof<N>>, api::Error> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    async fn range_proof<K: api::KeyType, V, N>(
+        &self,
+        _first_key: Option<K>,
+        _last_key: Option<K>,
+        _limit: usize,
+    ) -> Result<Option<api::RangeProof<K, V, N>>, api::Error> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+}
+
 impl<S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync> DbRev<S> {
     fn flush_dirty(&mut self) -> Option<()> {
         self.header.flush_dirty();
diff --git a/firewood/src/v2/api.rs b/firewood/src/v2/api.rs
index 51fea04e0..7ce46a4a9 100644
--- a/firewood/src/v2/api.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/v2/api.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ pub trait DbView {
     async fn root_hash(&self) -> Result<HashKey, Error>;
 
     /// Get the value of a specific key
-    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, key: K) -> Result<Option<&[u8]>, Error>;
+    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, key: K) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, Error>;
 
     /// Obtain a proof for a single key
     async fn single_key_proof<K: KeyType, V: ValueType>(
diff --git a/firewood/src/v2/db.rs b/firewood/src/v2/db.rs
index dfa342242..ad5e4ac76 100644
--- a/firewood/src/v2/db.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/v2/db.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ impl api::DbView for DbView {
         todo!()
     }
 
-    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, _key: K) -> Result<Option<&[u8]>, api::Error> {
+    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, _key: K) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, api::Error> {
         todo!()
     }
 
diff --git a/firewood/src/v2/emptydb.rs b/firewood/src/v2/emptydb.rs
index c7c8839b0..677f6de85 100644
--- a/firewood/src/v2/emptydb.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/v2/emptydb.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl DbView for HistoricalImpl {
         Ok(ROOT_HASH)
     }
 
-    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, _key: K) -> Result<Option<&[u8]>, Error> {
+    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, _key: K) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, Error> {
         Ok(None)
     }
 
diff --git a/firewood/src/v2/propose.rs b/firewood/src/v2/propose.rs
index f2cb1f6c7..6467a6920 100644
--- a/firewood/src/v2/propose.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/v2/propose.rs
@@ -105,12 +105,12 @@ impl<T: api::DbView + Send + Sync> api::DbView for Proposal<T> {
         todo!()
     }
 
-    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, key: K) -> Result<Option<&[u8]>, api::Error> {
+    async fn val<K: KeyType>(&self, key: K) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, api::Error> {
         // see if this key is in this proposal
         match self.delta.get(key.as_ref()) {
             Some(change) => match change {
                 // key in proposal, check for Put or Delete
-                KeyOp::Put(val) => Ok(Some(val)),
+                KeyOp::Put(val) => Ok(Some(val.to_owned())),
                 KeyOp::Delete => Ok(None), // key was deleted in this proposal
             },
             None => match &self.base {