diff --git a/firewood/src/db.rs b/firewood/src/db.rs
index 88e2a8b32..5677b885c 100644
--- a/firewood/src/db.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/db.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ pub use crate::{
 };
 use crate::{
     file,
-    merkle::{Bincode, Merkle, MerkleError, Node, Proof, ProofError, TrieHash, TRIE_HASH_LEN},
+    merkle::{Bincode, Key, Merkle, MerkleError, Node, Proof, ProofError, TrieHash, TRIE_HASH_LEN},
     storage::{
         buffer::{DiskBuffer, DiskBufferRequester},
         CachedSpace, MemStoreR, SpaceWrite, StoreConfig, StoreDelta, StoreRevMut, StoreRevShared,
@@ -323,10 +323,7 @@ impl<S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync> DbRev<S> {
         self.merkle.key_value_iter(self.header.kv_root)
     }
 
-    pub fn stream_from(
-        &self,
-        start_key: Box<[u8]>,
-    ) -> merkle::MerkleKeyValueStream<'_, S, Bincode> {
+    pub fn stream_from(&self, start_key: Key) -> merkle::MerkleKeyValueStream<'_, S, Bincode> {
         self.merkle
             .key_value_iter_from_key(self.header.kv_root, start_key)
     }
diff --git a/firewood/src/merkle.rs b/firewood/src/merkle.rs
index d54dcb0a5..2aafb36b6 100644
--- a/firewood/src/merkle.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/merkle.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type NodeObjRef<'a> = shale::ObjRef<'a, Node>;
 type ParentRefs<'a> = Vec<(NodeObjRef<'a>, u8)>;
 type ParentAddresses = Vec<(DiskAddress, u8)>;
 
-type Key = Box<[u8]>;
+pub type Key = Box<[u8]>;
 type Value = Vec<u8>;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Error)]
@@ -1381,7 +1381,7 @@ impl<S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync, T> Merkle<S, T> {
     pub(crate) fn key_value_iter_from_key(
         &self,
         root: DiskAddress,
-        key: Box<[u8]>,
+        key: Key,
     ) -> MerkleKeyValueStream<'_, S, T> {
         MerkleKeyValueStream::from_key(self, root, key)
     }
diff --git a/firewood/src/merkle/stream.rs b/firewood/src/merkle/stream.rs
index 9f407e570..abfee7b38 100644
--- a/firewood/src/merkle/stream.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/merkle/stream.rs
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ impl<'a, S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync, T> Stream for MerkleNodeStream<'a, S
 
                             // The child's key is its parent's key, followed by the child's index,
                             // followed by the child's partial path (if any).
-                            let child_key: Box<[u8]> = key
+                            let child_key: Key = key
                                 .iter()
                                 .copied()
                                 .chain(once(pos))
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ mod tests {
         pub(crate) fn node_iter_from(
             &self,
             root: DiskAddress,
-            key: Box<[u8]>,
+            key: Key,
         ) -> MerkleNodeStream<'_, S, T> {
             MerkleNodeStream::new(self, root, key)
         }
diff --git a/fwdctl/src/dump.rs b/fwdctl/src/dump.rs
index a86a6f862..928574b4b 100644
--- a/fwdctl/src/dump.rs
+++ b/fwdctl/src/dump.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 // Copyright (C) 2023, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
 // See the file LICENSE.md for licensing terms.
 
-use std::borrow::Cow;
-
 use clap::Args;
 use firewood::{
     db::{Db, DbConfig, WalConfig},
+    merkle::Key,
     v2::api::{self, Db as _},
 };
 use futures_util::StreamExt;
 use log;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Args)]
 pub struct Options {
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub struct Options {
         value_parser = key_parser,
         help = "Start dumping from this key (inclusive)."
     )]
-    pub start_key: Option<Box<[u8]>>,
+    pub start_key: Option<Key>,
 }
 
 pub(super) async fn run(opts: &Options) -> Result<(), api::Error> {